What Do Digital Customers Expect from Service Providers?

Digital clients’ expectations change rapidly. They are looking for more straightforward and personalized solutions. Services sales processes are often so distinct that they can’t be simply translated from in-person contact to online.

Digital services require an entirely new approach. Let’s see how digital transformation influences what clients expect from service companies and how to adapt your processes to fulfill these expectations.

24/7 Service Availability

The era of sales and customer service teams waiting for a phone call, an email, or a customer to enter their office and start their processes is over. Today, users require instant reactions from businesses. Almost half of customers expect companies to respond within 4 hours – regardless of the time of day, day of the week, or holiday. You can answer that need by transferring as many processes as possible to self-service.

If your offer is complex, your clients might prefer to learn about it at their own pace and on their own schedule. That’s where digital gives you the chance to shine. Online knowledge bases, FAQs, and chatbots allow you to share information about your products and services without manual input from your employees; this reduces workload and improves sales margins. Even if your online services only support manual processes, such automation can significantly improve performance.

Self-service

Digital natives constitute a growing part of every business’ client base. They demand fast and convenient service. Self-service options allow them to complete their tasks, access information, or complete transactions without waiting for human assistance.

People expect to manage their transactions and accounts at their convenience. Studies show that 67% of customers prefer solving their problems independently rather than starting a conversation with customer support. They expect simplicity and speed from their interactions with your brand—precisely what a self-service approach offers.

A well-designed digital account will transfer a lot of traffic from your customer service agents, enabling the customers to manage their accounts personally. Digitalization allows you to move online with services that before were considered impossible to manage without a customer service agent.

Increased Account and Data Control

Digital customers expect detailed account and transaction information. They require easy access to their account information, including transaction history, balances, and settings. They also want the ability to see, manage, and edit how their data is used. This provides transparency about their activities without needing a detailed paper trail. A deep dive into their account history also allows them to verify that their transactions are accurate and that there are no unauthorized or fraudulent activities on their accounts.

Omnichannel Journey

Today’s consumers are not tied to a single channel. The times of a customer signing agreements in person or by post are over. Digital clients want to get what they want when they want it, using the method they find the most convenient at the moment. That’s why you must provide a coherent and high-quality experience across all the channels you use.

It takes, on average, eight touchpoints with a brand to close a sale. That’s why you must stop thinking about separate sales processes for different channels and rethink the interactions between them. Building and editing channels with that in mind allows you to create a single coherent image of your brand, regardless of where the customer approaches your business for the first time.

The behavior of digital customers also requires you to enter entirely new channels. They often use multiple methods and mediums to decide where to satisfy their needs. You can monitor forums and social media for opinions and questions, check reviews online and answer them, or even respond to support issues on your social media profiles. A high level of professionalism (adapted to the channel) will build a positive image of your company wherever you interact with your customers.

Personalized Customer Experience

A “one size fits all” experience will no longer satisfy a digital customer. Your customers know they’re sharing a lot of their data—from geographical and demographical information to their contacts with your marketing materials and their behavior on your website. Historically, there has never been so much information available to companies. To get the most benefit from that data, your business must adapt to a data-driven sales and marketing approach.

It is crucial to show that you understand your client base. In return for their information, they have increasingly high expectations for a personalized customer experience. 75% of customers are more likely to return to a company that recognizes them, knows their purchase history, and recommends products based on it.

Knowledge about your customers’ data and behavior enables you to use it to offer personalized (and highly relevant) communications, offers, and promotions. Without that process in place, the customers might feel used – they share their data, but they get nothing in return.

However, there’s a delicate balance to be maintained. 38% of customers stop doing business with a company if they find the company’s personalization efforts “creepy.” So, if you’re looking to improve your customers' interactions with your brand, invest in technology that enhances and personalizes your relationships.

A Higher Degree of Transparency

When interacting with your business, digital customers have high expectations of information quality and trust. Regardless of where they see it, they want clear and accurate information about your products and services. The internet—the most remarkable knowledge base—is at their fingertips, and they won’t hesitate to verify your information with other sources.

Meeting these expectations helps you build trust and loyalty. Accurate and up-to-date information increases customer loyalty, thus improving retention and profits.

How to Keep up with Customers’ Expectations

In the dynamic landscape of customer interactions, digital transformation is reshaping many business’ processes and tasks. By leveraging digital tools and strategies, your company can meet clients' evolving expectations and enhance their satisfaction. Learn how our self-service solutions can assist you in building a better experience for your customers—and help you benefit from shifting to a digital approach.