Human And Machine Does Not Equal Human Or Machine
In the ever-changing customer service industry, the advances in technology and automation do not replace the consumers' preference for human interaction, yet strengthen and add value to the quality of the exchange. Although people engage with apps, self-service checkouts and websites, the second something goes wrong within the journey, they want and need the understanding of a human to help.
Leverage automation and make sure your customers can reach a human when one is needed. Automated solutions should learn from human interactions so customer experiences improve. This approach allows your employees to be more engaged when they're needed, provide better service and use technology as a compliment to a seamless experience. Automation is a vital tool for the human agent, providing the full picture of the customer prior to their interaction. This gives them the ability to solve a problem before it is known, eliminating any friction on the customer journey, and enhancing the experience for both the agent and the customer.
CX centered Around the No-Brainers
The price premiums consumers are willing to pay add up for companies who implement a customer experience designed to exceed expectations, optimizing the best elements of people, technology and service. It is important to change your customer experience goals to reflect what actually matters to customers.
When customers feel appreciated, companies realize the benefits in loyalty and increased sales. Now more than ever, customers want more from their brands, and while their journey is not always linear or predictable, they expect you to meet their needs on all channels. Regardless of the technology that they choose to use, a customer needs to feel a formed relationship with the brands that they do business with.
Automation as a tool for success
According to PWC, only 47% of executives say they understand clearly how robotics and AI will improve customer experience. Smooth, consistent transitions from machine to human are crucial. Consumers now more than ever show loyalty to the retailers, brands and platforms that provide exceptional value and variety with minimum friction or stress.
Customer satisfaction increases when using these tools to provide seamless interactions and consistent experiences across platforms and in person. Great customer experience minimizes friction, maximizes speed and efficiency and maintains a human element embedded within the automation or AI. It leaves consumers feeling heard, seen and appreciated and has a tangible impact that can be measured.
Human interaction as the premium CX
Customers appreciate the speed and convenience of automation and robotics. While the high-volume administrative and low-complexity tasks are switching over to automated tools, the comfort and engagement of human interaction still makes customers feel valued and important.
At the end of the day, customers are humans and relate best to other humans, which is why you need the best talent and training for your brand ambassadors to make a real impact. While advancement in technology is necessary, high-touch service still requires a relationship between a service professional and the customers they serve.
Humanizing brands
Today, 59% of all consumers feel companies have lost touch with the human element of customer experience. Human touch is creating real connections by implementing the right technology that a human agent can leverage to create better customer experiences. According to Nielsen, we trust friends and family members’ recommendations 92% of the time. We trust advertising from companies 47% of the time. We naturally trust humans more than companies and organizations. By humanizing a brand we are aligning the best talent and most up to date technology to ensure the most seamless, convenient end-to-end experience for your customers.
