Customer service organizations in the Netherlands pioneering the use of video

Amsterdam, September 13, 2022 – Three-quarters (78%) of customer service reps struggle to balance speed and quality, while a large majority of customers (83%) expect immediate support from service customer of an organization. It is also notable that video is used relatively more often in customer service than the more interactive form of communication via live chat. Finally, the field service appears to be a channel with growing potential. That’s according to the most recent edition of a Salesforce annual report.

The wind strength Service status 2022 report is based on research of over 8,000 customer service professionals in 36 countries, including 250 Dutch people. It provides insight into changes in the role of customer service and new opportunities for businesses.

“Rising customer expectations, the ever-increasing shift to digital service channels and an uncertain economic landscape are fundamentally changing the role of customer service. We see that customer expectations have only increased since the pandemic, but also that good customer service with the right strategy and tactics can be a source of revenue and business growth. says Marko Kiers, Senior RVP B2B Clouds Northern Europe at Salesforce.

Automation helps meet rising customer expectations in an uncertain economy

More than half (60%) of customer service reps see an increase in customer expectations since the pandemic. While 83% of customers expect immediate assistance when contacting an organization’s customer service, 78% of all service agents surveyed say it’s becoming increasingly difficult to balance speed and the quality of their work. Combined with high staff turnover and the current economic uncertainty, this has service teams – and their colleagues in other departments – wondering how to do more with less.

To work more efficiently and save time and money, 74% of Dutch organizations use workflow and process automation. This makes the Netherlands one of the leaders compared to the international average of 58%.

The survey also shows that the Netherlands uses video support in customer service above the international average (74% vs. 66%). However, when it comes to live chat, the Netherlands lags behind (59% vs. 68%).

Field service is growing in popularity across industries

Only 35% of respondents work full time in an office or in a store. On the one hand, this is due to the growing trend towards hybrid working, but on the other hand, the report shows an increase in the power of so-called “field service” – on-site services for customers, for example at their home or office.

“Field service” has long been associated with industries such as energy or utilities, but is gaining popularity in other industries such as professional and business services (e.g. route guidance optimization). route between multiple customers), retail (for grocery or pharmacy suppliers), and even life sciences and biotechnology (for example, for the sale of medical devices).

The report shows that 89% of Dutch service organizations view field service activities as essential to growing their business. It provides an additional channel for customers where the vendor has direct contact with the customer and can leverage that momentum to improve customer satisfaction, as well as up-sell and cross-sell opportunities.

“The field service has really taken off. This offers great opportunities for organizations; Of course, the customer journey often starts digitally, but it’s great if you can then help the customer on the spot or explain how a product works or what promotions are running during delivery. The opportunities are immense. describes Kiers.

* Methodology

Data for the State of Service report comes from a double-blind survey of 8,050 customer service professionals in 36 countries across North America, South America, Europe, Africa and the United States. ‘Asia Pacific. Data was collected between May 6 and June 13, 2022. All respondents are third-party panelists. The countries studied are Argentina, Australia, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Ireland, l Italy, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Philippines, Poland, Singapore, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, Thailand , United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, United States and Vietnam. Cultural biases influence survey results.