{"id":43190,"date":"2020-12-08T03:55:27","date_gmt":"2020-12-08T11:55:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.salesforce.com\/?p=43190"},"modified":"2024-09-16T14:44:19","modified_gmt":"2024-09-16T21:44:19","slug":"4th-state-of-service","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.salesforce.com\/news\/stories\/4th-state-of-service\/","title":{"rendered":"Customer Service in 2020 and Beyond: Global Study Reveals the Pandemic\u2019s Lasting Impact"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

As the serial crises of 2020 redefine customer engagement<\/a>, customer service leaders are transforming their operations, accelerating digital transformation, and overhauling their workforce management strategies. That\u2019s according to Salesforce\u2019s fourth State of Service<\/a> research report, released today, which provides a snapshot of the priorities, challenges, and trajectories of customer service teams around the world. This edition is based on Salesforce\u2019s largest and most global survey of customer service agents, decision makers, mobile workers, and dispatchers: over 7,000 respondents across 33 countries. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe knew based on our previous research<\/a> that businesses no longer view their service and support operations as cost centers, but as strategic assets that benefit revenue and retention as customer expectations soar,\u201d said Bill Patterson, EVP and GM of B2B CRM at Salesforce. This research helps us and our customers understand how the playbook is changing, and what the best teams do differently from their competitors as they move back into growth mode.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Businesses no longer view their service and support operations as cost centers, but as strategic assets.” – @bpatter reflects on a new global study on customer service.<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

From the channels they use to serve customers to the spaces employees work from to the skill sets agents require, there\u2019s not much that hasn\u2019t changed for customer service organizations. Here are some key takeaways.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The pandemic has exposed customer service shortcomings, but leaders are taking decisive action<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The impacts of COVID-19 were a wake up call for customer service organizations used to the status quo. As workers stayed at home and customers asked questions for which there were no answers, customer service leaders were faced with conundrums with far reaching consequences for their teams.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Eighty-eight percent of service professionals say the pandemic exposed technology gaps, and 86% say the same for service channel gaps as customers flocked away from physical locations and towards digital methods of engagement. Teams also found shortcomings that went beyond the obvious. For example, 87% realized that their existing policies and protocols \u2014 such as cancellation fees for events that were prohibited by public health measures \u2014 were not suited for current circumstances.<\/p>\n\n\n

\n\t<\/tableau-viz>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

Faced with these challenges, service teams and their leaders are making transformations that will endure beyond the current crisis. Eighty-three percent of service organizations have changed policies to provide customers with more flexibility, for instance, and 78% have invested in new technology as a result of the pandemic.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cLeaders are taking this time to rethink the value of experiences and reimagine engagement with customers and employees alike,\u201d said Brian Solis, Global Innovation Evangelist at Salesforce.\u201dIt\u2019s not just about technology. Sometimes technology is at its best when invisible. We\u2019re going to see significantly more agile, innovative, and relevant organizations emerge from this crisis that provide modern and sought-after experiences that change the game for everyone.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“We\u2019re going to see significantly more agile, innovative, and relevant organizations emerge from this crisis.” – @briansolis on how 2020 will shape the future of customer service. <\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Digital transformation is accelerating for customers and employees alike<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

A related research report<\/a> shows the extent to which customers have shifted to digital, as well as how that shift is expected to persist. Consumers and business buyers estimate that six out of ten of their interactions with companies will occur online in 2021, up from 42% in 2019.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This uptick has coincided with a surge in adoption of various digital channels by service organizations. Video support saw the highest rate of increase in adoption since 2018 (+42%), followed by live chat (+35%) and messenger apps such as WhatsApp and Facebook Messenger (+29%). Conversely, the share of organizations offering in-person service and support fell by 16%.<\/p>\n\n\n

\n
Open Image Modal<\/span>\"state<\/a><\/figure><\/div>\n
<\/div>