It should be no secret that the modern customer demands immediate, integrated and personalised services. In fact, our recent research in collaboration with Salesforce shows that the top three needs of customers are: convenience, getting the right outcome, and timely resolution.1 Combining this with the rising cost of living, market conditions and technological advancements further straining customer loyalty and retention, businesses must place a relentless focus on achieving customer outcomes, at every single interaction. With 72% of Australians ranking inflation in their top three concerns (40% ranked it number one), 96% ranking protecting consumer data as the most important element in building their confidence in a company, and 20% saying they would still not trust AI to perform any activities in place of human interactions, the path forward must be closely considered.2 This means businesses, more than ever, are needing to deliver personalisation at scale and heavily invest in self-service, AI and automation. These deliver ‘lightspeed’ responses and engaging experiences (unless they are disconnected and cumbersome) that meet customers' needs.
In our recent report ‘The future trends set to shake up the Australian service industry’ we explored this changing customer service landscape and the challenges that lie ahead for Australian businesses. In this article, we want to drill down further on some of the actions organisations and their service centres can take in response to changing customer behaviours and needs.
Deliver personalisation at scale
Customers’ daily interactions will continually shape their service delivery expectations, with hyper-personalised experiences playing a crucial role. In everyday life, this hyper-personalisation ensures that customers will continue to demand tailored and targeted attention at every touchpoint. When done right, personalisation can deliver exceptional experiences that drive customer loyalty – as 88% of customers say a good service experience makes them more likely to buy with the same brand again.3 With market conditions showing no signs of improvement, even simple personalisation enhancements could be key to unlocking business growth in this challenging climate.
Uplift self-service to meet the ‘always on’ customer
In an age where self-service is tightly woven into the fabric of consumerism – such as airport check-ins, supermarket checkouts and QR codes at pubs – the self-sufficient customer will only continue to grow. We are an increasingly connected 24/7 society and coupled with expanding global markets and rising customer demands, service centres are being pushed to extend their availability.
Self-service offers a valuable opportunity to enhance productivity, reduce costs and allow agents to focus on high-value interactions. As live interactions cost 24 to 48 times more than self service,4 many organisations are rapidly adopting self-service portals, smart IVRs (Interactive Voice Response systems) and AI driven virtual assistants to guide customers without human intervention. A remarkable 38% of Gen Z and Millennial customers would choose to purchase from a different company if their issues couldn’t be resolved through self-service.5 As Gen Z becomes the largest consumer segment, their preference for self-service will significantly impact customer loyalty and brand reputation. Those that fail to adapt, may face serious financial repercussions.
Organisations that embrace self-service often experience more than double the year-on-year revenue growth, with self-service resolving an estimated 54% of customer issues.6 However, many self-service offerings still lack the foundational capabilities required for effective resolution, resulting in poor customer experiences and increased dependence on assisted channels. With 74% of customers more likely to choose self-service after experiencing seamless channel transitions, organisations can’t afford to get this wrong.7
