Client expectations
Along with the surge in digitization comes a notably increased consumer tolerance—and appetite—for integrated technology that serves to benefit consumers’ lives. For example, with nearly 60 per cent of Canadians using Facebook, and with more than three quarters of Americans using social media, relying on these networks to keep in touch has become commonplace.
Beyond social media, consumers also have embraced what is now known as the “Internet of Things:” connected devices, always accessible, that can be controlled from a smartphone app or website. Already, there are nearly five billion connected devices in use.
For many consumers, embracing integrated technology and connected devices also means embracing the suggestion, shared in Google’s 2015 trend report, that companies should be able to predict and address problems before the consumer reaches out for help: a “well connected… customer service team should know the problem (exists) even before” the customer decides to make a call for service.
The extent to which clients expect companies to immediately fulfil their expectations for personalized solutions is shown in a new trend analysts have identified as “liquid expectations.”
This refers to clients who, accustomed to new customer service norms and the digitization of seemingly everything, increasingly compare their experience with a company not just to the competition, but to all other companies, regardless of industry.
Therefore, while designers and companies might not be able to offer the instantaneous problem-solving capabilities of a deep-pocketed multinational company’s 24-7 customer service department, they can instead devise strategies to leverage technology to their benefit. By identifying ways to improve design and business processes, designers can use these digital trends to create great customer experiences and deliver client-pleasing results.
