January 20178 IN MY VIEWBrands around the world know customer service is one of the most important elements to consider on any customer satisfaction and loyalty checklist. Consumers today expect 24/7 customer service, through every channel (mobile, in-person, and online), and they want requests and questions to be answered immediately, if not in real time. Retailers, financial services institutions, and especially telco providers are improving their understanding of these new expectations and trying to build efficient omnichannel strategies to address these new standards of service quality. Yet, basic customer service mistakes are still being made. In the digital age, consumers' assumed expectations of `customer service 101' are not mastered by brands and customer complaints that could easily be avoided along with the tension between companies and customers they serve.1. The Phone Dilemma in the Digital AgePeople want answers now and are turning to alternative customer support options when they're left waiting. This is leading to more and more brands offering real time customer service via mobile apps and web platforms. Consequently, the use of chatbots and other types of digital agents based on robotics and artificial intelligence technologies is on the rise. However, phones are still a very common channel for asking for support ­ especially when it comes to sensitive or critical requests, where people want to interact with a real human. The challenge is that by turning to alternative self-service options, many organisations tend to neglect the traditional call center platforms. Long waits and no-response calls are still common and can have a dramatic impact on a brand's reputation and customer loyalty. Customers don't like to be kept In the digital age, it's all about smooth experiences and making things easy for customersMastering the Art of Customer ServiceFounded in 2006, Cyara is a provider of an omnichannel discovery, testing, and monitoring SaaS platform that helps companies improve their operational customer experience. Headquartered in Victoria, Australia, Cyara has been providing a foundation for organisations designing and testing the customer experience throughout the testing lifecycle.By Alok Kulkarni, Co-Founder & CEO, Cyara
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