The role of customer service is being reframed. As the number of communication channels has grown, the relationship between brands and consumers has become more complex. Our 2020 macrotrend Feedback Frontiers explores how businesses must reconsider how they connect with their customers, and fundamentally alter their perception of them.
With the understanding that every piece of information can provide insights to improve their business, brands are taking a less extroverted approach. Some are rethinking the structure of their internal teams, while others are creating new business models.
‘Our approach is part of a new era of direct-to-consumer businesses – one we’re calling ‘direct-with-consumer’ or DWC,’ says Nick Ling, CEO of Pattern Brands. ‘At its core, we see DWC as a model intrinsically designed to build intimacy at scale through much deeper, more personal consumer relationships.’
As customer service evolves from a cost centre to a driver of profit, these brands will no longer try to limit interactions with customers as in the past. Instead, they will strive to create conversations, forging ahead across the multiple interactions and touchpoints that are emerging as the next frontiers for brands.