Discover how both humans and technology still play a key role in customer experience.
The greatest technology in the world hasn’t replaced the ultimate relationship-building tool between a customer and a business: the human touch.
I wrote (and tweeted) that quote 10 years ago, and it is just as important today. Maybe even more so.
The best companies have figured out the balance between technology (as in self-service solutions) and the human-to-human touch. My position on this is simple. Technology is great—until it’s not. And when it’s not, at that point, you must provide the customer with a frictionless and seamless move to a live agent for support.
An extreme example of an amazing CX using almost 100% technology
Very few companies can create a customer experience (CX) that is almost 100% driven by technology. I emphasize the word almost because even Amazon, the company known for its easy-to-use digital experience, has human-to-human customer support.
Our customer experience research[1] found that 71% of customers are willing to use self-service solutions. That willingness is conditional based on how simple, intuitive, and convenient the solution is. Amazon has cracked the code on this. It has given 100% control to the customers, who are in charge of their own experience, which can include:
Research
Browsing
Price comparisons
Purchasing
Tracking
Amazon made its solution easy, simple, and convenient. It has created connections with its customers that most companies can only do with a human touch. When you arrive at the website, it greets you, suggests products based on past purchases, informs you of other vendors in the marketplace that have lower prices, emails you a confirmation when an order is placed, sends you an update when your order is shipped, and another to inform you that the order was delivered.
That digital experience is loaded with features, but the biggest benefit is the confidence created when the order is placed.
What happens when you need help or support? They push their digital channels, but you will also find an option to talk to a customer support rep. And to make it easy, rather than calling and waiting on hold, you share your phone number, and they call you—usually in under a minute.
Back to my original statement about customers’ willingness being based on tech that is simple, intuitive, and convenient. If the company can’t provide that experience, the customer will move to the human-to-human connection. While a vast majority of customers are willing to use digital solutions, the phone is still the most popular method of communication, followed by email.
Time: A good reason for technology
Technology typically makes everything faster—and often easier. Investing in the right technology can save a company time. If a customer can find answers to simple questions on a website’s FAQ page, through AI-infused chatbots, digital tutorials, or other self-service methods, it will keep the support lines open for customers with more pressing issues. Agents don’t have to spend (or waste) time dealing with lower-level issues and can focus on caring for customers with bigger problems. This makes agents and customers happy.
Technology also saves the customer time.
When was the last time you called an airline to book a ticket? If you’re like most, today you will go to the airline’s website to book your ticket. You simply put in the dates you want to travel, the airports you want to go to and from, and within seconds you are shown options and prices. You choose what works best for you, pay for it, and receive an email confirmation within moments.
Compare that experience with calling an airline. First, you need the phone number, which will be found on the website, unless you have something called a telephone directory. (Yes, these are still available.) You wait on hold, your call is finally answered, and you share your travel plans with a customer service agent. You hear some clicking in the background as the agent inputs the information. You discuss options, choose one, read the agent your credit card number, usually twice, and eventually finish the transaction. That’s how it was done “back in the day” before the internet.
When it comes to travel, online is just easier and faster. However, if you do have a problem, you go old-school and pick up the phone to get help. The agent is typically there as a backup, not as the primary method of booking a ticket.
The point is that airlines (at least most of them) have perfected the balance: digital first with a human backup. For the small percentage of passengers who want to bypass digital and go directly to an agent, that option is still there for them. The airlines have found a balance, which is a word I emphasize when considering decisions to push customers to digital-first experiences.
So, here’s the question: What’s your version of the airline example? While Amazon is a technology experience to aspire to, the airline experience is closer to what most companies and brands can actually deliver.
Don’t let technology overshadow your customer
I’ve worked with clients who have become so enamored with technology that they forget to put themselves in their customers’ shoes. What looks easy and intuitive from inside a company can be a complicated and daunting endeavor on the outside by the customer.
While it was never intended to put distance between the customer and the company, that can be the result, and even worse is how the customer perceives it.
Then there are companies that make the conscious decision to go 100% digital. Going back to my earlier comment, technology is great until it’s not. Even Amazon, which at first glance looks to be 100% digital, still provides human-to-human support.
The balance between technology and the human touch
Continuing the airline example, Frontier Airlines announced in November that it would no longer have phone support. Everything would be self-service, automated, or chat. It’s been several months, and the jury (as in the public) has returned with less than favorable reviews.
I’ll give credit to Frontier for a bold move, but it may be too soon for adoption by the general public. When you call the customer service number, you hear a recording with options. You also hear a message that states, “At Frontier, we offer the lowest fares in the industry by operating our airline as efficiently as possible.”
It’s easy to book online. It’s easy to check in online. But, what happens when there’s a snowstorm, a mechanical problem, or any other issue that could delay or cancel a trip for a business person en route to an important meeting or a family that has saved up for their dream vacation? I’m all for efficiency if it doesn’t interfere with a good customer experience. I’d like to see Frontier win on this initiative, but for now, its customers are experiencing some pain—as evidenced by the reviews—before it becomes an easy and acceptable solution.
An equal balance
A few years ago, I moved to a new CRM software solution. As a small business, I was concerned about how quickly I would get questions answered and problems resolved. My sales rep asked me to think of the most difficult question I’ve ever had about CRMs. I shared my question, and he said two words: Google it. I did. I opened up Google and asked, “How do I [insert problem] with [insert name of the company] software?
Just a second or two later, I had the answer in the form of a video tutorial. Not only did the company provide a video, but so did other customers, sharing alternative ways to work through the problem.
I then asked my sales rep, “What happens if that doesn’t answer my question?” He gave me the answer I had hoped for. He enthusiastically responded, “Just call our support number, but try using our videos first. They are like having a support agent next to you, giving you step-by-step coaching.”
His answer was in line with the way to balance a customer experience focused on technology. Once again, go digital first but have the human backup ready to step in.
/ The takeaway
Customers are willing and even wanting to use technology. If a company doesn’t have technology built into its customer experience, that can frustrate a customer as much as a company that only provides a technology experience.
Find the right balance for your customer base
Today’s customers—especially the younger generation being brought up on technology—want and expect technology to be part of the customer experience. It’s okay to push your customers in that direction, just know that at some point, even sophisticated and savvy customers could run into a problem. If you want to hold onto that customer, you must offer the human touch. If you don’t, there’s most likely a competitor that will.
Now that you have the knowledge, get the tools.
Our Customer Experience Buyer’s Guide can answer even more questions about finding the right customer experience software for your business as well as what to consider before making a final decision.