Over the last decade, customer service has relied on channels such as email, phone, and face-to-face contact, but the industry is rapidly changing. With people relying more on digital support, traditional customer service as we know it is likely to be dead in five years. As digitisation accelerates, customers have higher expectations for customer service, and contactless mobile transactions have become the new normal. In this article, we will look at the main drivers of changing customer service, shifts towards communication through multiple communication channels, and how businesses can tackle these challenges. Shifting communication channel preferences As digital service usage is still accelerating, it’s important to adapt your customer service to this change in behaviour. According to the Communications Authority of Kenya, by June 2020, mobile phone penetration had almost reached 120% in Kenya, with subscriptions increasing by 10% year-on-year. In Africa and the rest of the world, mobile technology is connecting consumers in new ways. With increased digitisation comes a shift in communication channels. In 2019, WhatsApp was the most downloaded mobile app in both Kenya and the rest of the world. As channel preference is shifting towards messaging, customers expect swift responses from brands. Customer service managers face a huge challenge in managing not only phone calls and emails, but more customer service enquiries from different channels. Brands need to find smart ways to manage the increase in both channels and workload. The bot revolution Chatbots can answer standardised questions using content that’s written in a way that sounds human…
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