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Part
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Trends in Customer Service Review Software - North American and Europe
Overview
In today’s digital world, companies specifically in North America and Europe have been brought under a microscope. To stay afloat companies in their respective industries have had to stay innovative and customer-friendly in order to retain their competitive edge. Emerging trends in customer review software from North America and Europe include the following: leveraging subject matter experts, integrated mobile platform, AI integration, advanced two-way conversation, free subscription and lastly social media awareness. These tools have ultimately been used to ensure company success. This brief will look at these specific trends and describe why they are so very important.
Methodology
Firstly, specific string research on companies in North America and Europe was done but unfortunately yielded minimal results. As such, analyzing articles that talked about trends in the industry and companies, on a general note was completed as a follow-up. The trends listed are categorized under no specific order, with the companies identified being analyzed thoroughly to find the trends and innovations that they are currently following or planning to integrate.
Secondly, data on competing clients and industries in European and North American market were reviewed with the specific focus on top review sites that are common and relevant to existing trends. The companies looked at having a global presence and therefore apply to the specific criteria set. Upon searching, it was understood that trends could be gleaned from websites that discussed the industry specifically. So logically, general trends uncovered from the articles that do not specifically mention any deviance in European or North American markets were specifically noted. For example, France and Germany are traditional in putting up reviews and prefer their websites.
Analysis
When looking at the review culture, companies have now gone the extra mile in making sure that they get as much traffic onto their website as possible, one of the tools that are currently being used is leveraging subject matter experts. This means changing passive users into influencers and advocates for certain products in their respective industry. By offering peer-to-peer support, they enable for content to stay relevant and response times to customers to be quicker in comparison to feedback from customer support representatives. This is key when taking into consideration that over 50% of customers trust user produced content and reviews versus company material. In addition, 84% of consumers trust online reviews as much as personal recommendations.
Leveraging subject matter experts is important, however it cannot be used independently. Social media has played a huge role when looking at platforms such as TripAdvisor, Yelp and Facebook. An online presence is important because they help shape a company's online reputation and provide important feedback.
The way a company deals with feedback, be it positive or negative, is important and that is why having an integrated mobile platform and advanced two-way conversation is fundamental. When looking at an integrated mobile platform, be it Android or IOS, what's imoprtant is that 80% of internet users own a smartphone and use them to write and analyze written reviews and pictures. This may be for booking a place to eat or booking a trip to a different country. Today’s generation likes to review what other people said about their experiences and this mostly happens through their phones.
Advanced two-way conversation is also important as it adds to the user experience. While some companies still use customer service representatives, other companies have moved to AI integrated platforms, which give the answer to generic questions and connect the customer to a live person if a query is too complex. This is important as it allows for quicker response times and greater customer satisfaction.
Free subscription has also been a huge trend, especially when considering examples such as Facebook and Angie’s List. When Angie’s List had a paywall for subscriptions, they lost 90% of their traffic and experienced an increase in registrations by three to four times in places where they had the reviews on paywalls. What this brings to light is that free subscriptions are a key element to opening the door for people who use review platforms. If a price is placed on service, customers are less likely to place reviews which would mostly result in decreased product use.
The trends mentioned above have clearly made a difference as companies such as Zendesk are making profits solely by providing services that enable companies to better handle their customer review software platforms. Companies such as Amazon, eBay, and Trustpilot are already successfully managing these types of interactions within Zendesk. As stated by Adrian McDermott, an executive at Zendesk, the customer experience will lie in "immersing both service and engagement" in the future.
Conclusion
In closing, when looking at North America and Europe, customer review software is fundamental as it allows for ratings and reviews which influence consumers purchase decisions. In order to be effective and to maintain a competitive edge, companies have moved to leveraging subject matter experts, integrated mobile platform, AI integration, advanced two-way conversation, free subscription and lastly social media awareness. This has been done with the sole purpose of giving the best customer service possible. With smartphones being the device of choice, opinions on review platforms are what can be the deciding factor on whether a company is successful or not and should not be ignored.