As we near the end of the year and begin to plan for 2017, it’s a good time to take stock of evolving trends with today’s customers. Businesses that embrace new shifts and expectations of their customers will have an advantage of those that don’t. Let’s take a look at four of the top trends for the future:

Transparency Is Required

From Volkswagen to Wells Fargo, companies are realizing that they cannot escape the transparency that comes with today’s age of social media. Gone is the day when companies could hide wrongful acts, or even unintended mistakes, from their customers. Today’s customers rely heavily on online reviews for business recommendations or warnings. Industries today must be upfront with how they conduct their businesses and will need to openly admit—and fix—any substandard service.

Personalized Communications

Simply put, customers today have instant information about services and products at their fingertips and it doesn’t cut it to just offer the best widget or gizmo out there. Customers want not only the best product for the fairest price, but they also want it to come with personal service.

Customers want to know they are heard and valued, regardless of what business they’re interacting with. Competitive businesses will be able to gather useful data on individual customers to recognize their preferences, dislikes, and buying patterns. Used ethically and professionally, personalized data will be used to connect with customers and deliver a more personalized experience for a competitive edge.

Consistent Collaboration

Customers have been speaking loud and clear that one of the things they dislike the most is when they don’t reach a live front line agent, or when the front line representatives can’t answer their questions or resolve their problems. Collaborative and consistent communication—from the first greeting through post-sale relationship building—should move efficiently at each level customer of interaction.

Localized Service

Along the lines of personalized customer care, consumers are turning less to global name brands in favor of local companies when they can provide as good—if not better—products or services. Particularly when customers aren’t receiving personalized, transparent service, they’re networking more with local businesses that know and care about their shared communities.

If you’d like to learn more about how an answering service can help you succeed with the customer service trends to come, contact Voice Link of Columbus, Inc.. Personalized communication solutions, secure HIPAA/HiTech messaging, and appointment scheduling can also save you time and money while optimizing customer care. We offer month-to-month service agreements to meet the needs of any business regardless of size. Our excellent reputation, expert staff, and state-of-the-art technology will exceed your expectations. Request information online or call us at (800) 262-2799 for a free consultation.

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