After a full year of “Stepping Up Service” episodes wrapped up for 2013, it’s time to start looking into the future… what are the trends we see for the Customer Service world in 2014? Ed shares his predictions with Alan, as they talk about the potential shift to a more holistic, face-to-face customer service world, and how “big data” may be a bit overplayed. Plus, what is an “octopod”? Alan and Ed also share their Customer Service Story of the Month at the end of the episode.

Ed Gagnon is the President of Customer Service Solutions, helping organizations develop long-term relationships with their clients and partnering with them to meet their core customer service needs. Learn more about Customer Service Solutions at www.cssamerica.com.

Alan Jackson is President of The Jackson Group, a survey and consulting firm specializing in employee engagement surveys, patient satisfaction surveys, market research studies and leadership development. Learn more about The Jackson Group at www.thejacksongroup.com.