Customer Service Best Practices in 2022

It goes without saying that modern customer service has been completely changed by the Covid-19 pandemic. Most companies were forced online virtually overnight and businesses had to scramble to provide entirely digital customer service.

More than two years down the line, companies have had time to adapt and settle into this new way of doing business. But it’s clear that the convenience and personalization of online customer service is now something consumers expect. To succeed in today’s customer service landscape, customer support teams need to be able to thrive in a digital-first environment.

It’s become fairly standard for companies today to offer a way to contact customer support digitally (vs. having to call in to wait in a phone queue during business hours). But this availability outside the traditional 9-5 working day barely scratches the surface of what it takes to succeed in providing a truly excellent customer experience.

In 2022, customers expect to be able to interact with businesses 24/7, in the language of their choice, on the channels they already use (be that email, live chat, or a DM on Instagram). Let’s take a look at what leading customer service teams are doing to keep up with these rising customer expectations.

Trend 1

Companies will pivot from reactive to proactive CS

Companies will solve problems before they become complaints and will even aim to preempt problems and anticipate needs for a better customer experience.

Trend 2

CX becomes an increasingly sought-after career field

Customer service will be considered an increasingly rewarding and well-regarded career, especially as organizations begin to embrace systems where humans and machines can work collaboratively.

Trend 3

Automation isn’t the future, it’s the new normal

The market maturity of conversational AI and natural language processing (NLP) beckons in the era of mainstream automation adoption.

Trend 4

Customers will expect personalization, but not at the cost of privacy

Companies will hyper-personalize to deliver exceptional experiences, however, customers are savvier than ever and security is of increased importance to them.

Trend 5

Increased customer expectations are here to stay post-pandemic

Consumers’ increased expectations — including making their lives more convenient, and expecting companies to have purpose and ethics — will become permanent.

Trend 6

Holistic approaches are the future of CX

Omnichannel is already obligatory, but in the future, companies will aim to create unified customer experiences no matter the market, the language or, of course, the channel.