2021 Customer Support Trends

CUSTOMER
SUPPORT
TRENDS
FOR 2021
2021 will definitely be a year of challenges! The main reason will, of
course, be the ongoing pandemic. It is limiting many activities and
solutions that we currently use. However, it is worth looking at the
situation from a different perspective and acknowledging that it
has accelerated many trends that we did not expect to see on the
market so soon.
Customers now want to solve all of their problems from home, and
our company should make that easier for them. We have to di-
rect our actions towards users and take care of meeting their grow-
ing requirements. New technologies, personalization, automation,
and multi-channel communication...all the trends that we expect in
2021 will revolve around customers’ needs and the transition from of-
fline to online.
Here is a list of the most important trends for 2021!
→ Proactive communication
→ Multiple methods of communication
→ Analytics and a data-driven approach
→ New technologies
Remember, though, that following these trends is easier when you use
a proper toolbox, which is what we’ll talk about in the last section.
ENTSCONTENTSCONTENTSCON
Contents
01 Proactive communication . . . . . . . . . . 4
02 Multiple methods of
communication. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
03 Analytics and a data-driven

approach as the key to success. . . . 13
04 Harness new technologies

in your customer support. . . . . . . . . . 17
05 Go to the next level with your

customer support tool. . . . . . . . . . . . 23
06 Summary. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
cloudtalk.io
Proactive communication 4
COMMUNICATION
01
PROACTIVE
02
03
04
05
06
cloudtalk.io back to contents

Proactive
communication
Reaching out to your customers instead of just waiting for them to
contact you is another crucial customer support trend for 2021. When
you write to or call users to ask for feedback or offer help with the is-
sues they’re facing, instead of trying to sell them something, their cus-
tomer experience will improve.
Be where your customers need you
When the concept of proactive communication is entirely new to you,

this is the place to start.
Look for the crucial points, such as the Moments of Truth and Mo-
ments of Pain in your customer journey. Think about all of the situa-
tions when your customers might decide whether they want to con-
tinue doing business with you. These are the moments at which you
should be present and available.
Add a live chat or phone widget
A discreet, non-disruptive widget that allows easy connection with

your team will be essential anytime your clients spot a problem.

Whether it’s about unclear terms of service or a rejected payment, for

example, your clients need to reach you quickly. The less effort they
have to make to connect with you, the greater the chances that they
won’t abandon your site.
Opt for proactive customer support
When you already know your customers can connect with you any-
time they need, it’s time to plan out your proactive communication.
Learning when you can connect with your customers to boost their
experience and relation with your brand is the next step.
Reaching out to your customers can add a personal touch to their ex-
perience. Whether it’s an email (but a truly personalized and contex-
tual one) or a call, your client should feel like you actually care.
Each company will have different possibilities and resources, but it’s
definitely worth giving this a thought.

Why don’t you call them?
Calling your customers shouldn’t be limited to situations when you

want to sell them something. A call could actually give you the in-
sights that you need, or provide an opportunity to fix a broken cus-
tomer experience.
Let’s dive into the details. After you get a new client on board, you
could actually ask for their feedback by phone. The use of this strat-
egy will depend on your product, team, and clients, but conducting
your own customer research from time to time can bring you invalu-
able benefits.
The second situation is more challenging. When you use a system to

measure your customers’ satisfaction, you can more easily spot mo-
ments when it sharply declines. A call could help you regain that cus-
tomer, or at least understand their motives for leaving if they de-
cide to do so.
Balance automation with personalization
We’re all grateful for automation options that let us save time and
effort. When we use them to reduce the amount of boring, manual
tasks, we can dedicate more time to providing amazing customer ser-
vice. Yet, we have all received emails that have a striking lack of per-
sonalization. Hitting the sweet spot will boost your customer support.
Have quick access to the data you need
Achieving the perfect balance between automation and personal-

ization is easier with technology. If you had to look up specific infor-
mation about each customer manually during a call, before talking

to them, they’d probably hang up the phone. When using a virtual

call center, the system can display whatever details you need, when
you need them.
This way, you can amaze your customers by providing them with a
highly personalized service, by referring to their past purchases for
example, and still keep up with high speed and quality requirements.
Our tip: look for ways to reach

out to your customers
Get creative! Think about all of your resources and man-
age them wisely. You won’t often be able to call each of
your customers to catch up with them, but what about
an email, text message, or asking something in your Face-
book group? Building a community around your brand can
really help you in the long term.
Another approach is to set certain rules. For example,

upon noticing a huge drop in your customer satisfaction
score, your team must call that client to understand what
happened and how they can help. Usually, it will be a mi-
nor issue. Making an effort to regain such customers can
even convert them into your brand ambassadors, so it’s
definitely a worthwhile investment of time and resources.

Multiple methods of communication 9
COMMUNICATION
01
METHODS OF
02
MULTIPLE
03
04
05
06

Multiple methods of
communication
The role of content marketing

in self-service
Currently, as many as 67% of users prefer to look for answers to their
questions and solve their problems independently. Self-service will be-
come even more popular in the coming year!
Due to the transfer of most activities to online, customers are learning

to use the sources of knowledge they can find on companies’ web-
sites more intensively. This usually turns out to be faster and more ef-
ficient than direct contact with a customer service team. 91% of users
prefer to use ready-made sources of knowledge, e.g. FAQs, and only
40% of them will contact a call center department later. However, it
should be remembered that the content must be qualitative.
In 2021 there are definitely grounds for content marketing! Preparing

good articles is not easy and takes a lot of time, but it does pay off in
the long run!
How to prepare useful articles? First of all, find out which topics inter-
est your customers the most. Monitor what your consumers common-
ly browse for and what they look for on your website. Optimize your

FAQs and articles based on existing customer data regularly. By doing

so you will create articles adjusted to your customers’ needs, which
will ultimately relieve your customer service department.
Stay focused on omnichannel marketing
The year 2021 will be based on customer needs. One of them is un-
doubtedly having many ways to contact companies. Users should
have the option to decide how they want to communicate and
choose the most convenient option for them.
The customer should be able to easily choose the communication

channel that they prefer, and information about how to make Contact
should be visible on your website. Thanks to this, they should have the
choice to phone, use a contact form, email, or chat on the site. How-
ever, remember that these are not the only communication options!
In 2021, you should also make use of chatbots and focus on improving
contact through social media. Customers will surely appreciate it!
Omnichannel is the answer to many problems with existing custom-

er service departments. By combining all communication channels in
one panel, consultants have constant access to contact histories. It
therefore becomes possible to create real-time customer cards. When
answering a call, an employee will automatically see previous conver-
sations, orders, chats, and notes.

Use Social Media!
It’s high time to start using our profiles effectively on social media!
This is an additional channel of communication that will be greatly
appreciated by your customers, since it is a quick and very effective
contact method. What’s more, clients can easily add attachments,
screenshots, and communicate with consultants more easily than
during phone calls.
Remember, however, that this communication should not consist of

moving a conversation to another channel. Contact through social
media should be on the same level as emails or chats!
Our tip: review your channels!
In the process of creating a strategy for 2021, it will be

necessary to review communication channels carefully!
Find out which were the most popular and effective ones
for your clients in 2020. Analyze which channels seem like
the best to invest in for the coming year, and how you can
solve existing problems related to different methods of
communication.
Remember that it is definitely worth developing Social

Media as a new channel of communication with your
company. Customers will surely appreciate you meeting
their expectations this way! ;)

Analytics and a data-driven approach as the key to success 13
APPROACH AS THE
KEY TO SUCCESS
ANALYTICS AND
A DATA-DRIVEN
01
02
03
04
05
06

Analytics and a data-

driven approach as the
key to success
Measuring your customer support
Effective customer service is the basis of a well-functioning call cen-

ter department. These employees are on the front line when contact-
ing customers, so it is so essential to control their needs, results, and
job satisfaction on an ongoing basis. Continually identify mistakes
and the problems faced by consultants!
You should control how long agents talk for and check how many
calls are missed. Thanks to this, you can quickly find out how cus-
tomers are being served and whether there is any difficulty contact-
ing the call center department. It is also useful to know the number of
consultants logged in at any one time. For what purpose? Thanks to
this, it is possible to assess whether the number of employees work-
ing on specific days is sufficient. Analysis of these data will help iden-
tify busy periods of high call volumes and maintain an appropriate
number of consultants.

How to control customer support?
Monitor the work of the team as a whole, thanks to

functions such as wallboards. They allow you to get a live
picture of what is going on in your call center! You can
make quick decisions and give feedback to the whole
team in real-time.
Monitor individual agents. This is made possible by re-

ports created for each employee. They will allow you
to identify the best performing ones and those who
need more training, which will help you to improve
agent management!
A real-time dashboard will help you keep track of all the

most important parameters: maximum wait time, average
wait time, active calls, number of callers waiting to be
connected, and call queue statistics.
Pay attention to call statistics and keep an eye on call re-

cordings. Doing so can help your call center managers in-
crease the quality of your services.
Check the service level, which is the number of attend-

ed inbound calls compared to a predefined thresh-
old. This will allow you to know how effectively your
team is working.

Measuring your customer satisfaction
In the coming year, it will also be important to control customer sat-

isfaction. Negative evaluations help you to spot problems that arise
and solve them quickly, in real-time. Using customer feedback pro-
vides us with a lot of interesting information and allows us to look
at how the call center department is functioning from a different
perspective.
It is worth noting that 86% of consumers are willing to pay more for
a product if they can count on good customer service! Therefore, we
have to keep an eye on their satisfaction.
How to do this?
Make use of the top trends in analytics or

emotion analytics. Each consultant can evaluate a cus-
tomer’s emotions according to a choice of five emoticons
after a conversation, which is an indication of the cus-
tomer satisfaction with that agent.
Listen to your clients and let them assess their satisfac-

tion with the conclusions of a conversation. Short ques-
tionnaires are a great solution for obtaining quick and ef-
fective feedback, both after a phone conversation with a
consultant and after a contact via text message.

Harness new technologies in your customer support 17
TECHNOLOGIES IN
YOUR CUSTOMER
HARNESS NEW
01
02
SUPPORT
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04
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Harness new technologies

in your customer support
2020 only confirmed the importance of new technologies in custom-
er service. With the ever-changing pandemic situation, switching to
online, and increased uncertainty, customer support has had to face
more challenges than ever before. New technologies are coming to
the rescue, though.
Add bots to your customer support
Bots are the future of customer support, as they can handle simple,
repetitive questions. As such, they let your agents focus on more com-
plex issues and deliver value to your customers.

Chatbots for written communication
Chatbots are now the most popular type of bots in customer support.
You can use them on your website or connect them with services like
Facebook Messenger or WhatsApp. Accenture research proves that a
well-constructed chatbot can handle over 80% of incoming queries.
Chatbots are continuing to grow in popularity, as they are appreciat-

ed for their ability to handle multiple issues at a time. Some custom-
ers still prefer to talk with agents immediately though, and skip con-
versations with chatbots.
Voicebots – the future of customer service?
When we talk about bots in customer support, voicebots can’t be ig-

nored. Although currently less common than chatbots, they are ex-
pected to grow in popularity – and fast. You’re probably already us-
ing them in fact, like when asking Google to play a song or Alexa to
order a pizza. Voicebots will soon be widely used in customer sup-
port as well.
Voicebots work just like chatbots: you just

add a speech processing element. When a
client calls, the bot takes the incoming call
and processes the client’s voice into text.
Then it analyzes the question and looks
for the correct answer in its database. Af-
ter finding the appropriate information, it
reads this out loud. If the voicebot is unable
to help then it connects the client with an
agent, all in the blink of an eye.

The first step: smart IVR
If implementing a chatbot or voicebot is still beyond your reach, or

you want to start by taking small steps, think about IVR. This means
an Interactive Voice Response menu, which helps you to connect call-
ers to the appropriate department. A caller listens to the menu and
then chooses the appropriate option by pressing a button on their
phone’s keypad.
IVR can have various levels of options. Make sure to limit the possibili-
ties though, since an over-extensive IVR menu will be daunting for call-
ers rather than helpful.
If you struggle with having to redirect your customers between de-

partments, IVR could be the ideal solution. Your callers will land in ap-
propriate queues, and your agents will know the general reason for
each call before even answering.
What’s more, IVR can also provide customers with necessary infor-
mation, like an account balance or order status. The callers can in-
put numbers like a PIN or ID in order to enter the system and find out
what they need.
IVR also handles outbound calls. It can work both as a notification

system and for authorization.
Watch over privacy and data security
Data privacy concerns almost everybody, but especially customer

service departments. With omnipresent breaches and increasing se-
curity consciousness, keeping up to date with the latest data protec-
tion standards is a must in 2021.

Keep an eye on legal requirements

of the zones you operate in
Data privacy is tackled differently from country to country and region

to region. From cookie policies to GDPR compliance, there are multi-
ple requirements that you need to face. Make sure you double-check
them before you start processing data.
Choose tools with high-security standards
When you use any third-party tools, you should double-check them
for the standards they provide. What should you look for? Let’s take
CloudTalk security standards as an example.
The first point is compliance with established regulations, so look for

GDPR and ISO standards. They will cover the most important points,
such as the location of data centers. Also, check the safety protocols
that are used by apps.
Another point is roles that you can assign internally. With CloudTalk,
you have the ability to assign different permissions for each role. This
helps you keep track of data security within the organization and
avoid situations where an employee has unauthorized access to cer-
tain information.

Our tip: review your channels!
Implementing new technologies doesn’t mean you need

to splash out. Also, after investing in them, you should
notice an impact in financial terms as well. You should
be able to distribute your resources better and achieve
greater results.
Start by taking a look at the possibilities of your tool-

box. Explore the possible integration and automation
options. If you notice that you could profit by upgrad-
ing your tools, start with the core one. For example, if
you rely mostly on calls, make sure to check out our
call center buyer’s guide.

Go to the next level with your customer support tool 23
LEVEL WITH YOUR

GO TO THE NEXT
SUPPORT TOOL
01
CUSTOMER
02
03
04
05
06

Go to the next level with

your customer support
tool
Using a proper tool will definitely help you to keep up with trends for
the upcoming year. Whether they are about working remotely, using
smart automation, implementing live chat in your customer service,
or measuring your customers’ satisfaction, everything is made easier
with a well-designed toolbox.
Work from anywhere
While in 2020 many had to switch to working remotely overnight,

it’s no longer a surprise in 2021. This is the most important reason
to give your remote work tool a closer look. What should you pay
attention to?

Security standards
This is probably the most important feature in terms of

remote work. You have to ensure that the flow of data will
be stable and secure, and that the chances of a security
breach are close to zero.
Extended self-service
If you need assistance from your customer support tool

provider anytime you want to add or remove an agent, it
can become a hassle. When working remotely and across
various time zones, waiting even a few hours for action is
simply a waste of time. Look for tools that allow you to
manage your team on your own, changing the number of
agents according to your needs.
Clear agent status
When out of the office, you can no longer check an

agent’s availability by just coming to their desk. Make
sure that your tool displays agent status information.
Ring on speakers
When your team is at home, they may get distract-

ed much more easily. Whether it’s because of a kid call-
ing for assistance or a cat scratching the sofa in another
room for instance, employees might need to get up from
their desks more often than usual. Ring on speakers will
minimize the chance of missed calls.

Work closely with your

marketing and sales teams
Do you aim to be truly customer-centric? Then check out the coopera-
tion between your customer support, marketing and sales teams. Ide-
ally, they should have a common understanding of your clients’ needs
and access to the data you gather about them. This way, the actions
of each team will be aligned with your general strategy.
While your tools won’t cover all of those challenges, they can definite-
ly support your cooperation. How can you get them? Use integrations!
Connecting your call center software with CRM will help you have
a complete overview of your client journey. Make sure you add your
help desk and marketing solutions.
You should also ensure that your company supports information flow.
Whether it’s about current promotions or planned updates, your cus-
tomer support team should expect to get more questions about
such topics.
The flow should also go in the opposite direction. Your customer sup-
port team ought to be well aware of the highlights of your products,
as well as any issues. This information can help you to adjust your
marketing strategy and boost the sales process.

Our tip: assess your current tool
When reading the descriptions above, did you feel like we

were talking about your tool of choice? If yes, congratu-
lations! However, if that wasn’t the case, or even if it was,
we would recommend that you assess the tool that you
currently use.
The situation on the market is constantly changing, espe-

cially if you rely on SaaS solutions. When existing tools are
being improved and new solutions appearing, you should
keep an eye on how your chosen tool compares to others.
Also, consider how your internal needs alter. If you expect
changes in your business, you should go for a solution
that can be upgraded or downgraded anytime you need.
Rest assured that CloudTalk can be adjusted to your cur-
rent requirements.

Summary 28
01
02
SUMMARY
03
04
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06

Summary 29
Summary
The coming year will surely be a challenge due to growing user ex-
pectations. Customer service should be at the center of our activities,
regardless of the industry. We have identified four main areas that will
certainly prove to be extremely important in 2021.
The first one is proactive communication. You should meet custom-

ers’ requirements by being present and available at any time they
need. How to do that? Choose a live chat or phone widget!
When you are always there for customers when they need help, it
is time to think about how to be a step ahead of contact from their
side. These could be via emails or phone calls, and preferably they
will be personalized. This will make clients feel like they are being
taken care of!
Another important area is multiple methods of communication. In

2021, the focus will be on creating engaging content in which users
can find answers to their questions themselves.
Focus also on omnichannel marketing! It is the customer who should

choose the most convenient method of communication for them.
Make sure that all of the options are combined in one panel for the
convenience of both your employees and customers. Social Media
will be one of the more exciting and willingly chosen communication
channels in the coming year, so invest in it!

Summary 30
The third area is analytics and a data-driven approach. To provide

good customer support, agents must be controlled on an ongoing ba-
sis. You should pay attention to their needs, results, and job satisfac-
tion. Tools such as CloudTalk provide control over this.
Customer evaluations are crucial, as they allow evaluation of the

work of departments from a different perspective. Clients will
also appreciate the option of being able to give their feedback to
consultants.
The last area is new technologies. In the coming year, support your
customer service department by adding chat or voice bots. Smart
IVR is also an important step, thanks to which customers will always
be directed to the right consultant and there will be no information-
al chaos. New technologies also facilitate a watch over privacy and
data security. Always choose tools with high-security standards!
Invest in useful tools that will both facilitate the work of your consul-
tants and influence customer satisfaction. And that’s the point! ;)
Thanks to these tips, you will be able to deliver a higher level of cus-
tomer service!

cloudtalk.io

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CUSTOMER

Here is a list of the most important trends for 2021!

→ Multiple methods of communication

→ Analytics and a data-driven approach

03 Analytics and a data-driven

04 Harness new technologies

05 Go to the next level with your

cloudtalk.io back to contents

Be where your customers need you

When the concept of proactive communication is entirely new to you,

Add a live chat or phone widget

A discreet, non-disruptive widget that allows easy connection with

cloudtalk.io back to contents

Whether it’s about unclear terms of service or a rejected payment, for

Opt for proactive customer support

cloudtalk.io back to contents

Why don’t you call them?

Calling your customers shouldn’t be limited to situations when you

The second situation is more challenging. When you use a system to

Balance automation with personalization

Have quick access to the data you need

Achieving the perfect balance between automation and personal-

cloudtalk.io back to contents

to them, they’d probably hang up the phone. When using a virtual

Our tip: look for ways to reach

Another approach is to set certain rules. For example,

cloudtalk.io back to contents

cloudtalk.io back to contents

The role of content marketing

Due to the transfer of most activities to online, customers are learning

In 2021 there are definitely grounds for content marketing! Preparing

cloudtalk.io back to contents

FAQs and articles based on existing customer data regularly. By doing

Stay focused on omnichannel marketing

The customer should be able to easily choose the communication

Omnichannel is the answer to many problems with existing custom-

cloudtalk.io back to contents

Use Social Media!

Remember, however, that this communication should not consist of

Our tip: review your channels!

In the process of creating a strategy for 2021, it will be

Remember that it is definitely worth developing Social

cloudtalk.io back to contents

cloudtalk.io back to contents

Analytics and a data-

Measuring your customer support

Effective customer service is the basis of a well-functioning call cen-

cloudtalk.io back to contents

How to control customer support?

Monitor the work of the team as a whole, thanks to

Monitor individual agents. This is made possible by re-

A real-time dashboard will help you keep track of all the

Pay attention to call statistics and keep an eye on call re-

Check the service level, which is the number of attend-

cloudtalk.io back to contents

Measuring your customer satisfaction

In the coming year, it will also be important to control customer sat-

Make use of the top trends in analytics or

Listen to your clients and let them assess their satisfac-

cloudtalk.io back to contents

cloudtalk.io back to contents

Harness new technologies

Add bots to your customer support

cloudtalk.io back to contents