Call Center Management Featured Article
Five Trends to Boost Customer Engagement and Position for Business Growth
The coronavirus pandemic has fundamentally changed a customer service landscape that was already in flux. Prior to COVID-19, businesses were beginning to shift toward a digital, omni-channel approach that emphasized customer service and engagement. The pandemic has accelerated that shift, and businesses that hope to survive need to be laser focused on their customers' needs.
The result has been a number of trends in the call center and customer service landscape that aim to boost engagement along with value-based growth. Businesses that hope to succeed post-pandemic must be focused on creating new revenue opportunities while also improving their levels of customer service and engagement.
Below are five initiatives designed to boost customer engagement and growth throughout the pandemic and well beyond.
1. Increased Use of Analytics and Customer Data
Most businesses collect volumes of customer data, only to have it sit in a database where it benefits no one. A host of technologies are available to mine and analyze that data for actionable insights, and more businesses are taking advantage of them. Call center and other customer data platforms are designed to aggregate and analyze data so that it may be used more effectively by sales and marketing departments as well as call center agents.
2. Targeted, Individualized Customer Marketing
Customers no longer want to be put into a pre-assigned box. Demographics tell only a small portion of a customer's story, and buyers want a more personalized experience tailored to their individual needs. Companies are increasingly using customer data in new ways to create that individualized experience, which will be a major market differentiator moving forward.
3. Prioritizing Direct-to-Consumer Relationships
Many shoppers had already migrated to online shopping prior to COVID-19, and the pandemic only accelerated that shift. Brick and mortar retailers are already suffering, and it's unclear if buyers will shift back from online to brick-and-mortar options post-pandemic. The trend has pushed many businesses to focus on direct-to-consumer relationships in an effort to boost revenues and foster new sales channels.
4. Digitization
Along the same lines as online shopping, digitization has been steadily on the rise, and the coronavirus has only accelerated its growth. Businesses are looking at new and innovative ways to sell their products digitally. This applies to everything from tangible goods to services and experiences that may be offered online.
5. First-party Data Monetization
The above trends are all focused on a shift from third-party data collection and distribution to a focus on first-party data. Privacy regulations have historically made first-party data difficult to access and mine, but customers are increasingly giving consent to improve their experiences and interactions. Businesses have already begun creating new programs and initiatives with the goal of collecting data directly from customers, to be used to improve customer service and boost business growth.
The customer service realm will surely look very different in a post-COVID world. A number of the important changes in how products and services are delivered are likely to have a lasting impact in the new year and beyond. Above all, businesses have realized that customer engagement is vital to their survival and long-term success.
Edited by Maurice Nagle