The field of customer service is a constantly evolving one, particularly as technology advances continue to come at a fast and furious pace. While this can present new opportunities for companies in terms of their customer service, it can also create new challenges that must be overcome. Check out these five challenges currently facing companies on the quest for top-rated customer service departments.

Unresponsive Social MediaMore and more customers are turning to social media avenues like Facebook and Twitter today to ask businesses questions or voice complaints. Companies that continue to be unresponsive on social media may find themselves at a distinct disadvantage in the service realm. Businesses are learning they now require designated employees to monitor social media and respond to customer messages.

Phone Calls from HellAs technology advances, customers are becoming less and less patient with the phone calls to customer service hell. These might be defined as the interminable hold (complete with elevator music), bouncing from one employee to the next and the completely unnavigable menu system. Now is the time to streamline your phone options to make the process easier, faster and more convenient for your customers.

More Customer ChoicesCustomers now want more choices in how they contact a company. While old-fashioned phone calls are still often preferred, busy customers also want to look to email, live chat and social media to get their issues resolved. Companies interested in catering to all their customers will need to incorporate as many of these options as possible in their customer service department. In addition to providing more channels, customers want those channels to be as seamless as possible. That means when a customer switches from live chat to a phone call, he expects the person on the other end of the line to have all the same information as the one he was talking to online.

Digital CapabilityDigital technology overall is becoming essential to any customer service department. From  social media to mobile apps, customers want to be able to business with you from any device and location. In addition to making these digital channels available, companies must find ways to raise the service bar from a wide range of venues. Customer service takes on a whole new definition in the realm of these venues.

Data Collection and AnalyticsEvaluating your customer service today involves big data – a flurry of information that must be categorized and analyzed in the most efficient and useful way. Big data consists of both structured and unstructured data, which adds to the challenge of finding ways to organize the information into a usable format. However, companies that learn to use big data to their advantage will be in the best position to adapt their customer service options to the ever-changing needs and demands of their customer base.

There is no doubt this is the era of unique challenges for customer service departments. Technology has given birth to changing expectations from customers – expectations that must be met if companies want to maintain their loyal customer base. The good news is these challenges also bring opportunities for companies to surprise and delight their customers in exciting and innovative ways in 2014.

by Madauda Hannah