{"id":26870,"date":"2023-02-14T15:39:48","date_gmt":"2023-02-14T15:39:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.intercom.com\/blog\/?p=26870"},"modified":"2024-10-22T17:58:45","modified_gmt":"2024-10-22T16:58:45","slug":"meeting-customer-support-expectations","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.intercom.com\/blog\/meeting-customer-support-expectations\/","title":{"rendered":"5 ways to bridge the customer service expectation gap in 2024"},"content":{"rendered":"

As technology advances and customers’ options expand, customer service expectations are skyrocketing.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The<\/span> customer expectation gap<\/span> has been widely reported on in the years since the pandemic (not least by us <\/span>last year<\/span>!), and our latest <\/span>Intercom Customer Service Trends Report for 2023<\/span><\/i><\/a> shows that expectations are now higher than ever. There\u2019s a new bar for what\u2019s possible, and word of mouth now spreads on a global scale. <\/span><\/p>\n

This year, a whopping 83% of support teams are seeing customer expectations increase, up from 75% the previous year. When it comes to support, its availability, and the quality of the customer experience, there\u2019s no longer any room for mistakes.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cBusinesses that act fast can get ahead of their customers\u2019 expectations\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

The good news? Heading into 2023, more teams are prepared to meet these expectations, with 40% saying they\u2019re confident they can measure up \u2013 versus 34% in 2021. Businesses that act fast can get ahead of their customers\u2019 expectations and begin to close the gap. Here are five things you can do to get ahead.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

1. Leverage first-party data for a truly personal touch<\/b><\/h2>\n

When it comes to meeting rising customer expectations, personalization is a must. In fact, 89% of support leaders cite personalization as a key competitive differentiator, and teams that offer personalized service are almost twice as likely to report higher customer satisfaction scores, retention, and loyalty.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201c82% of support leaders say that customer expectations for personalized support have increased over the last 12 months\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

And demand is only increasing \u2013 82% of support leaders say that customer expectations for personalized support have increased over the last 12 months, however,\u00a0 54% lack the tools they need to achieve the level of personalization their customers expect, at scale.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

So how can teams start to close the customer expectation gap when it comes to personalization? As counter-intuitive as it may seem, automation can help you take a more personal approach with your customers. By folding automation into your personalization strategy, you can collect first-party data more effectively and offer every customer a personal service when they need it, where they need it.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n
\"Craig<\/td>\n\n

\u201c<\/span>We want to make sure that each customer’s experience is tailored to the needs of that particular customer, because we’ve seen that personalized experiences drive much stronger outcomes than non-personalized experiences.\u201d<\/span> \u2013 Craig Vincent, Head of Global Success Programs, Customer Success, at Amplitude<\/em><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

First-party data<\/span><\/a> is information you\u2019ve collected first-hand \u2013 from sources like sign-up forms, and actions taken in your product or app. Because it’s coming directly from your customers, it\u2019s more reliable, effective, and useful. Many customers are happy to share their data with businesses in return for a more personal, engaging experience, and s<\/span>upport tools, like<\/span> chatbots<\/span><\/a>, can help you to automatically gather rich context about each customer, such as their plan, transaction history, or previous queries.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

But first-party data isn\u2019t just about who your customers are, it\u2019s about what they do. By setting up personalized flows that activate in-product messaging based on customer behavior, you can help your customers right where they are and anticipate their needs. <\/span><\/p>\n

In-product messaging is in-context, convenient, and helps customers in the moment, saving them from switching channels or devices to get the help they need. Not only that, you can use it to guide your customer through your product, encouraging them to take the steps they need to succeed, and catering to their unique goals with a personalized product journey. Having this first-party data at your fingertips will help you and your team nail personalization and, ultimately, retain happy customers!<\/span><\/p>\n\n

2. Empower your customers to self-serve<\/b><\/h2>\n

It\u2019s an uncertain time for businesses in every industry, and support teams are having to find ways to do more with less.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Every time a customer chooses to self-serve, your team is freed up to answer more complex queries \u2013 offering a better experience to your customers, reducing response times, and easing the burden on your support reps. Luckily, customers are more than happy to self-serve \u2013 in fact, study after study indicates<\/span> customers would rather self-serve<\/span><\/a> than talk to a support rep at all. A survey we conducted<\/a> at the end of 2022 revealed that nearly four in five respondents believe there are even circumstances where chatbots and online chat are preferable to any other form of communication from a business.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201c68% of support teams plan to invest more in automation to manage support costs in 2023\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

It\u2019s no wonder, then, that 77% of support teams plan to invest more in self-serve support, like knowledge base articles and FAQs, to increase efficiency in 2023. Preparing an adequate knowledge base, help center, or blog with a clear navigation path is vital for customer empowerment. Using a modern support tool like a<\/span> messenger<\/span><\/a>, you can present these options at the \u201cChat with us\u201d stage, helping users narrow down and simplify their search.<\/span><\/p>\n

To free up even more time for your support reps and reduce response times for your customers, why not automate responses to the most common FAQs, and proactively offer helpful resources to reduce inbound conversation volume? <\/span>We recommend<\/span> planning out the different types of content<\/span><\/a> customers need at each stage of their journey so you can anticipate their queries. For example:<\/span><\/p>\n