Has your Customer Service got what it takes for the New Generation?

How to meet the customer service expectations of the next generation in 2016

While sitting on a delayed train last week, I overheard two conversations. While a pair of elderly gentlemen discussed writing a letter of complaint, a pair of teenagers had already fired a tweet to the train operator, and were eagerly refreshing their feed in search of a response. By the time we reached our destination, the youngsters had already received a response, explaining how to claim a partial refund on their tickets, while their elders headed to the ticket office in search of a form to fill in. Mind the gap, you are about to board the next generation train.

Ripping up the rulebook

In 2016, how do brands keep pace with the customer service expectations of the new generation? Without taking action, they will be left behind like the pair of elderly gentlemen from the train. It’s clear that the rules for customer engagement have been re-written, with traditional points of contact appearing increasingly outdated.

Today’s customer is largely self-servicing, less tolerant and expects to be serviced at lightning speed. No longer completing traditional A to B journeys, they demand a seamless customer experience for a journey that runs between A to A. Disruptions and lengthy processing times will not be tolerated. After checking on a retailer’s website that a desired shirt is in stock in a nearby store, the customer might then reserve it through click & collect, but then wish to contact the retailer to change the colour of the shirt reserved, or tweet to ask when their parcel will arrive if their day becomes busier than expected.

A seamless approach is demanded across all these platforms and more. The UK State of Multichannel Customer Service Report, which says more than half of customer service interactions begin online, confirms that there are a range of customer service touchpoints in play including telephone, email, live chat, social media and mobile apps.

But how can businesses get this train moving? Following these five steps will ensure the entire journey runs smoothly:

The six steps

Moves like Jagger, moves like the next generation. Whatever platform they’re on, whenever they want to interact, the new generation must be given a multichannel solution. For example if somebody is on the phone to a contact centre attempting to resolve a service issue and loses phone signal as their train goes through a tunnel, they should be able to continue the conversation over Twitter if they wish (as a growing number of tube stations have WiFi-available). For the new generation, moving seamlessly means moving efficiently.

Rather than waiting for activity notifications to appear, it’s crucial that brands are proactive and aware of trends the new generation is discussing. When millions of people were debating whether a dress was blue or gold last year, brands should have been getting involved in the debate, spreading the word about their own products and services in the process.

These touchpoints cannot be siloed, and must integrate so that the customer remains in control and receives a great, consistent service.

Track the customer. Get to know what the customer wants before they even start to search for it; anticipate customer calls by giving them solutions to problems before any calls are made. This can be done by Email (for example) or even an automated tweet sent to people who previously used the medium to discuss problems.

Be human. Having gathered all the necessary information by customer tracking (as outlined in step 2), the customer service should be able to build an emotional connection with the customer because their expectations should already be anticipated and dealt with. Speak to them in their preferred medium and with their personality in mind will engage with the customer in a personal way. As our From Millennials to Silver Surfers blog explains, whether you’re a regular visitor to a shop or an online store, as a customer the very least you expect is to be remembered.

Give real-time responses as part of the multichannel service. In 2016, customers could expect to contact a sportswear brand on Twitter about availability of a trainer in a certain store; the brand should respond quickly with an answer, and suggest solutions to any availability problems, such as calling them once it does come into the store. Forrester research recently showed more than half (67%) of companies believe that social customer service is growing in importance and is the most pressing short-term priority for contact centres in both the US and UK.

Make it seamless and consistent. The customer in the above step was able to jump from social media to telephone to the store seamlessly, with the conversation continuing between online and offline services. Within retail, making experiences as personalised and relevant as possible is the highest priority area brands believe they should focus on with customer service. When a member of the new generation comes into contact with the brand, they must be given a consistent experience; having to repeat information already shared with the organisation is not deemed acceptable, and could lead to customers looking elsewhere.

Following these steps will keep your customers engaged in a time when their demands are evolving. By failing to buy a ticket however, brands will find themselves left on the platform watching while the new generation train pulls away from the station.

- See more at: http://www.ccainternational.com/en/blog/