Innovative Tech in Customer Support: Only as Good as the Company Using It

Innovation in technology has challenged and transformed the customer service experience. With multiple customer service fronts comes the propensity for multiple instances of failure, including broken contact forms, spam-filled forums, and emails that go unanswered. Businesses should be vigilant and positive that all of their customer service portals are up to date and functioning as intended. Automation is both a solution to the queue problem and a tricky beast that can exacerbate it. Interactive voice-response (IVR) software systems that utilize both automation and the human touch have been reported as the most liked system. Big Data analytics provides customer service representatives with information such as what product you own, when you bought it, and where it was purchased. However, customer data needs to remain safe and secure. The landscape of social media and the blogosphere has had a powerful effect on customer service relationships between companies and the consumer. Brands can now be proactive about their customer service, and when somebody complains about a problem, they can tweet at them immediately, asking if they need support.