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Support teams this year have been faced with more challenges than ever. New AI companies promising to fix all of your issues, shifting customer priorities, and even conflicting messaging from experts. Your support team may have had to be more reactive than proactive than ever in this 2025. But we’re here to help you turn that around. In this blog, we’ll give you 9 tips to make sure you land on top in 2026.

9 tips to prepare your customer support team for a new year

To properly prepare your support teams for 2026, you need to adapt and apply these tips as soon as possible:

new year resolutions for customer service

Find the story behind the numbers

Numbers reflect outcomes, not meaning. Customer data, reviews, and feedback should be treated as clues that reveal deeper narratives. Ticket spikes may look like simple volume issues on the surface, but patterns inside comments or resolution notes often highlight product gaps, unclear documentation, or missing skills on the team. With expectations rising and only 3% of companies considered customer-obsessed today, support leaders need to read between the lines to understand what customers are experiencing. Turning raw metrics into real stories helps anticipate needs before they become complaints.

Evaluate the wins and fails during the year

Each year brings breakthroughs and setbacks, and both matter. Reviewing standout cases, escalations, and repeat issues gives teams a grounded view of what worked, what failed, and why. When analyzed carefully, difficult situations turn into actionable improvements. Teams that revisit their playbooks regularly strengthen their ability to respond with clarity and consistency. This type of reflection is a key part of effective New Year's resolutions for business, because it keeps support operations honest and focused on growth rather than routine.

Analyze trends from experts

Support leaders who stay plugged into industry research and expert insights to make smarter decisions. Trends like omnichannel engagement, deeper personalization, and the growing push for operational efficiency will continue shaping the field. And AI adoption is accelerating. About 79% of companies plan to continue investing in it. Keeping up with these shifts helps support managers position their teams ahead of customer demands instead of reacting to them later.

Take advantage of AI’s real-time analytics and insights

AI no longer sits on the sidelines. It fuels analytics that spot trends instantly, flags customer issues early, and recommends actions that speed up resolutions. These tools help teams personalize interactions at scale and keep quality high even as ticket numbers climb. Despite the progress, only 25% of call centers have successfully integrated AI automation into daily operations. This gap represents an opportunity. When used correctly, automation handles routine tasks so human agents can focus on the conversations that require empathy and judgment.

Set SMART goals based on data

A new year brings a fresh chance to set the direction for the team. SMART goals keep that direction focused. Goals grounded in performance data and customer insights give teams clarity, motivation, and a way to measure progress. Instead of vague targets like “improve satisfaction,” SMART planning looks like “reduce repeat tickets by 15 percent by Q3 through improved documentation and training.” Specific goals empower teams and make success easier to track throughout the year.

Prepare training sessions based on performance and customer feedback

Customer service training should be shaped by real gaps, not assumptions. With 59% of service agents saying they need better training to do their jobs effectively, structured development is no longer optional. Customer feedback reveals skill limitations, knowledge gaps, and communication issues that training must address. McKinsey’s research shows that organizations with highly competent frontline employees can achieve up to a 30 percent lift in customer satisfaction and a 20 percent rise in revenue. Continuous, targeted training builds that level of strength.

Improve the team’s communication and collaboration

No support team can deliver great service while operating in silos. Efficient collaboration depends on shared tools, smooth handoffs, and open communication. When teams work together, problems get solved faster, and the customer sees a single, unified experience instead of fragmented answers. This type of alignment is becoming essential as companies scale service operations and adopt more channels. Better collaboration improves morale too, which plays a major role in long-term performance.

Ask your team how they feel

Burnout remains a major threat to support teams. About 36% of employees report feeling burnt out due to high workloads, understaffing, and a lack of managerial support. Checking in with team members regularly creates space for honest conversation and early intervention. When employees feel valued and heard, engagement rises. And when engagement rises, customer satisfaction follows. A team that feels supported will naturally deliver more thoughtful, more patient, and more human service.

Optimize your workflows with tools and humans collaborating

The strongest support operations pair human judgment with smart systems. Automation handles the repetitive tasks. CRM tools centralize customer information. Knowledge bases deliver instant answers. Humans take on complex conversations where empathy matters most. Workflows that merge both sides reduce friction, shorten resolution times, and improve consistency. This balanced approach is the backbone of most high-performing customer service teams preparing for the year ahead.

The best New Year’s resolutions for customer service teams

Setting New Year's resolutions for customer service helps teams commit to principles that go beyond January. They give proper direction to your teams, empowering them to own initiatives and their responsibilities, rather than go by the day.

The following resolutions align with what customers expect today and what support teams need in order to succeed.

1. Encourage a better customer-centric approach.

Customer centricity should guide every decision. This mindset means listening actively, understanding diverse needs, and shaping solutions around the customer’s experience rather than internal convenience. With 80% of companies planning to increase their investment in customer experience, the teams that prioritize this approach will stand out.

2. Go beyond plain numbers when analyzing.

Metrics matter, but they only tell part of the story. Qualitative insight often holds more value. Comments in surveys, tone in conversations, and feedback on social channels explain the “why” behind the numbers. Teams that blend both data types make better choices and reduce blind spots.

3. Leave department silos behind and work together

Customers never think in departments. They simply want fast and accurate help. Breaking down silos between product, engineering, sales, and support strengthens knowledge sharing and keeps everyone aligned on the full customer journey. This unified approach turns customer service into a strategic asset, not just an isolated function.

4. Enhance customers’ trust with transparency.

Trust grows when information flows clearly. When mistakes happen, transparency matters more than perfection. Customers value honesty, quick updates, and realistic expectations. Transparent service not only fixes problems but also builds long-term loyalty.

5. Use AI ethically and implement it to satisfy the customer.

AI should enhance the human connection, not replace it. Ethical use means protecting privacy, communicating openly about automation, and applying it only where it improves the experience. The goal is to deliver faster help without losing the empathy that customers value.

6. Stay motivated and eager to learn new skills.

Support work evolves fast, and skills must evolve with it. Encouraging certifications, coaching sessions, and skill-building activities prepares teams for new technologies and customer expectations. A learning culture fuels confidence, innovation, and long-term growth.

7. Foster a healthy relationship with the customer.

Every interaction has the potential to strengthen or weaken trust. When teams respond with empathy, ask better questions, and personalize solutions, customers feel understood. This emotional connection increases retention and creates advocates for the brand.

8. Prepare and align expectations early.

Companies should share their annual priorities, product updates, and growth expectations early, so their BPO partner can mirror the needed team structure, capacity, and training.

Clear communication is essential. Joint planning sessions, shared KPIs, and a documented readiness plan ensure both in-house and outsourced teams enter the year aligned and equipped.

Make 2026 your team’s best year yet with Horatio

Preparing for a new year in customer service is not about drafting lofty resolutions and hoping they stick. It is about building habits and systems that make great service repeatable. If you take nothing else from these tips, focus on three outcomes: turn your metrics into meaningful stories, invest in targeted training that reflects real customer needs, and design workflows where humans and tools support each other instead of competing for attention.

Most importantly, do not skip the human check-in. A burned-out team cannot consistently deliver empathetic, high-quality support, no matter how strong the tech stack is. Start the year by listening closely to customers and agents, setting SMART goals you can actually track, and breaking down silos that slow down resolution.

If you want 2026 to feel less reactive, pick two or three tips from this list and implement them in the first 30 days. Momentum beats motivation every time, and the teams that build it early are the ones that stay ahead all year.

Want a partner to help you put these changes into motion? Horatio helps teams scale support with the right mix of people, process, and technology, so you can improve efficiency without losing the human touch. Reach out to Horatio to talk through your 2026 support goals and build a plan that fits your customers, your channels, and your growth targets.