Customer service is moving beyond simply meeting customer needs to fostering emotional connections by making customers feel recognized, listened to, valued and cared for. Future customer service trends include offering "Plan B" backup products or services to address issues and prevent customers from going elsewhere, using video chat to provide face-to-face customer support online, and delivering more than just products by providing additional services like styling advice or easy return policies. As online shopping and on-demand delivery grow, companies are finding new ways to enhance the customer experience throughout the entire purchase and delivery process.

1. Jared Goodman-Philip(2015-0624)
1 | CR M ASSIGNMENT
FUTURE CUSTOMER SERVICE TRENDS
CUSTOMER RELATIONSHIP MANAGEMENT ASSIGNMENT
“When 1,620 consumers were tested under laboratory conditions, 63% said they felt
their heart rate increase when they thought about receiving great customer service.
For 53% of those tested, receiving great service triggered the same cerebral reactions
as feeling loved.”
The takeaway? When it comes to customer service, it's not about what consumers think. Great service
is about feelings - being recognized, listened to, valued and cared for.
*American Express ServiceStudy, September 2013
*Accenture Global Consumer PulseSurvey, November 2013
1) PLANB – Productsthatcome withtheirown“backup plan” → didn’tworkthe first time? Broke
it? Lostit? A handfulof well-knownpowercompanies are diving in and taking advantage of the
consumer’snewism that is driving an intensifying thirst for immediate access to new products.
Why allow yourself the opportunityto lose a customerto another brandor service whenyou
have the solution ready and waiting forthem?
NEWSIM - THE ‘NEW’ HAS NEVER BEEN HOTTER, AS THE ENTIRE WORLD, FROM
EMERGING TO MATURE ECONOMIES, IS NOW CREATING NEW PRODUCTS, SERVICES
AND EXPERIENCES ON A DAILY, IF NOT HOURLY BASIS, IN EVERY B2C INDUSTRY.
WHICH MOVES ‘NEW’ FROM BEING A TIRED MARKETING PLOY BY ‘OLD’ BRANDS
(‘NEW AND IMPROVED!’), TO A GENUINE, EXCITING PROPOSITION FOR CONSUMERS
 Butwhat does a PLANBactually look like? How does it allow innovators torenew their brand
relationships withexisting customers?A PLANBwill allow the consumeraccesswhen andonly
whenneeded toan alternative orback upproductwhichwill rectify the limitations ofthe old

2. Jared Goodman-Philip(2015-0624)
2 | CR M ASSIGNMENT
one, correctsanemergency situation (I’ve runout!I need it NOW!),and addresses a common
issue everyone is having.PLANB also prevents customersfrom venturingout totry new and
more importantly unfamiliar productsallowingcustomerstoindulge in worryfree newism!
 Companies like BMW have already started feeding into this idea withthe ownersoftheir “BMW
i3”, an electric vehicle that also comesaccessto a reducedrate petrol powered carto reduce
the anxiety of‘range’ for new electric drivers. The i3 has a range of 160kmandwhen a driver
needs to gofurther, BMW’spartnership with ‘Sixt’, a rental car company,they are offered a
20%offdiscount.
 Costa Ricanfashion retailer, Forever21 has also come upwith their ownPLANB,offering a
mobile truckservice filled with last minute garments andaccessories. Spilled yourlunch,coffee,
etc all overyourself before the big meeting? Did youwear gold earrings and a silver belt?
Ripped a whole? Broke a heel? The issue forthe consumeris endless, and withthis closet S.O.S.
Forever21 brings the solution to the customer.
2) VideoValets–facetime,anytime→so I canSkype with my Grandparentsbut whyisn’t there a
sales associate helping pick the perfectoutfit whenI shoponline? Everyone andtheir doghas
been complaining aboutthe ineffective customerservice they’ve received via internet chat and
automated phone conversations.We’ve seen firsthand already that interpersonal customer
service triggers feelings ofbeing loved. Why notbridge the gap?A few companies have been
playing catchuprecently withthe ever growingpopularity of‘FaceTime’ the video chatoption
Apple hasbeen offeringto iPhoneusers foryears now,and bringingthis optionto the customer
service playing field offeringface toface assistance online when needed.
* The Amazon Mayday button
connects ‘Kindle Fire HDX’ tablet
owners to an Amazon customer
service representative via webcam.
Among tablet owners, 75% of
customer service interactions now
come via the button.
* Amazon, June 2014
 The AmazonFire Phonewasthe first smartphone launchedby the online retailer and came with
a “Mayday button”offeringimmediate customerservice via video chat.This feature was first
seen on the Fire HDX tablet and responsetime was underten seconds!
 Asa student whois looking to pursuea specialized career in marketing with fashion, ASOS&
Nike has taken this service to a very relatable level whenthey teamed up withGoogle+ and

3. Jared Goodman-Philip(2015-0624)
3 | CR M ASSIGNMENT
MTV twosummers ago and hosted anonline “Hangout”wherestylist, Natasha Wray, and Zeba
Lowe,an ASOSfashion editor offeredfashion and styling advise to customerswhowere
shoppingNike online throughan ad provided byexclusively throughGoogle
 Fiat has also been gaining some recognition fortheir live store option offered via their website.
Customersshoppingfor carsonline were able to accessthe live feed streaming fromsales
associates mounted head cams,allowing them to have personal toursofselected vehicles and
were able toask questionsrelating to the vehicle and pricingoptions
3) DELIVER(more than) THE GOODS -delivery,and thensome! →WithUber gaining increasing
popularity, it’s not hard to imagine how the futureofdelivery is going to be unrecognizablein
the next few years (andno,it’s notall about drones).Uberallows you to justtap and orderyour
ride, so whyshould the consumernotexpect the same service elsewhere? Pizzahut is already
taking advantage of oursmartphone driven worlds,butwhy shouldother companies be doing
the same? Let’s take a look at the numbers…
“Global B2C e-commerce sales are expected to total USD 1.5
trillion in 2014.”
* EMarketer, February 2014
 OKAY,sothat’s a pretty big number…Which is exactly why“JeansOnline”,a Dutchretailer has
broughtouta brand new extremely innovative service called ‘Easy Fit& Return’ that allows
consumersto ordertheir productsonline,and whenthe courierbringsthem to their door
they’re offered15 minutes to try ongarments and returnany unwanteditems. Completely

4. Jared Goodman-Philip(2015-0624)
4 | C R M ASSIGNMENT
jumpingover the customer’sunease with ordering online due tosizing concerns,amassive hole
in the online retail industry.Aneven greater feature ofthis new service is companies like
Lamoda that’s been joining in onthis service, offeringfashion tips as well! Now you have your
ownpersonal stylist at yourfront door!
 Volvo also recently launchedtheir Roam Delivery mobile app, allowing consumersto use their
carsas a delivery location.Fromgeneral shoppingto groceries consumerscanplace ordersand
offera digital key and cantrack withtheir vehicle has been opened and locked again, withthe
key obviously being terminated after delivery.
 Other delivery services have been changingsuchaspizza hut,offeringa service that cooksyour
pizzawhile it’s being delivered. The North American condomcompany,L.also provided a one
hourdelivery service, althoughyou may think as we discussedin class previously the heat might
die downaftersixty minutes, successhasbroughtthe service to full functionviatheir website
and forevery package purchasedcondomsare donated to developing countries.
BUT WHAT DOES IT ALL MEAN???
 As a consumerand a prospectiveemployee…
 Asa consumerwhois heavily involved with social interaction, very on topof new
innovating waysto changeand improve my daily living and how it ties into social media
and other platforms,all of this is very exciting! I wouldhappily hopon the bandwagon
ofany of these new andexciting ideas! Asa marketing studentit’s also very
encouragingto know that I’m aboutto enter an ever changingfield andto be included
onsome ofthese innovations is going to be more than rewarding.