Netomi’s customer base spans a range of industries, from travel and retail, to gaming and fintech.

More than half of people have higher expectations for customer service now compared to a year ago, according to Microsoft’s State of Global Customer Service Report. But providing consistent, quality customer service is a challenge. You can’t simply automate or template your way to success.

The manufacturing industry has seen increasing challenges over the last few years, including facing increasing global competition, disruptions in international supply chains, changing customer preferences, remote work and workforce reskilling, as well as fundamental shifts in product and service offerings. Learn how Zendesk for Manufacturing helps support teams deliver exceptional service through any channel.

Today’s customer support professionals have a lot on their plates – from interacting directly with customers and managing a steady stream of support tickets, to creating and updating libraries of self-service content. All this, while under pressure to keep customer satisfaction high and resolution time low.

In any profession, success comes to those who are constantly evolving, staying updated on current trends and learning best practices. We often look to leaders and industry experts to show us the way forward whenever there’s a roadblock, and if your work profile is dependent on keeping up with evolving customer trends and expectations, you need ongoing guidance.

In light of rising inflation, pandemic-era job losses and the work-life balance mindset, a growing number of individuals have embraced gig economy work. A 2022 Gig Payments Report pointed out that, in 2021, there were about 23.9 million independent workers in the United States, an increase from 12.9 million in 2017. Moreover, the number of freelancers across the country is projected to grow to 86.5 million by 2027.

Companies that excel at customer experience have been shown to drive revenues 4-8% higher than their competitors. This increase can be attributed to a variety of benefits that arise from improving CX. First, a great customer experience leads to higher loyalty rates. Second, 86% of buyers are willing to pay more for a great customer experience, according to research from PWC. Additionally, people who enjoy their customer care typically tell others about it.

As almost every industry enters the third year of grappling with the pandemic’s effects, companies are constantly in search of methods to support growth and demand. But often, growing rapidly comes at a cost. As does standing still. Companies that are spread thin, understaffed or under-resourced are at risk of not remaining competitive or providing customer experiences that are lacklustre.

Admittedly, it’s been a minute since I’ve dusted off my crystal ball – closer to the length of a global pandemic. I made some predictions about the future of CX back in 2018, and certainly a lot has changed since then. During the past few months, I’ve been thinking a lot about this quote from futurist Roy Amara: “We tend to overestimate the effect of technology in the short run and underestimate the effect in the long run.”