Technological disruption of customer-service functions is inevitable in Asia Pacific, where executives believe an on-demand model will be a defining factor of successful companies, according to a new report from The Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU).
The report, Service on-demand: The future of customer service sponsored by Genesys, is based on a survey of 200 corporate executives and 75 third-party providers of customer-service products in Asia Pacific.
The report finds that only 35% of providers believe customer service is ripe for disruption. This is despite the fact that only 12% call their own company’s overall offering and channels “very successful.” Indeed, 45% say they are, at best, “neither successful nor unsuccessful.”
Yet nine-in-ten corporate executives involved in procuring service platforms for their firms say customer service is an important investment priority for their companies. Four-fifths say that their organization will invest in an on-demand offering if it becomes available in their industry.
The different in perspectives means that if and when the Uber or AirBnb of the customer-service industry emerges, eager buyers are prepared to flock to it, while incumbent customer-service platforms may struggle to adapt to new mindsets and business models.
Charles Ross, the editor of the report, said: “There’s no way to predict disruption, but if customer-service providers don’t get serious about it, they may miss the on-demand wave that most of their customers predict will be fundamental to their industry in the years to come.”
