6 key trends in customer engagement for 2016

Omnichannel. It’s not enough for brands to simply offer service on multiple channels-what counts is optimizing across all channels for a seamless, consistent experience and meaningful marketing strategy. Accenture reported earlier this year that 65% of consumers surveyed felt frustrated by inconsistent experiences across channels.

Automation. Self-service has increasingly become a high-demand feature in customer service. Intelligent virtual assistants (IVAs) and other technologies such as visual IVR menus enable customers to benefit from faster service on their mobile devices at reduced costs to the companies implementing them. In fact, Gartner predicts that by 2020, the customer will manage 85% of the relationship with an enterprise without interacting with a human.

Video and WebRTC. Video continues to play an evolving role in customer service, with more and more brands noting the importance of offering face-to-face interactions for a richer, more personalized experience. Gartner has predicted that more than 100 of the 500 largest global businesses will introduce video-based chat by 2018, with WebRTC technology leading the deployment.

Callbacks. No one likes to lose time, and brands that value this principle can expect greater customer loyalty. Technologies that enable callbacks based on a customer’s position in a queue – essentially calling back the customer as soon as an agent is free– can eliminate hold time, reduce abandonment rates, and provide greater agent efficiency and customer satisfaction.

Social Media. Companies and customers alike are further embracing social media platforms as prime channels for customer service. According to an Aberdeen Group report, companies that respond to and engage with customers over social media can expect those customers to spend 20 to 40 percent more with that company, while the same report found that 71% of consumers who have positive social customer service experiences are likely to recommend that brand to others.

Voice is still the king channel. A recent report from Parature on channel preferences places voice at the top. When it comes to customer service, there will always be a role for a live conversation with a company representative, but the transactions that end up with a live agent are going to be more complicated and more likely to involve an upset customer.