Optimizing customer service will be driven by AI and collaboration, Salesforce says [Portfolio]

The future of exceptional customer service will be a united front powered by artificial intelligence.

That’s the theme of Saleforce’s Second Annual State of Service Report, which surveyed more than 2,600 customer service professionals worldwide to better understand how smart technologies are affecting service protocols and how service leaders are responding to customer expectations.

For example, the report found that 64 per cent of consumers and 80 per cent of business buyers expect companies to respond in real time.

Read my full article on ITBusiness.ca.

Salesforce outlines 4 ways brands can thrill the connected customer [Portfolio]

New research puts customers in the driver’s seat when it comes to determining which companies lead in the digital age.

According to a new Salesforce.com report, “The State of the Connected Customer,” 62 per cent of Canadians agree technology is redefining their behavior as a consumer, and 61 per cent feel significantly more empowered than they did five years ago.

They also expect businesses to quickly adapt to these changing preferences, otherwise they’ll simply switch brands: According to the report, 69 per cent of consumers agree technology makes it easier than ever before to take their business elsewhere because it empowers them to research, browse, and purchase wherever they are and whenever they want.