Customer care is the backbone of any thriving service-based industry. While the fabric of this has changed significantly over the last 25 years, primarily due to the rise of the internet, that’s not to say that the foundation and ethos of high-quality customer service have changed simply because we are glued to our phones in the modern age.
Adjusting to the new digital landscape
It’s challenging to pinpoint customer service and customer care’s exact direction over the next 20 years. However, it’s fair to say that they will still rely on a digital-first approach. We’ve seen this take shape over the last quarter of a century, and with digital marketing, social media and online presence all playing an enormous role in the visibility and size of modern corporations, it’s impossible to see how all of this could regress to a more traditional model.
There’s also no dispute that the rise of the internet has meant that almost every industry has had to adjust to a change in consumer appetite. Whenever such a change is thrust upon business, leaders must scramble and improvise, and ultimately look to adapt to this change in paradigm quicker than their competition.
Those that do stand a fantastic chance of getting ahead, but that’s not to say that amid this commotion, there haven’t been lessons to learn. In the world of casino gaming, given the speed of its rise, the number of innovations and the size of the global market, these lessons have stemmed from mistakes that brands have made in full view of the global market. Although this can be unforgiving, it teaches new providers not to repeat the same errors.
Do brands underestimate the importance of customer opinion?
New online casinos will do their utmost to cater to the broadest range of customer service options available. Whether via DM on social media, a 24/7 phone line or an AI chatbot, the most crucial element of customer care is being able to match customers’ needs promptly.
It’s fair to say that many online casinos recently launched have picked up on the mistakes that other brands have made. However, it’s also fair to say that some new online casinos still underestimate the importance of customer care, which can be a fatal flaw in such an unforgiving and fast-moving industry.
For those of us who have worked in customer service, like I have, and those who view customer service from a neutral perspective, it’s ridiculous to suggest that the customer is always right. How can somebody who doesn’t work for a company know more about a company or service than you do? While it might be a funny point of conversation during a lunch break to discuss the most unreasonable customers you have encountered, there’s also a call for brands to become a little less formal.
For instance, the Ryanair approach has been a hugely positive, informal and humorous way to respond to customers. It’s taken off some of the corporate edge from the internationally successful budget airline.
In the US, where the idea of sarcasm when responding to a customer could result in a far more abrasive response, Ryanair has perfected it, highlighting that an informal social media-driven approach to customer service could be the future, rather than toeing the company line with robotic, PR-managed statements.
How does the future of customer care shape up for online casinos?
While some online casinos believe they must prioritize the customer experience, many customers, including myself, believe that simply getting the job done as efficiently as possible and having a range of customer service avenues available is good enough.
Online casinos are all about the breadth of gaming selections, the quality and security of a casino platform, and the range of available payment options. Sure, customer service plays a part in this, but as long as a brand is easy to contact, and addresses the issue quickly and professionally, these are really the main boxes they need to tick.
In fact, you could argue that the strength of an online casino is a site or mobile app that is so well designed that you don’t need to discuss anything with their customer care team.
The rise of AI in customer care
The next couple of decades will inevitably see the rise of AI in customer service, which could negatively impact the industry’s authenticity. However, if it’s done smoothly enough and addresses customer concerns just as conveniently as a human, then history will determine that technology will triumph.
Most of us will only ever need to speak at any length to a customer service team when we have a significant issue with our casino account, a withdrawal or a deposit. If AI can fix this just as well as humans, the writing could be on the wall for large numbers of the casino industry’s customer care sector.
Conclusion
Availability, convenience and authenticity are the three rules for strong customer service in the casino industry. These are also things you could apply to the broader service industry. Initially, online casinos that struggled from a customer care perspective were often stuck with manning expensive phone lines, high call volumes and extended email response times.
Although some brands still suffer from these issues, those that have learned from their predecessors’ mistakes are shaping the outlook for customer care over the next couple of decades. AI will be the next disruptive innovation that will transform customer care.
However, if customers protest that humans are being sidelined, this could have a collectively more negative impact on a brand, so there are still plenty of things to consider regarding the future of customer care.
