First, from Gladly, new data that indicates a good digital customer service experience is key to keeping consumers engaged. In their new report 83% of shoppers say they spend more with brands who have a good online customer service strategy. The problem? Nearly one-third (28%) of those surveyed say brands are currently not meeting their customer service needs.
What is it that customer want? Knowledgeable customer service representatives (78%), representatives who can accurately recommend relevant products to the customer (34%) and reps who will spend additional time with them to find the right solution (21%).
Unfortunately, 53% of shoppers say chatbots are 'most successful' when their questions or issues are simple, but 43% say chatbots are an obstacle when what they need is to talk to a human being. About half (52%) say chatbots can make them feel unvalued by the brand.
"The past year has profoundly changed the way consumers shop, with e-commerce jumping a century of ahead of where it was just twelve months ago due to pandemic-driven store closures and the first all-online holiday season," said Joseph Ansanelli, CEO of Gladly. "In the past year, 45% of consumers have contacted a company's customer service department at least twice and another 35% have reached out three to five times. This is where brand loyalty is being created - or destroyed. Online retailers must make personalized, cross-channel service the norm, not the exception."
Meanwhile, a new SheerID report finds that frontline workers, a group of people hit especially hard by the coronavirus pandemic, could help brands better grasp what this subset of the population wants. Key among the findings: 66% of frontline workers say brands make them feel valued when they send personalized offers that are based on their job while just over half (59%) say they feel recognized by brands when offered a special discount or perk because of their profession.
"Healthcare workers' tireless efforts on the frontlines have simply been amazing during the pandemic. Brands now have an opportunity to create more meaningful connections through invited personalized marketing rather than offers based on what they may like or click," said Jake Weatherly, SheerID CEO. "With authentic, personalized offers, brands can help hardworking healthcare workers feel appreciated while inviting new, loyal customers to engage."
Other interesting findings from the report include:
• 74% say they'll continue streaming media post-pandemic
• 73% will continue online banking
• Self-care activities also rank high on workers' lists of pandemic activities they'll continue
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