Customer service has come a long way. While traditional methods such as call center solutions are still popular today, businesses are also relying on other customer service solutions to increase their reach. With new emerging technologies, companies today rely on different digital customer service applications to provide their customers with the best support. According to a recent market report, the live chat software market was projected to reach $1.486 million by 2027, as the demand for 24/7 customer support continues to rise.

However, live chat software isn't the only technology dominating today's customer service world. Businesses have come to rely on alternatives to connect with new customers and their ever-changing communication patterns and preferences. These changes are evident by the increase in strategic communication programs at top universities. Nowadays, universities offer online communication degrees that train future professionals in designing and creating dynamic communication strategies that can be adapted to changing situations, audiences, social movements, and technologies. This influx of new talent has helped businesses keep up with the rapidly evolving digital world. Strategic communication in this digital age includes expanding mobile and video-based means to deliver content and information to customers who may need them.

The best businesses now must keep up-to-date with the latest customer service advancements to satisfy their customers' changing needs. Today, let's look at Voice OTP and other emerging trends in customer service:

Voice OTP

Information security is a priority for customers and businesses in this digital age. Investing in appropriate measures to prevent data leaks and fraud is crucial for companies to earn and maintain their customers' trust and loyalty. Voice OTP (one-time password) is one of the latest iterations, after the popularity of SMS OTP used for authentication, authorization, and transaction purposes. Much like SMS OTP, the API creates randomized OTP delivered to customers via a voice call. The user must then pay attention to the system's voice delivery of the OTP to input in the relevant field before it expires. Some benefits of using voice OTP include a faster and safer verification method while saving business costs, as OTP calls only cost money when the user answers the phone.

Voice Activated Personal Assistants 

Conversational commerce has been around for a few years, providing businesses and customers with human-like service in a fast-paced digital marketing world. According to a study published in Psychology & Marketing, the use of conversational agents and voice-activated personal assistants has led to increasingly interactive and engaging customer service. Some factors that positively impact customer perception of voice-activated personal assistants include feelings of authenticity and an added perceived usefulness. Voice-activated personal assistants are still considered an emerging technology as algorithms continue improving to serve customers in as authentic and efficient a way as possible.

Increased Demand For Self-service

As much as quality customer service is important, sometimes it's essential to recognize when self-service can be more beneficial than a live agent, chatbot, or any AI, for that matter. Survey results found that 89% of millennials would use a search engine to seek answers for product concerns and questions before resorting to customer service. As demographics change, it's important to note the difference in how they perceive customer service. Younger customers may grow impatient when on the line with a live agent or find it frustrating to explain complex questions. As a result, customers have become more self-reliant than they used to be. It's best to figure out which strategy would work for which customers and try to meet everyone's needs.

Improved Data Transparency 

Finally, according to a report by KPMG, 90% of consumers view the complete resolution of transaction issues as one of the most critical qualities of good customer service. As emerging technologies continue to fill the customer service solutions market, businesses are also concerned with providing customers data transparency to increase trust and prevent future issues. Providing customers with clear transaction information through proactive communication has become a priority in this digital age. However, customer service strategies must also be wary of clearly providing relevant and necessary information — without being invasive. We'll continue seeing new technologies, likely using AI or machine learning, emerge to cater to this specific consumer need.

Final Thoughts 

As customers rely on newer digital platforms and channels, brands and companies must meet them halfway to adapt to the changing expectations. With improvements in connectivity, customers will want speedier and more accurate answers to their questions. To conclude, below is the list of emerging trends in customer service that we can look forward to in 2023:

  • Voice OTP
  • Voice activated personal assistants
  • Continued use of live agents
  • Improved data transparency

While new technologies and innovations continue to affect the way companies communicate with their customers, it's also important that we retain focus on the human elements — from making live agents' jobs easier to gaining customers' trust and loyalty. Whether you are planning to improve your call center services or provide high-quality video calling to handle customer queries, remember that quality customer service is more than adopting the latest tech trends. The focus should still be on finding the best, most efficient ways to handle customer queries and concerns, to improve their trust in a company or brand in the long term.

If you're interested in the latest customer service solutions, investing in smart contact center software can give you the competitive edge you need by boosting your customer experience and enhancing your business' brand.

Author bio:
"Jacqueline Jane Riley is a freelance writer. She is interested in topics such as digital transformation and the many ways that innovation and emerging technologies are changing the way we work and live. When not busy writing or reading, Mary spends the weekends watching reruns of American sitcoms."