trends for customer service jobs in 2024.

Like many job sectors across Canada, new technological developments heavily influence customer service jobs.

Customers have high expectations and limited patience, so companies must be prepared to deliver fast, flexible, individualized service.

In response, businesses employ AI-driven chatbots and social media tools to offer rapid answers. Data also plays a key role in developing targeted, hyper-personalized service options.

As companies embrace new technologies, they need employees who can easily navigate billing and CRM programs.

Companies are also searching for bilingual customer service employees who can improve the customer experience with excellent written communication and comprehension.

People looking for jobs in customer service need advanced selling and support skills to navigate the now-permanent shift to remote work. 

Keep reading to learn more about the trends impacting customer service and call centre jobs in 2024.

customer service job trends in canada

Recent research predicts that an additional 11,300 customer service jobs in Canada will be added to the market between 2019 and 2028, but only 10,600 skilled job seekers will fill these roles.

This statistic shows a moderate labour shortage of 700 skilled workers in customer service.

While this shortage level certainly isn’t as alarming as in some industries, it will still create a highly competitive job market, making it difficult for employers to hire skilled workers for the jobs in customer service they currently have open.

Employers must take steps now to build effective hiring solutions to attract and retain top talent in customer service and support representatives.

To do so, you must stay on top of the call centre job trends below.

remote work is here to stay

Both customer service employees and employers are ready to make the shift to remote call centres a permanent fixture in the industry.

After all, Canadian companies have invested heavily in remote technology infrastructures over the past few years, benefitting call centre agents and support representatives. 

They’ve also spent time and money preparing their customer service agents to serve customers remotely and are unwilling to let that investment go to waste.

Customer support employees are benefiting from the shift, too. They love the flexibility, work-life balance and cost savings of working from home.

As supply chain disruptions persist globally, the demand for excellent customer service is higher than ever. The current labour shortage intensifies the need.

Considering that 36.9% of all businesses in Canada are facing hiring challenges, companies are more likely to offer remote work as a perk to attract top candidates. 

personalization is a must

Customer support jobs have always been about identifying and understanding the customer.

Whether it’s helping with their shopping needs, addressing concerns or fixing billing errors, a customer agent’s top priority is meeting their needs with excellent written communication and comprehension.

Today, the push to please the customer has gone one step further by providing a level of personalization from support representatives.

From enabling consumers to select from multiple communication tools to address the customers by name, customer centre agents must be able to provide a holistic, multichannel experience that addresses each customer's unique needs.

The good news is that this high level of personalization is made possible through advanced digital technology, such as CRM platforms.

However, it also requires customer service agents to have the skills and knowledge to connect with the customer and possess the necessary digital skills to assess the data they need quickly.

mobile-first customer service & self-service

With more shoppers opting to use their mobile devices when connecting with customer service, businesses have taken great strides in recent years to improve the mobile experience for customers.

To meet this increasing demand, companies must seek customer support representatives with the digital skills necessary to ensure a seamless customer experience, whether connecting with a laptop or mobile device.

Although the use of mobile is up, gone are the gays of phone calls to reaching out to a customer support agent. Self-service is customers' first choice.

The development of self-service allows companies to provide online support to their customers without requiring interaction with a company support representative. The most common types of customer self-service include FAQs, knowledge base and online discussion forums.

advancement of digital technology and AI

Digital technology and AI software have helped alleviate some pressure put on call centre agents by enabling customers to use self-service tools, including chatbots, to assist with minor tasks, such as finding products, requesting a return or making an online payment.

This technology allows customers to complete these tasks without any form of human contact.

This technology certainly helps to reduce the number of calls coming into the call centre and has led to more self-services, as we’ve seen above.

However, it also means that the calls that make it through will likely involve more complex issues requiring skilled call center agents. 

This factor means that employers must build robust hiring strategies that enable them to attract and retain top talent.

real-time customer solutions

As technology advances, customers now expect real-time solutions.

To keep customers happy, businesses must be prepared to offer instant customer support across a wide range of time zones.

Live chat and self-service options satisfy some users, but companies also invest in systems such as face-to-face video support. 

These personal interactions can humanize a brand, which may help satisfy customers who’ve escalated beyond AI-driven options.

Another way businesses can create a speedy and positive experience is by using a centralized service hub. These systems manage questions and customer service tickets so agents can see the history and provide fast, personalized solutions.

rise of social media

Social media outlets, such as Facebook, Instagram, and X, formally known as Twitter, are becoming one of the most popular methods for consumers to reach out to companies.

In fact, studies suggest that almost half of the businesses surveyed state that they have customer support agents responding to customer queries through social media.

Since social media is a public forum, this level of customer service requires more than just standard customer support skills.

Instead, it incorporates public relations, marketing, and brand reputation elements. Customer service representatives who manage social media queries must be highly skilled in all relevant areas.

Customer service is critical to customer satisfaction for companies managing ongoing supply challenges.

As you prepare your business, find out how to hire customer service talent you can count on.

If you’re considering bringing in short-term workers to meet the demand, it’s important to understand the ins and outs of hiring temporary customer service staff.

As the customer service sector evolves, keep your company at the forefront by signing up to receive our insights and resources before anyone else. While you’re at it, subscribe to our LinkedIn for real-time updates about the labour market in Canada.