Salesforce, the global benchmark in CRM, has launched the next generation of Service Cloud – a solution to support changing customer service expectations and deliver connected, personalized service from anywhere on a single digital engagement platform.
Over the past year, service agents have moved quickly to work from their kitchens and living rooms, but have relied on legacy technology – disparate local solutions and spreadsheets – that were not designed to manage globally distributed workforces. At the same time, agents were recovering from a monumental increase in the volume of customer requests across all digital channels as well as new on-demand experiences such as appointment booking and curb pickup.
Today, some parts of the world are starting to reopen – 53% of US consumers plan to travel by plane by the end of this year and 97% plan to shop in a physical store. The reopens will also present a series of new questions about updated security policies, protocols and measures. This adds a new level of challenge for agents, who will be on the front lines and already struggling with larger workloads and more demanding customers. In fact, 82% of consumers expect to continue contacting customer service as often as during the pandemic, although only 36% of service professionals feel fully prepared to handle increased service and support cases.
"We are on the verge of a great reopening of society and companies know they will need to act quickly to seize the moment,” said Clara Shih, CEO of Service Cloud at Salesforce. "While customers and businesses are eager to return to personal experiences, the digital behaviors we learned and became accustomed to during the pandemic are here to stay."
Service from anywhere with Service Cloud 360
For businesses to thrive, they need to make every customer engagement – from online to the curb or in person – more valuable, and empower their service employees to help quickly, whether they're working from home, in the field, or on a service system. hybrid model. This announcement includes important updates for Service Cloud Voice, Workforce Engagement, Visual Remote Assistant, and more, all applicable in every industry, from retail to manufacturing.
Modernizing the contact center
With many contact center leaders planning to maintain remote or hybrid work, the old ways of working – like dealing with one support channel at a time or looking over the top of your computer to ask a co-worker or supervisor for help – are now obsolete . COVID brought up the opportunity to offer great service from anywhere.
O Service Cloud Voice brings together phone, digital channels and CRM data on a single screen for service agents and provides real-time call transcription and AI-based guidance on recommended next steps. For the first time, customers can connect their existing phone systems to Service Cloud Voice with Service Cloud Voice for Partner Telephony, creating a unified experience between agent and digital channel to provide faster, smarter and more personalized service.
Companies had to rethink their operating model and create a more flexible workforce. For example, with retailers receiving less in-store pedestrian traffic, front-desk employees working in-store need to have the skills and training to also support digital requests in the contact center. But in this new environment, it's more critical than ever to have the right service agent – with the right skills – talking to the right customers at the right time.
already the Service Cloud Workforce Engagement is a new workforce planning product that uses artificial intelligence to help service leaders predict how many requests will reach the contact center and through which channels – such as phone, email, webchat, text and social. So they can intelligently plan staffing needs, matching agents to work based on their skills, availability and shift preference. Agents have a single workspace that integrates data, as well as real-time coaching and on-demand training anywhere with myTrailhead, online learning platform directly integrated to the Service Cloud.
Automating digital service
Eighty-one percent of service decision makers report they are accelerating digital initiatives, and last year Einstein Bot's conversations increased by 706%, while service channels such as chat, messaging apps, and video support gained in double-digit adoption*.
Einstein Bots are intelligent chatbots that simulate human conversations and can quickly solve common problems like processing a return or checking the status of a flight. In doing so, they empower agents to devote more time and resources to complex problem solving and customer interactions. In just a few clicks with Salesforce's low-code features, customers can deploy a new chatbot, taking advantage of Einstein Pre-Built Bots to assist with service requests.
Scheduling field appointments
Field service is undergoing a huge transformation as personal safety and new precautions and forms of interaction become essential for the reopening and permanence of companies. Office buildings, sports arenas and shopping malls will need to adapt to meet the throngs of people eager to be together in community again. Sectors such as food services, manufacturing, sanitation and public services in particular are increasing the use of Salesforce Field Service to prepare for increased demands on infrastructure and services – everything from elevator maintenance, lighting and air quality systems as people get back to work, to concert and sporting venues, airports and museums. These interior spaces have been largely empty over the past 12 months and require checks and maintenance before they are ready for prime time.
