Your Digital Transformation and Your Customer Service Strategy Should Go Hand in Hand

Going through a digital transformation can mean a lot of things for businesses — moving operations to the cloud, integrating systems or simply being more forward thinking and innovative in general. One component of a successful digital transformation that should never be ignored is dedicated service and consistent engagement with your customer base.

 

Today more than ever, consumers have high expectations around how they receive service from a brand. In my company’s recent Customer Service Index, we surveyed more than 1,000 Americans to determine insights that can help businesses develop better customer service strategies that, in turn, can result in higher satisfaction, retention and increased sales.

 

Many would argue a key step of going through a digital transformation is adopting analytics throughout a business. When it comes to customer service, analytics can be used by cloud contact center  agents to review a consumer’s history with a company, such as previous shopping transactions. Taking advantage of this data is a smart way for businesses to offer better service to their customers by providing predictive recommendations, and making the experience more seamless and personal overall.

 

Data is key when it comes to digital transformation, but it is also a key element in cybersecurity. As cybersecurity worries grow, many companies assume people prefer to keep their personal data protected and think consistent use of analytics has the potential to turn customers away. But in fact, more than three-fourths of the index’s respondents (77%) said they are comfortable with a company using their past purchase history if it results in a high level of customer service. Especially during the busy holiday shopping season, consumers, such as myself, want their experiences with a business to be stress free and worthwhile, so retailers should place emphasis on how to make their customer experiences stand out against the competition.

 

Here are some other key statistics from the survey that highlight the importance of customer service:
 

• 78% of consumers will not do business with a company if it gives them poor customer service the first time.
• Millennials (82%), Generation X (84%) and Baby Boomers (82%) all expect fast customer service (30 minutes or less). Respondents older than 70 years old had the highest expectations, with 87% saying fast customer service is important.
• 91% of respondents indicated that a reputation of great customer service is a factor that helps them decide whether they will do business with a company.
• 80% of consumers are influenced by their friends and peers on where to shop. Internet service providers (59%) and telephone service providers (58%) are the two types of services that customers are most likely to leave as a result of inferior customer service.
  
   

The companies that will experience the most positive and rewarding results will be the ones that combine the two initiatives and take an innovative approach to building a loyal, happy customer base.