The Biggest Service Shake-Up Since 2020 Is Coming in 2025 – Will You Be Ready?

2025 isn’t a year to “wait and see.” It’s a year to “step in and lead.”

I predict a year of seismic shifts in the world of customer service. If you’re not ready to adapt, you’ll be left behind.

With increasing suffering, financial hardship, and mental health challenges affecting people globally, we will expect—and deeply appreciate—more “pleases,” “thank yous,” smiles, and courteous behaviours as a baseline.

Customers will want more of:

Empathy on Demand: Customers will crave deeper human connection. While automation will still handle simple queries, for more nuanced issues, they’ll demand emotionally intelligent, human-to-human interactions.

Employees must do more of:

Mastering Soft Skills: With automation managing technical tasks, employees must lean into empathy, adaptability, and interpersonal skills. Listening will be the ultimate superpower.

Shifting from Transactional to Relational Service: Serving customers is no longer enough. Employees must “be willing to serve” with presence, authenticity, and care.

Employees must do less of:

Rushing Through Interactions: Customers are tired of being “processed.” Employees need to slow down and focus on creating quality moments of connection.

If you’re still managing service like it’s 2020, you’re already behind. Listen to your customers, train your people, and lead with heart. The world doesn’t need more service transactions—it needs service transformation.

Ready or not, the future of customer service is here. I’m so excited for what’s ahead, and at ServiceQ, we’re ready. These are exciting times, and we exist exactly for moments like these.