Migrating Customer Service Online a Top 2021 Priority, Gartner Finds

Transitioning to self-service online channels and bolstering the enterprise’s digital capabilities are the top strategic priorities for customer service and support leaders in 2021, reported Gartner Thursday. It canvassed 80 customer service and support executives in October and November from business-to-business and business-to-consumer organizations to gauge their 2021 priorities, based on "the changes and challenges they encountered in 2020,” finding upgrading “legacy” contact center technology the key priority for 79%. Establishing a permanent work-from-home program was a top priority for 57% of those polled, said Gartner. “Although 2020 challenged the operations and strategy of many service and support leaders, the focus on developing a greater digital and self-service product in 2021 remained consistent,” said analyst Jacob Joseph-David. “To deliver on this digital promise, service leaders must progress beyond adding new channels and capabilities to making the functional transformation into a self-service-dominant organization.”