Even before the virus forced us all inside and online, messaging was taking over the world. It’s how many of us shared news, collaborated with colleagues, and — most importantly — kept in touch with friends and family. As with all things digital, the pandemic simply accelerated the inevitable. It also showed us that messaging was made for customer service. Customers are reaching out for help more than ever before, and messaging is their channel of choice.

Now more than ever inclusion is a measure of workplace culture and inequality across industries. But what does it mean in the context of survey creation? From their language to their respondent experience, the best surveys are built to be inclusive. In a broad sense, this means surveying with empathy, respect, and clear motives. You create an inclusive survey when you’re thoughtful about how you ask respondents about things like religious affiliation, sexual orientation, or gender identity.

The second time I speak with Colleen Berube, CIO and SVP of Operations at Zendesk, she greets me over Zoom from her backyard in San Mateo, California. The scene looks idyllic, though the reality is that wildfires are raging all over the state, the air is tinged with smoke, and we all remain hunkered down at home as Covid wears on.

You may think that “Mayochup” is a great topping for fries, an abominable Frankenstein’s condiment, or just a hilarious example of ’90s satire predicting the future. Regardless of your personal preference, though, there’s no denying that it represents a huge social listening triumph for Kraft Heinz. The polarizing combination of ketchup and mayonnaise was originally sold only in the Middle East.

Customer segmentation involves classifying customer data by specific traits to learn more about the groups that make up your customer base. The more you understand them, the better you can serve them. There are countless ways to segment customers - by age, location, occupation, account type, company size, and more. Unless you’re prepared to keep a few thousand Post-it notes on hand at all times, you’ll need a sophisticated software solution for capturing and analyzing all that data.

Nearly half of startup leaders we surveyed for the Startups CX Benchmark Report 2020 said they are actively looking for a customer support solution. These are the top reasons they cited for needing customer service software: If any of these sounds like you, then read on for tips to help you find a CX solution that aligns with your goals, your culture, and of course, your budget.

Messaging apps are becoming a key channel across every stage of the buyer journey. Eighty-three percent of consumers use messaging apps to learn about a company’s products or services, 75% use the apps to make purchases, and 76% of consumers use messaging apps to contact support. Why? Because messaging apps are convenient. Consumers already use the apps to chat with friends and family, and they don’t have to wait for a live agent to get support.

Here are the newest integrations from Zendesk to help your agents provide great customer experiences—and to help keep things spooky this October.

Chatbots are no longer a new technology in customer service. Customers are using them to get support across a variety of industries, whether they need help changing a hotel reservation, paying a bill, or finding the perfect lipstick color. Business use of chatbots and conversational AI is only going in one direction.

Knowledge is power, especially in the world of customer service. According to the 2020 CX Trends Report, companies that leverage the most data have 36% faster resolutions, 79% reduction in customer wait time, and four times as many solved customer requests. But to reap those benefits, you need a powerful business intelligence tool.