Trends: Digital channels have changed how customers access customer relation services. Main customer contact ch annels • P h one calls are declining • Digital solutions (email, chat, forums) are becoming more important. • Customers knowledge of services/products and of how to use their devices is increasing. • C h at solutions w ere non-ex istent 3 y ears ago y et now are soaring. • They are tied to changing habits, as customers are increasingly using messaging apps (Messenger, WhatsApp). • Websites / self-help are now accepted by customers who are used to find solutions by themselves or th rough collab oration. • They answer basic questions via dynamic FAQs, redirecting more complex issues to other channels. • Email, p riv ate messaging on social media ( F aceb ook / Tw itter) , and w eb f orms are rep lacing traditional email. • They enable photo and document sharing but take longer than other solutions to resolve issues / answer questions. • S ocial netw orks – p redominantly F aceb ook – are gaining a grow ing role in customer relations, b ut must b e sustained b y community managers. • Community management is run by either Digital or Customer Relations business units according to company objectives. “When the number of touch points available is multiplied, contact volume increases, with each channel sustaining a specialization”. I ndustry ex pert 6 O ff- site Customer R elationship S tudy | J anuary 2 016