Customer service needs are evolving in a digital landscape. Experts say the best businesses stay agile, while going back to basics.Stock
Natalie Vandermaaden has made customer service a priority since she opened Natalie Maaden Laser & Spa in Guelph, Ont.
Clients are greeted by name when they enter, and they are offered their favourite cup of coffee. Staff make an effort to remember personal details from a customer’s previous visits – whether it’s upcoming wedding plans, recent vacations or job promotions.
This type of personal touch may not sound surprising, but these days, it could be considered a welcome change. “You don’t get that feeling as much with technology,” Ms. Vandermaaden explains.
In a world of chatbots, social media, and AI-assisted customer service, human-led experiences are increasingly few and far between. Despite the surge in digital tools, the demand for good customer service – particularly human interactions – is stronger than ever.
A recent McKinsey & Co. survey found that 57 per cent of business leaders expect customer service call volumes to rise by as much as 20 per cent over the next two years, with live phone conversations still ranking top among consumers’ preferred support options.
Eric Buesing, partner at McKinsey and co-author of the latest survey, says despite an increase in the availability of customer-service channels, expectations haven’t changed. “When I have an issue, I want that issue resolved, preferably as quickly as possible,” he says.
What has changed is the context in which those expectations exist.
Natalie Vandermaaden, owner of Natalie Maaden Laser & Spa in Guelph, Ont., says a personal touch is the key to building lasting customer relationships.Supplied by Natalie Maaden Laser & Spa
Customers today come with a stronger, more informed perspective. They’re no longer interacting with a business through a single channel and their expectations are shaped by diverse sources of information – from mobile apps and social media to YouTube influencers and peer reviews – and they demand consistency across all platforms.
Successful companies are finding ways to combine human support and digital tools to meet modern customer expectations.
Turo, a car-sharing app located in eight Canadian provinces, won a People’s Choice Stevie Award this year for its multi-channel approach to customer service. The company offers your typical chat, e-mail, and phone support for customers, alongside additional features such as human-led onboarding and 24/7 roadside support in Canada, says Bassem El-Rahimy, senior director of Turo Canada.
Mr. El-Rahimy notes that Turo never forces its customers to communicate through a channel they are not comfortable with. “Some people are better verbal communicators, some are better written,” he says. “We meet customers where they want to meet us and serve them in that way.”
This is no small investment, especially as the company scales and takes on new markets, languages and customer expectations. Mr. El-Rahimy says the value of its customer service efforts is shown in the trust customers have in its product. He says Turo currently holds a self-reported customer satisfaction score of 78 per cent for the month of June.
Businesses looking to improve their customer service efforts could benefit from studying more hospitality-driven industries. Natalie Maaden Laser & Spa’s thoughtful service approach won it a customer service award through its local chamber of commerce this year.
Vancouver’s Shangri-la Hotel has won dozens of awards for its customer service and experiences. While guests can book and manage their stays online, view digital menus and contact support remotely, hotel manager Kate Martin told The Globe and Mail by e-mail that, “great service has an emotional impact that transcends any physical offering we can provide.”
This sentiment rings true for Mr. Buesing, who advises companies that are looking to improve their service to prioritize empathy and “start with the customer.”
“Where we often start is with last year’s budget, or last year’s call volumes … instead of how our customer expectations have changed.”
Mr. Buesing says businesses should take a deeper look into who their customers are and what they want on a continuous basis. “What types of customers do we have today, are these the same customers we will have tomorrow, and are we building and advancing to meet those needs, or not?”
Stronger demands on customer service come as businesses are facing conflicting challenges. Rising call volumes are at odds with employee attrition, talent shortages and growing competition. Not to mention the growing push for more automated, AI-driven processes across industries often creates a gap between businesses and the needs of their customers.
The key to sustained success, according to Mr. Buesing, lies in rethinking the role of customer service altogether. “Stop thinking of a [customer service] call as something to reduce, but as a longer journey that can be improved,” he says.