Role of Technology in Amplifying Customer Services
Undoubtedly, technology has always been the prime mover behind the progress of this human civilization. Thankfully, you don't have to re-invent the wheel for branding the unparalleled power of it. Similarly, the role of technology in amplifying customer service is not undeniable. Before we move to the focal point of this article we need to answer a simple question.
In this digitally smart age, how we define a customer today? A mere consumer?
Nope. Today's smart analytics systems define a customer through his buying pattern, social activities on popular social media platforms, interests, online searches, food patterns and others.
And technologies play an important role in amplify customer service. Below are points that will help you to understand the whole picture in an organized way.
Technology helps to improve customer experience and improve customer loyalty.
Harvard business review says that- ‘we’ve found that organizations able to skillfully manage the entire experience reap enormous rewards.’
So, what is the key metric to improve customer experience? Evidently, it's the proper communication with the right context which should be always ready for the customer's activities. Today, every marketer knows that their customers are a phone call away. Added to that, e-mails, onsite chatting services, social media are redefining the level of real-time communication.
50 years ago instant communication was a virtual concept. Now, customer experience depends on these tech factors and it's not hard to understand that a good customer experience breeds customer loyalty.
Technology has made payment and refund policy easier, which is very important.
Gone are those days where people used to carry loads of cash to their favorite shopping places for payment. Technology has made most of the payment systems that we use every day, cashless.
According to Epam, an American carries as much as $20 with them daily. Moreover, 10% American don't even bother to carry any cash with them. The most interesting part of the story is No, as they have predicted, fewer than 25% of all in-store purchases will be cash based.
So, here's the idea. Most of the finger happy next-gen, who are a single tap away from buying their wishes, will not care about old school and lengthy cash dealings as this are the age of seamless electronic payments. Technology has made modern payment and refund system simple, transparent and instantaneous through the web.
Admittedly, customer's trust greatly depends on these tech factors and probably, this is the cardinal reason behind every user's thinking that e-commerce stores are safe heaven regarding this neo-modern payment and refund system.
Advanced features like live chat can help increase the interaction with customer.
Business is all about making a healthy relationship with customers and it greatly depends on instant communications. ‘User interaction’ is the linchpin here in this case.
Since the advent of www2.0, the web has become awfully interactive with us and the same thing happened with marketing too. That's why marketers like to brand modern marketing as 'interactive marketing’.
Most of the e-commerce stores and other online business offer advanced services to their customers like 24*7 online customer support, online problem docketing, live chat tools and other similar ones. It's statistically proven that those companies are getting ahead in building a large user base that are employing these advanced techniques to offer a superior level of service to their valued customers.
Technology enables you to keep your customers updated and engaged.
I bet, right now you are thinking about various aspects of user engagement. Visually brilliant landing pages, stellar display of product features, push notifications, deep linking and so on. You are right. These are the proven techniques to increase user engagement.
Let's consider that, you want your customers to stay updated, in a continuous manner, with your product. What's the first thing comes to your mind? Let me tell you, it's the medium of the communication or publication as you want to reach as many users as you can. If you fail to do that, the very purpose of the product update will get defeated. Right?
So, the best way to do this? Obviously, the best way to execute is through your website as you know that most of your users are hooked to web 24*7*365. So, if you publish your product update on the web it will penetrate most of them.
We do live in a connected world now where internet is the lifeline
Today, a morning Alarm goes off early if there is a traffic jam on the way to the office. Even my smart container smiles at me with a slashing tone that I have forgot to take my morning pill. Admittedly, we act like honest pets to our smart devices which govern our daily lives.
So, the role of technology in amplifying customer service is not a unknown one both to the marketers and users. Technology is only here to shape future possibilities, turn fictions into tangible facts and to communicate people with the opportunities as we all live in a connected world. Aren't we?
So, what's your take on this? Please, do enlighten us with your valuable visions.