Home > Outsourcing news > The history of customer service

The history of customer service

22 February 2021

Did you know that trade already existed even in the prehistoric period? As trade and marketing continued to evolve, former merchants were already aware of how to handle customers to hold them back.

If you could have seen how consumers from the past made an effort to visit the store and inform product owners about their concerns in the goods they bought, how difficult it was for them to look for transportation that was very scarce during that time, customers of this generation would certainly be grateful because of the convenience and availability that outsourced customer support provides them.

Due to the outsourcing of customer service for e-commerce companies nowadays, many business owners offer the best customer care to retain customers and secure loyalty. Consumers enjoy the satisfaction and convenience of modern technology to extend their problems to product owners. They do not have to visit the company in person to inform them of their problems and problems. In addition to telephone, there are already several channels to choose from, such as email, live chat, social media platforms, and many more.

Let’s go back to the past and discover how customer service began and developed. Up to this time, it is easy to set up a customer service team with the help of outsourced customer service.

  • In 1876, “customer service officially began” by telephone when Alexander Graham Bell invented the telephone. Customer service took a high level because customers do not need long journeys to get to the stores and report their concerns such as repairs, product changes, or even for product information.
  • After the invention of the telephone, it was considered a rare commodity due to selective technology. But with the help of the switchboard that was invented in 1894, customers could directly contact shops and companies.
  • “Call center” did not exist until the 1960s. Due to new technology and growth in the business industry, they are setting up a call center to achieve efficiency in serving customers. This is where a large number of telephone operators handle customer inquiries in one place.
  • In 1962, Touch-Tone Dialing was developed. It is a new technology where computers can recognize and respond to sounds produced by dial-up. Then the toll-free 1-800 number was created in 1967. This makes it possible for customers to call a specific number without having contact with an operator.
  • Interactive Voice Response (IVR) technology increased in the 1970s. But IVR’s complexity was expensive to automate tasks in call centers.
  • The Internet, which could be considered by many to be the “largest since sliced ​​bread”, was introduced to the world. Since then, online customer service has begun and continues to grow until now.
  • “Customer Service Week” was declared by former US President George W. Bush during the first week of October 1992. In 1996, email and live chat were some of the best methods of communication between customers and businesses due to the development of the Internet. and good options for phones. When the twenty-first century began, the number of companies implementing customer support software grew.
  • Social media started to grow and grow in 2008. Many outsourcing companies took advantage of it. Most customer-oriented companies have started using social media platforms such as Facebook and Twitter to connect with their customers. It was also in the late 2000s when support for the remote desktop was developed. This enabled customers not only to receive support from contact center agents but also to co-browse and personally execute their proposed actions.

At present, the development of customer service is unstoppable. Outsourcing customer service is one of the results of modern technology. The number of companies that have tried this effective business strategy is increasing. They can provide good customer care for their consumers without spending too much.

Outsourcing customer service is best done through OnlineFactory.

BE PART OF OUUR GROWING FAMILY!
Contact us form En

Contact us form En