Customer Expectations Have Changed – Customer Service Should, Too

Our entire business model here at Apello is built on the concept of customer service. We offer a variety of service options including medical answering services, property management answering services, and even HVAC answering services. They all have one thing in common: taking care of customers in a way that meets their expectations.

It is no secret that customer expectations have changed significantly over the last two decades. Common sense dictates that customer service should change, too. But for some businesses, it just hasn’t happened. They are still stuck in the old ways of doing things. They have failed to adapt to the modern business department. That is definitely not a good thing.

Customer Service Wins the Day

The most important thing we have learned in the years we’ve been providing answering services is that customer service wins the day. When all other things are equal, a customer will choose to do business with the company that provides the best customer service.

Even when all other things are not equal, customer service tends to win the day. For example, there is a well-known travel and entertainment company that does a huge business in Central Florida. Their rates on everything from hotel rooms to cruises are substantially higher than the competition. Yet they never fail to fill up their bookings. Why? Because their customer service is incomparable.

People are willing to pay more to get top-of-the-line customer service. They are willing to be slightly inconvenienced if it means being treated like royalty. Here’s the bottom line: never underestimate the power of top-notch customer service – even when it comes to something as routine as answering phone calls.

How Customer Expectations Have Changed

Providing top-notch customer service in the 2020s starts with understanding how customer expectations have changed since the turn-of-the-century. One could argue that the biggest change has been the rise in digital communications.

Before the public internet became a thing, customer service was provided either in-person or over the phone. Once in a while, issues were addressed via personal letters from customers to businesses. These days, everything is different.

Digital tech has opened the door to SMS, email, social media, live chat, and other customer service channels. Companies wanting to offer the best possible customer service need to avail themselves of every opportunity. That means maintaining multiple lines of communication.

Here are a few more significant changes:

• On Demand Service – The digital age also ushered in the on-demand economy. People expect fast results. They expect quick answers and immediate solutions to their problems. Customer service has essentially become an on-demand service.

• Personalization – Digital technologies have gotten people used to the idea of personalization. They can have things their own way just by making a few adjustments to a mobile app or their website preferences. Top-notch customer service now requires at least some level of personalization.

• Proactive Service – The modern marketplace has come to expect proactive customer service. Customers expect the companies they do business with to reach out to them, rather than waiting until customers contact them with a problem.

• Customer Feedback – Modern customers expect to be able to give feedback at any time. They also expect that feedback to be seriously considered. Top-notch customer service demands no less.

Providing the best customer service possible is part of our business model. Whether you are looking for a live answering service or one of our automated options, we strive to impress your customers with every interaction. We hope you do as well. Customer expectations have changed over the last 20 years. Here’s hoping your customer service has changed along with them.