Trendwatch: The future of customer service
David MattinTrendwatching.com
Quality customer service is the backbone of brand-consumer relationships and, if performed well, can be a make-or-break differentiator. Yet in 2013, 66% of consumers switched brands or businesses due to poor customer service – a 4% increase on the previous year (Accenture, November 2013). A misguided understanding of what good service actually entails often triggers this shift: it's not about what consumers think – it's about feelings.
In fact, when it comes to the future of customer service, the brands that focus solely on technological innovation (think gimmicky drone deliveries) are...