DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION
How can this company turn a profit when a customer in New York City gets free delivery of toilet paper or a tub of ice cream within an hour ? Have you ever had a problem with an item order : and it just simply sent you a new one without asking you to return the other item ?
Of course , Amazon , and other companies that follow similar practices , are looking at the long-term value of the customer . They understand that customer loyalty over time will significantly balance in their favor .
In spite of all these emerging flawless automated digital processes , there are always instances where customers will need help from another human .
Many products will require installation help , maintenance , or repairs . There is a delicate balance to managing CX during these occasions ; the way in which companies handle these experiences will ultimately have direct links to customer retention and brand loyalty .
Looking at the market needs , challenges , and research on customer preferences and expectations , there are three key ways for companies to improve their CX .
All of them leverage different technologies to provide a more cohesive and frictionless experience while taking into account economies of scale .
In the end , fixing or improving these areas will help organizations save money through operational efficiency : while delighting customers with experiences that fuel loyalty and trust .
1 . BUILD A SEAMLESS , CONTINU- OUS USER EXPERIENCE .
Channel switching from self-service to live agent interaction has been proven by multiple studies to be the leading factor in increasing customer effort and frustration , resulting in lower customer satisfaction .
Needing to repeat information , interacting a second time , experiencing generic service , a lack of self-service options , or exerting additional mental effort to resolve an issue are all examples of high-effort customer dissatisfaction .
Survey data from TechSee ’ s State of the Service Report shows that in 2022 , 95 % of customers had to repeat themselves when contacting customer service .
Customer effort in omnichannel service flows is high . 45 % of customers have to repeat themselves every time they are transferred across channels ( e . g ., chatbot to agent ) or between agents .
THE EASIEST WAY TO EXPLAIN OR UNDERSTAND AN ISSUE IS OFTEN SEEING IT IN A PICTURE ...
Companies must aim for a seamless contextual transfer of data between self-service , live remote service , and field service interactions .
To achieve these successfully , the full omnichannel journey must be taken into account . And visual data can play a huge role in making this happen .
Imagine if your contact center agent has a visual record of images or videos taken by field agents . This ability could make an upcoming phone interaction much more efficient and wouldn ’ t require a frustrated customer to repeat information .
Also , what if your live agent could see the self-service solution a customer tried before as they pick up the phone ? What if their colleague could see the visuals shared on the previous call ? And finally , what if the field agent had access to all the visual records before walking into the customer ' s house ?
Access to contextual visual data provides the missing link needed to make interactions more efficient and effective . Delivering continuity within channels will significantly drive improved customer satisfaction and agent performance scores .
2 . EMBRACE COMPUTER VISION AND MULTI-SENSORY AI .
Mainstream adoption of smartphones means customers communicate with hundreds or even thousands of videos and pictures every day .
The easiest way to explain or understand an issue is often seeing it in a picture , video , or even with an added layer of AR which provides guidance .
In fact , the State of the Service report revealed that customers strongly prefer visual guidance over verbal or textual instruction . 20 % more customers stated they would rather receive visual instructions than textual instructions and 48 % more customers prefer visual compared to verbal instructions .
The computer vision revolution is here . Its application to enhance the overall CX will be key going forward . Human beings are visual ; pictures do tell us a thousand ( if not more ) words .
What ’ s more , the integration of Computer Vision AI ( artificial intelligence ) and Conversational AI brings new ways to empower organizations to offer full service automation through a new breed of multi-sensory AI across all digital channels including voice , chat , image , and video .
While there may be a reluctance to embrace emerging technologies , companies need to understand that it is not about dropping traditional communication channels . Instead , it is giving them a major upgrade with an added visual layer to capture crucial customer data to help inform every interaction .
Imagine how much time , energy , and money can be saved if a remote customer agent or field technician is able to see an image or video taken by the customer . Thereby eliminating the need for an in-person visit . Customers want their issues to be solved as fast and simply as possible . If this can be achieved remotely , instantly , and autonomously it significantly improves the overall CX .
FEBRUARY 2024 45