Delivering quality in an age of digital transformation
We as customers are changing
Our expectations of real time product and service provision has never been higher due to on demand, personalised offerings. This effects most industries and sectors, with everything available at a customer’s fingertips. So how are organisations now seeking to differentiate themselves? Reputation and security will no longer do this. Customers are now hugely discerning about user experience and real time personalised service.
Quality service drives loyalty. Customers recognise the interaction they have with their product or service provider as more important than the related product/service fees. In addition, poor service is seen as a greater negative influence than a poor product.
With a significant amount of business now done digitally, customers expect ease of access, with mobile becoming increasingly significant. This requires mobile technology to be as user friendly as either face to face or online.
This has led to a strategic focus on multi-channel offerings providing a seamless mix of digital and face to face services.
The challenge therefore is how can the business-world get the right balance to maintain and enhance customer service in a way which best utiises new (and old) technologies at every point in a customer’s journey. To do this organisations need to understand a customers buying behaviour, the communication and service channels they use and the service requests they make.
There is an interesting dichotomy coming to the fore regarding data. Customers have historically, and still do, value data security, and this remains key to organisations building trust. However, how customers view their own data is changing, where they will now in effect exchange their data for tailored advice. Customers are looking for broader support, as they now want to help design their own experiences.
Accenture identified that customers now know the value of their data and will exchange it for customised benefit. Providers who offer increasing value for this data have the opportunity to build stronger customer loyalty and trust.
Digital platforms therefore need to be able to pool, recognise and provide data on request, in real time, whenever a customer requests it.
What new applications and technologies are helping organisations deliver the above now, and what is on the near horizon?
Big data and technologies are enabling personalised communication between service provider and customer. For example, ‘co-browsing’ allows providers to navigate alongside customers on web or mobile.
Research by Forbes shows that ‘interactions that include co-browsing, allowing the agent permission to view and interact with their customer’s web browser in real time, lead to customer satisfaction rates more than six points higher than the average’.
Consider how organisations will (and in certain cases already do) conduct conversations:
We now have ‘Chatbots’; - computer programmes that have conversations with customers through a messaging interface.
These will become increasingly powered by AI, which will help them answer queries and send personalised messages.
When an organisation’s system analyses the customer interaction, the chatbot will be able to progress the customer experience from there. They are recognised as becoming central to customer service delivery.
Bank of America already has a chatbot capable of handling all customer queries. With analytics predicting customer requirements, the chatbot can predict customer needs and help them process these in a way which will be cost effective for both parties.
IBM stated that 265 billion customer requests are recorded per year, totalling over £1trillion. They predict that using chatbots could save up to 30% of the cost.
In addition, Oracle found that 80% of businesses they surveyed stated that they expect to serve customers via chatbots in 2020.
Messaging app’s and ‘live chat’ are also on the increase. For example, these can integrate with 3rd parties to give customers access to a broader range of offerings, straight from their messaging window.
It is clear that much is changing in customer taste, expectation, and behaviour.
industry has recognised that they must respond in kind, finding a blend of upholding the best of traditions, whilst delivering these within a framework of high tech, accessibility, and personalization.
Questions to consider:
How can you ensure you are fully aware of the technologies being introduced into your environment?
What preferences do you have when accessing products / services, and how can you relate this to your role and your customers?
Consider your role in the new age of digitalisation. How will it impact how you need to be to deliver great customer service?
How can you build trust and loyalty with your customers through everyday interactions, and how does the rise of online delivery impact this?
What digital developments are your organisation making for the future or that are already in place?
We have seen above, when customer service excellence and digitalisation of systems and processes find a successful blend, we have a customer service provision that is both personal and remote to suit, instant and yet thoughtful, and both reactive and proactive when required.
The opportunities are significant.