In business, the only thing constant is change. Customer service trends are constantly evolving, and business owners might feel like they are constantly scrambling to keep up with the latest and greatest methods. While growth is important in your business to ensure you’re keeping up with customer demands and expectations, it may not be essential to adopt all the customer service trends 2025 seems to be demanding from small businesses. It begs the question: Which of the newest trends are worth it? Customer service data offers some insight into which trends might be a good fit for your business. Automating customer service One of the most widespread trends in business is using AI or chatbots to help take the load off human customer service agents. Websites are setting up AI chatbots to help tackle customer questions, sort out many issues, and all but eliminate wait times. AI can improve the state of customer service, especially if most of your contact with customers is straightforward and can essentially be automated. However, if automation doesn’t lead to faster resolutions, it can backfire quickly. According to statistics, almost 74% of companies fail to offer solutions when customers reach out with a problem. And 40% of customers find that customer service is the top issue that needs to improve for businesses. 74% 74% Does AI customer service help or hurt your business? It can help you if the chatbot is able to offer solutions to customers looking for help. It will limit you, however, if customers get frustrated talking to a bot before they can find a real resolution with a human customer service agent. Connecting with the digital generation Another common trend is to adapt business models to appeal heavily to Generation Z, or the young adult generation currently approaching their mid to late twenties. As Generation Z gets established in careers and begins spending with more freedom, companies are anxious to position themselves for the potential windfall. Customer service trends targeted toward Gen Z often include building massive social media presences, leaning into social media campaigns, and designing eco-friendly, sustainable brands with strong personalities to connect with the nuances the generation seems to be looking for. But is the effort to rebrand and build out in a new, hip direction worth it? If you are going to court younger customers, it’s important to know who you’re working with. Close to 96% of Gen Z customers buy online, which makes sense as they are the first true digital natives. 32% of those same customers buy over the internet at least once per day. However, according to customer service trends, over 50% of customers say they would leave a brand after just one negative interaction. 96% 96% 50% 50% For business owners, this means getting your appeal and brand just right for young customers can pay off in a big way. But if you miss the mark, your customer base will simply ghost you, leaving you with a mystery as to what went wrong and where. Before modifying your business practice for Generation Z, consider whether they are your target customer base. You may need to collect data and feedback from existing customers to see if your products even appeal to that market. If you want to capture some of the Gen Z market share, prepare heavily with research and determine best practices before significant time and monetary expenses. Establish a system of instant feedback and tracking to note where young customers are completing sales and where they are abandoning their carts. The young crowd is nimble and fickle, leaving you constantly on your toes to appease them. Self-service technology Another emerging customer service trend is to simply remove the customer service professionals and allow the customer to take the reins. Self-serve kiosks and online do-it-yourself options have popped up virtually everywhere, but customer feedback is a bit mixed. While some customers appreciate the convenience of a kiosk that relies on technology, others are frustrated when they can’t speak to a human agent to handle more complicated tasks or ask questions. How can we balance the wishes of all customers to speak to and not speak to a customer service agent? Consider first that 81% of customers try to solve an issue on their own before reaching out to customer service. Developing a strong FAQ or using a bit of AI to help customers find answers to the most common issues is a great starting point. 81% 81% But it’s also imperative to have personalized, trained customer service agents standing by if customers can’t find what they are looking for. Assume a customer has already tried to resolve the issue on their own before reaching out to your customer service. They are calling with a complex issue that needs a human touch. For many companies, introducing some version of self-service technology only makes sense if they have their highly skilled customer service team waiting in the wings as well. A successful business must be flexible and open to new ideas. Innovation helps companies grow and stay competitive. But not all trends are worth following. Blindly chasing trends can hurt more than help. It's better to be strategic. Choose customer service trends that match your goals and fit your brand. This way, you make smart changes that truly improve the customer experience.

This story contains new, firsthand information uncovered by the writer.

The is an opinion piece based on the author’s POV and does not necessarily reflect the views of HackerNoon.

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