Last week, social CRM and mobile experts from Hold-Free Networks and Convergys (News - Alert) Corporation joined to give a free presentation on how the original customer service recipe of marketing, sales and service has actually become service, service and more service.

The event explored a look into the transition of customer service as the integration of new technologies, such as Web-based platforms, mobile and cloud-based software, create new aspects of customer relationship management (CRM) processes. 

Presenters included Joseph Katz, CMO of Hold-Free, Wendell Black, Hold-Free’s president of Sales and Mike Figgins, senior director of Strategy at Convergys Corp., three innovators in the social CRM and mobile space that were able to provide different perspectives on customer service best practices and where the industry is headed.

As customer service has taken on many new faces in today’s market, the presenters addressed three very important questions during the presentations that those in the CRM or customer service industry should really be considering. Is service the new marketing? Or is it the new sales? And finally where is the future of service headed?

Thanks to consumers becoming savvier and well-aware of the type of service they want and deserve, the industry has become more of a consumer to business (C2B) world, making customer service the new king.

The presenters asked the audience to first examine what their marketing department is trying to achieve? Once those goals are established, the customer service processes can be revolved around how to understand the customer best and how to help them both efficiently and cost effectively.

When it comes to the sales aspect of customer service, the presentation explored the different aspects of why customers buy in the first place, including price, quality, service, engagement and measuring attitude.

There are a number of ways to examine the value of your individual customers including how to keep a customer engaged and happy with your service in order to get them to continue to spend money with you. If a customer isn’t particularly sold yet, companies must find a way to change their disposition to get them on board. It is also important to drive down the costs while still contributing to higher conversion rates.

Maintaining a positive relationship with the customer is just as important as bringing on new ones. By focusing on your companies brand, strategies and human capital you increase the sustainability of your customer relationships.

So where is the future of service headed? According to Katz, Black and Figgins, service channels that were once referred to as alternative channels are no longer the alternate option. Instead, customer service provides coordinated activities designed to enhance the level of customer satisfaction.

For example, customer events may involve multiple channels while increasing need for real time answers. With the advent of platforms like social media, companies can no longer count on direct interactions creating a further need for intelligent interactions across all channels.