17 Customer Service Goals to Aim for in 2024

Making your customers happy should be one of your top business goals in the next year – but where do you even get started? Check out the top customer service goals that should be very important for your company to achieve during 2024.

The Importance of Clear Customer Service Goals

Your company needs to have specific goals for its customer services to measure success and progress. An effective customer service goal should be:

• simple to understand
• easy to measure
• highly specific 
• challenging yet possible to meet

You can also use the SMART approach to create your objectives.

SMART stands for:

• Specific (focusing on a certain KPI or metric)

• Measurable (e.g. improve your first call resolution by 20% instead of just “improve first call resolution)
• Achievable (within your team’s capabilities)
• Relevant (so that it’s in line with your overall company business goals)
• Time-bound (so that it has to be done within a certain time frame, e.g., one quarter)

With such goals, you can have a clear understanding of what you’re willing to accomplish. They’ll help you to organize your processes and provide better service to your customers.

Some businesses have more general goals for their customer service, such as “delighting customers”. In that case, they might use scorecards to measure whether or not their objectives are being fulfilled.

It’s often a better strategy to set more specific targets for particular departments, such as “preventing customers from canceling their subscription” or “reducing the number of call transfers by 30%“. In this case, most businesses will use various advanced tools to help ensure that every objective is met.

17 Customer Service Goals To Aim For In 2024

In the customer service industry, it is difficult to keep up with new changes and the demands of clients. Providing an excellent customer experience is a challenging but not impossible task.

The 17 objectives below can make a good start for everyone who wants to improve their customer service level in 2024.

#1 Finding the Balance Between Human Interactions and Automation

Just as people need to keep things nicely balanced in their lives (we’re talking work-life balance here), we believe that companies should strive to do the same when it comes to their approach to customer service interactions. 

More specifically, we’re talking about human interactions and automation via chatbots or AI virtual assistants.

According to Drift’s State of Conversational Marketing report for 2020, the use of chatbots grew that year by 92% compared to 2019. Consumers like chatbots for various reasons, including:

• access to customer support 24/7
• quick response times
• convenience

But is it always that great? According to American Express’s report (which, by the way, mysteriously disappeared after being cited by over 2,300 publications around the World), there still are numerous clients who prefer face-to-face interactions with customer service staff. If not, then we have to recognize that the more complex an issue is, the more it needs a phone call as a resolution.

The truth is that there is nothing better than an interaction with a real person. So although AI can work wonders, it will never be able to hold a candle to customer service agents.

For this reason, there are two things to take into account. First the benefits of customer service automation tools and the power of human interactions. In 2024, you should aim to strike a nice balance between them.

#2 Working On Multichannel Communication 

Single-channel communication comes with its limitations. Opting for a multichannel contact center lets you use different channels to assist your customers. Which channels would work best for you? It depends on various factors, such as where customers are located, their preferences, and how they interact with the business.

Today we can choose between channels like live chats, chatbots, messenger apps, email, social media, web forms, phone calls, and even regular mail.

And since research shows that there is no preferred communication channel that significantly outperforms all others, it will definitely be worthwhile for your company to offer various contact methods for your customers in 2024.

#3 Building Reliable and Responsive Contact Centers Through Call Center Outsourcing

With the rise of online shopping and greater accessibility to customer service, contact centers is even more important in 2024 than ever before.

Customers want to be able to find contact information for brands easily and be able to contact them in case of any questions. There are various ways to implement contact centers in your customer service strategy, and a very popular one is call center outsourcing. This could be the perfect solution if you don’t have the resources to establish a dedicated call center department in your company, so you may want to look into it.

If we have your interest, you’ll want to know that call center outsourcing happens when you hire an external partner (company or agency) to handle your inbound and outbound calls.

#4 Focusing On Social Media 

Social media consumption has increased exponentially in recent years, thanks in part to an increase in the number of new online brands.

For brick-and-mortar businesses, social media is a new way of communicating with their existing customers. It provides a platform for companies to respond quickly to consumer feedback, collect data about their customers, and repair damaged relationships.

Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Snapchat, Instagram, Pinterest, TikTok, and YouTube are just some examples of platforms that many organizations use as customer service tools. And considering the fact that around 63% of clients expect brands to offer support services via social media platforms, you should start using these channels soon, too, if you don’t already.

#5 Providing as Many Videos and Images as Possible

Videos and images are some of the most powerful tools that companies can possibly use when communicating with their customers.

And not just any videos or images – customer service content that demonstrates knowledge and empathy is always the best choice. For example, showing how you solved a specific problem for a specific customer. Allowing customers to see your employees in action can help them feel connected to your brand and make them more receptive to your messages.

When it comes to videos and images in customer service, it’s also interesting that:

• online videos have convinced 84% of people to purchase products or services

• 86% of people say they would like to see more video content from brands

• the click-through rate for emails containing videos is 300% greater than those without

• 9 out of 10 viewers said they wanted to see more videos from businesses and brands in 2020, as 96% of consumers increased their online video consumption. 

For this reason, you should aim to deliver as much video and image content as possible in your customer service in 2024. 

#6 Keeping Customization and Personalization in Mind

Up to 80% of consumers prefer to purchase products and/or services from brands that provide personalized experiences.

Adapting to this approach gives your business the benefits of having positive interactions with clients because you’re giving them exactly what they want.

Brands need to understand their clients and what makes them tick when they will be most receptive to messages and that this communication will be in line with their expectations. For example, people in office setups will get in touch after 5 P.M. on a workday, and before that, they’re more likely to communicate through emails.

Shoppers want personalized outreach messages at every touchpoint of their contact with your company. That means before, during, and after purchasing. Data from many sources, such as CRM systems and social media profiles, will therefore be necessary to provide outstanding customer service.

#7 Perfecting Your First Impression on Consumers

Did you know that you have exactly 7 seconds to make a good first impression on consumers? No matter how crazy it might sound, it seems that the initial perception a client has of your brand is becoming more and more important.

If you mess up this first impression, potential customers will most likely never give you a second chance because there are dozens of companies like yours waiting for them around the corner. As such, working on how your brand is regarded at a glance should definitely be on your list.

Here are examples of what you could do to improve this now:

• greet consumers properly with appropriate words
• maintain a positive tone of voice
• always pay attention to what your clients are saying
• offer extra help and guidance
• never ignore or interrupt your customers

#8 Paying Attention to Constantly Training Your Employees

Let’s not forget about the importance of providing your support staff with sufficient training to keep their skills at the highest possible levels. Providing good support is not just about answering calls or email queries. Employees must also be trained to show empathy and understanding by calling on their own personal experiences, enabling them to relate with customers on a more personal level.

The right training will help your employees better understand things like how to:

• refer customers to the appropriate departments
• reply to questions in a clear, concise, and friendly way 
• handle difficult situations with safety and professionalism
• talk compassionately to angry or upset customers
• deal with uncooperative people politely and efficiently
• use their time wisely
• keep calm when dealing with rude customers.

Without appropriate staff training, your company could be destined to fail. Don’t forget to pay close attention to this aspect when creating a customer service strategy for the year ahead.

#9 Improving Mobile Experiences

With portable devices accounting for over half of global web traffic Worldwide in 2021, companies must adhere to a slow yet steady shift to the use of mobiles in customer service.

Consumers increasingly often solve issues on the go: on the bus, while commuting, or during breaks at work. And, of course, they have to use portable devices for this purpose. In fact, 43% of Millennials use their mobiles to contact customer service.

For this reason, optimize the customer service experience you provide for mobile devices such as phones and tablets. Trust us, your customers will love you for it.

#10 Working On Your FCR

It goes without saying that First call resolution rate is an important metric. Improving it can result in increased customer satisfaction and reduced frustration levels when interacting with the company in question. 

Looking from a company’s perspective, it can save money on hiring too many members of staff or support agents who spend too much time with each customer.

It’s worth noting that improving your FCR by just 15% can lead to a 57% drop in repeat calls to your company. Why not start taking advantage of this fact immediately?

Improving your FCR is becoming more and more important, so don’t overlook it in your strategy.

#11 Becoming Friends With The Home Office

Working from home can benefit both employers and employees in many ways.

Here’s the list of just a few advantages: 

• Employers save money on rent and equipment
• Employers can offer more flexible schedules to employees
• It is easier to recruit talent globally for remote work
• There are often fewer distractions at home than in the office.

With people upgrading their in-home technologies and actually enjoying working in the place where they live, plus employers saving loads of money on office maintenance bills, we can only expect remote work to grow in popularity even more.

Keeping this in mind, it may be worth thinking about how to prepare your customer service staff for the home office. If they are already working from home, then consider how to make their experience even more enjoyable.

#12 Giving Your Customers Some Love!

Rewarding clients is one of the best ways to stay on top of your customer service game. Consumers absolutely love rewards, especially when they are given with little or no effort.

In fact, up to 72% of customers will be loyal to brands simply because of various benefits and rewards. Your company won’t be heavily affected financially, but you can really strengthen your market position by satisfying your clients with incentives.

#13 Not Undervaluing the Power Feedback

Next on our list is the need for your company to start paying attention to clients’ feedback. This is one of the best ways to understand what they are looking for, so it can help with improving the customer service that you provide. 

Companies should also pay attention to consumer feedback in order to increase revenue and market share, become more competitive, and improve satisfaction among clients.

Feedback can help agents improve their skills and provide a better experience to anyone in need of support.

Bear in mind that customer feedback varies in terms of volume, content, and urgency. As such, it should be noted accordingly.

With such a customer-centric approach, your customer service game will be spot on.

#14 Speeding Up Your Response Time

It seems that customers are becoming more and more digitally impatient. There may be a few reasons for that.

They expect immediate responses, or they might just leave you for another business. Many consumers became more digitally savvy over the last few years. Due to this increased familiarity with technology, users are now less tolerant of any delays or disruptions.

We could also argue that this is the fault of chatbots. This type of support channel is always fully responsive and is accessible to consumers 24 hours a day, 7 days a week,

Work on your response time and speed it up as much as you can. This will not only allow you to retain more customers, but it will also improve your satisfaction ratings and increase the number of consumers that your staff can serve in any given period of time.

#15 Paying Attention to Your Agents’ Opinions

Expressing care and interest for your employees not only shows them that you genuinely value their work, but it also contributes to strengthening their trust and loyalty.

Your staff is also a huge repository of knowledge about your clients and the way your customer service strategy works (or doesn’t). Since they’re on the front lines, they have more experience, and their insights are crucial to finding new ways to improve your customer service.

#16 Being More Transparent About Client Data

Customers are becoming more conscious about how companies store and use collected data. and less willing to share what isn’t absolutely necessary for an organization to store.

Research shows that approximately 40% of consumers will be able to trick behavior-tracking metrics by 2024 to intentionally devalue the personal data collected on them, making it more difficult for companies to monetize.

To address customers’ growing concerns and lack of trust, it’s important that your company is always transparent and highly informative about why and how you store customers’ data. You can only make customers stay with your business if they trust you.

To Wrap Up

Remember that flawless customer service is essential for your business to flourish, and we hope that this short guide will help you achieve success.
If you’re looking for a tool that will make your customer service team more productive and your customer happier, try out CloudTalk!

Sign up for a free trial today and see how a modern call center tool can help you crush your customer service goals!