The Service Cloud team was fortunate enough to have Kate Leggett , Forrester Research, Inc. principal analyst, on hand for our webcast about the Future of Customer Service (if you missed it, be sure to check out the recording).  In fewer than thirty minutes, Kate discussed everything from current trends in customer service to questions ranging from “what do customers want?” to “how can companies deliver a better customer experience?”  

Below are a few of the key takeaways:

• Make service easy for your customers. Customers want quick, efficient, and effortless answers to their questions. 45% of consumers will abandon online service if they can’t find an answer quickly.

• Keep your communication channels consistent.  Know your customers well - so if they begin a conversation on email, they don't have to start over if they switch to the phone.  Furthermore, ensure the same content (Knowledge articles, how-to videos, etc) is available across all channels.

• Empower your agents.  Provide your agents a complete view of the customer - including your company’s full interaction history with them - so they can fully understand who they’re speaking to.  Ensure your agents have the right content at their fingertips, so they are able to answer questions correctly and quickly.

Along with providing tactical guidance to customer service managers, Kate also commented on two current trends in customer service:

• Companies are simplifying their IT ecosystem.  Point solutions - which are inherently silo-ed from one another - are a thing of the past; suite solutions are the thing of the future.  

• The rise of customer communities.  Communities are beneficial to both customers and businesses: customers want to engage with their peers while businesses can increase customer satisfaction while deflecting expensive phone calls.

• The value of end-to-end feedback.  Companies are embracing customer feedback, both in its traditional form and through the new frontier of social listening.  Just as important as the listening itself, is the ability to route the information to the right person in the organization for action.

This is just a small outline of all the interesting data points and advice that Kate shared on the webinar. For a complete recording - which includes opening comments from the Service Cloud’s VP of Marketing - be sure to watch the recording here.