Customer expectation in the 21st century

Customer expectation in the 21st century has changed radically from what it used to be. The advent of the internet and indeed social media has revolutionized the entire feedback process for organizations. Customers now feel a great sense of empowerment since they can easily take to the internet or any social media platform e.g. twitter, facebook to either commend a service/product or to complain about poor service/product. When a company fails to deliver the customer experience a customer expects, customers are not shy about sharing their disappointment. When we experience bad customer service most of us will tell an average of 16 people about it. Between the massive volume of Youtube uploads and millions of Twitter conversations, social media has definitively become a game changer for the way companies do business and connect with their audiences. Businesses are now tasked with recognizing the second-order effects that occur 24/7 and facing the challenge of adjusting their strategies in response to these new customer expectations. The power of the relationship companies have with consumers is now with the customer rather than the brand. According to some experts, leading companies have recognized this power shift and are: 1. Hiring talented employees that can make quick, time-sensitive decisions and interpret large amounts of big data. 2. Connecting and integrating multiple service channels into one seamless experience
3. Experimenting with new and fun ways of communicating with customers.
The customer service evolution has thus begun. Companies that adapt to this revolution of the customer relationship are bringing the speed, engagement and ethos of social media inside the value chain. The dialogue that social media creates between customers and businesses is a powerful and, at this point, necessary tool for understanding customer’s expectations and needs. In order to gain that trust, companies should adopt the following strategies: Provide quick and