Customer service has never been more important. Today's customers not only want fast and hassle-free service, they also expect personalized and delightful service. customer experience (CX). To add even more to the mix, the stakes are high for businesses that are not prudent. According to a recent PwC Report, a third of customers would leave a brand they love after a bad experience.

The good news is that success in customer service can reap tremendous benefits for businesses. In fact, 86% of customers are willing to pay more for a great CX, according to The Tempkin Group. Due to these factors, customer service has become one of the top priorities for businesses in 2024. Here are three CX trends every business leader should buy into to help them excel in 2024.

The evolving role of self-service technology

Today's customers expect fast, smooth and convenient service. A recent study found that half of all customers will not wait more than 3 minutes in a store. It's unrealistic to expect businesses to provide instant, in-person service around the clock – that's it technology must play a role. Gone are the days when these technologies were seen as taboo. Instead, many of today's customers prefer customer service that technology supports in some way. for a recent study by Aspect, 73% of customers want the ability to resolve product or service issues independently. Even many small businesses and franchises need to invest in technology such as self-service kiosks or technology tools that support customer service efforts.

If your business has not invested in self-service technology for customers, 2024 could be the year to do so. A great place to start is with on-site self-service kiosks. This is a tool that The UPS Store recently introduced, with over 1,800 self-service kiosks now installed in exclusive locations across the country. These kiosks simplify online returns and item drop-off for UPS Store customers and provide an opportunity to enter and exit the store faster than ever. Whether self-service works in your business plan or not, technology will be a key player in customer service in 2024.

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Connecting with Gen-Z

You may not realize it, but Gen Z is growing up fast. The oldest members of this generation will be much closer to 30 this year than 20. With Gen Zers becoming a larger sect of most companies' customer base, one of the biggest CX trends in 2024 will be the importance of withdrawal for this group. So where should you start? One place is in social media. As the first actual digital native generation, Gen Zers are often more comfortable interacting with companies on social media. A survey from Hubspot found that 90% of Gen Z expect brands to be active on social media and 13% claim social media is their preferred form of customer service. If you're not into social media, 2024 is a great year to use it.

This shouldn't just be reserved for big national brands; EVEN small businesses must find ways to be active and interact with younger customers on social media. LinkedIn or Instagram are great places to start for most companies, but consider where you feel most comfortable or which platform your customers are most active on. Authenticity should be a priority in social media customer service, especially when interacting with Gen Z. In addition to responding to customer needs, being active on social media will allow your company to build more trust with Gen Z and interact more often with customers.

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Using customer insights

One CX trend that has continued in its importance is using customer service interactions for their insights. While customer service should prioritize the customer experience, all companies should also look for ways to learn from these interactions. This can be achieved with high-tech and low-tech means. For example, businesses can use data intelligence software to gain real-time insights or social media analytics to gather information. Many data intelligence vendors can provide real-time insights based on customer touchpoints. On the other hand, businesses can also tap their customer service employees for their knowledge behind a interaction with customers.

Employees often have some of the best feedback to offer as they interact with customers every day. All businesses should view their customer touchpoints as an opportunity not only to make their customers happy, but also as a chance to learn and adapt for the future. In 2024, you should consider finding ways to get better customer insights, whether that's through investing in data analytics or seeking insights from your employees.

Providing excellent customer service should always be a priority for business leaders, but it continues to be more important every year. As we move into 2024, be sure to keep tabs on customer service trends, especially when it comes to the importance of self-service, appealing to Gen Z, and leveraging customer insights.