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5 Customer Service and Guest Experience Trends to Watch in 2023

Today’s customers expect digital communication and mobile options with a human touch and self-service methods that offer convenience and efficiency.

Want to boost revenue and loyalty for your business or organization in 2023? You can start by improving your customer service and guest experience.

More customers will walk away from a company after a bad experience, which makes the customer experience the “new battlefield” among industry competitors, according to customer service software provider SuperOffice:

“No one wants to do business with a company that treats you poorly. And how you feel after an interaction with a customer service center has a huge impact on your future purchase decisions.

“A good interaction keeps you happy and satisfied, while a poor interaction could lead to you stop doing business with that company again…Therefore, if you want your customers to have a positive experience, you have to invest in it.”

Read on for five customer service and guest experience trends to pay attention to in 2023.

1. Humanized digital experiences

Across many industries, new technologies make customer service options more convenient and even expected. But people still like the human touch.

 

“Beyond traditional self-service solutions, augmented reality (AR) will become a bigger component of humanizing self-service options as consumers seek more immersive ways to interact with their financial institutions,” according to The Financial Brand, a strategic marketing publication focused on retail sector banks.

“Through well-designed digital experiences, financial institutions can replicate the sense of exploration and discovery that consumers have at traditional brick-and-mortar branches while also providing personal virtual assistance. The goal will be to maximize digital engagement while becoming more human at the same time.”

2. Consistent communication channels

Companies and organizations should interact with their customers across multiple channels such as website forms, live chat, social media and more, according to SuperOffice. But they must offer “omnichannel” communication options, which are channels that offer consistency across the board.

3. An exceptional mobile experience

With people turning to their smartphones constantly, offering an easy-to-navigate mobile experience is essential to great customer service and an better guest experience.

According to Statista, 59 percent of all internet traffic worldwide now comes from mobile,” says SuperOffice. “So, it comes as no surprise [that] 84 percent of companies who claim to be customer-centric are now focusing on the mobile customer experience.

“If your customers cannot navigate your website with ease and find what they are looking for, then you frustrate them. And you lose them.”

4. Higher customer experience expectations

“Customer journeys in banking have grown increasingly complex,” says The Financial Brand. “Shopping for a new financial product, service or provider no longer begins and ends in a branch. Customers want a simplified and streamlined experience – on the channel(s) they prefer, at the time that is most convenient to them.

“With 80 percent of consumers more likely to purchase from a company that provides a personalized experience, personalization is no longer optional. Brands will also begin to use technologies that enable customers to build hyper-personalized solutions online, without the traditional product parameters.”

5. Greater number of self-service options

“Microsoft research indicates that more than 90 percent of customers expect firms to provide self-service choices, ranging from a knowledge base, product FAQs, tutorials, AI-powered chat and messaging, and automated contact centers,” says The Financial Brand.