..and finding the sweet spot
Technology is decidedly changing our world for the better. And the pace at which it’s developing is almost hard to keep up with.
It seems as though with every passing year we’ve got a brand new, life-changing software solution that takes the world by storm and becomes a household name. (For 2023, read ChatGPT.)
This technology has transformed the customer experience for businesses by offering advanced automation for traditionally manual tasks. This has seen huge savings in time for staff, increasing internal efficiency and creating a faster, more consistent experience for your customer.
However, there’s a problem. Over-automation. Customers feel unloved, they’re unable to talk to a human and can’t see a way to break through the endless cycle of automated emails or phone calls.
Over-automation: what is it?
As the name suggests, over-automation occurs when organisations focus on automating as much as they possibly can, leading to negative consequences that usually involve a lower-quality customer experience.
This might take a while to discover - as human nature dictates that most people will tolerate a few issues. Over time, they feel they consistently have bad experiences.
However, by this point, it’s often too late to act before your stock is impacted - word spreads, and your valued customers start to get a headache whenever they think of your business.
You’ve got to work hard to earn that trust back.
Remember the last time you wanted to visit the bar to order - but instead, you had to navigate a painful app with no Wi-Fi? Wouldn’t it have been nicer to speak to a member of staff?
Or the last time you had a question for your bank - but your local branch has been closed down. The queue at the nearest branch in the next town was already 10 people long by 9:15 when you arrived.
These are examples of businesses removing people from processes, and replacing them with automated tech. In theory, it works. But in practice, unless it’s done exceptionally well, people get fed up and yearn to speak to a real-live - human!
Tech should help people connect with your business
We believe that technology is a superpower that can help businesses achieve new levels of success and aid continued growth - but it’s important not to lose your customers just because you want to utilise technology.
What you “think” makes things easier may be missing the mark. For example, an automated phone system that sends customers to specialists. Fantastic, right? Unless of course, your customers loathe the idea of sitting through 63 different options to direct their call and have to repeat themselves 3 times before they can even talk to a human.
SPOILER ALERT: most customers don’t like that.
The key to effectively using technology is understanding how you can align your goals and ambitions with your customers.
- What do THEY want when they visit your site or contact you?
- How does this connect with what YOU want from them?
Different organisations have different needs, as do the people they sell to. Automation can help you meet those needs, whilst keeping your customers brimming with positivity.
Your customers can be your most powerful sales channel - removing the personal interactions they value isn’t going to help convince them to shout about you to their friends.
How to discover if you’re over-automating
If you’re over-automating, it’s ok. Those automation processes you’ve invested in may simply be being used wrong. It’s a fine art - but we’re here to help.
What customer testing and feedback have you carried out? Before fixing the problems, you need to find them.
Discovering potential pitfalls in your customer experience will help you understand what customers feel can be improved, then it’s your job to improve them.
Already done customer testing? Great! What are you doing with the results? You may need external support to take a holistic look at the feedback and discover a path forwards. Impartial, unbiased feedback is the best way to implement new changes.
Want to find the Goldilocks solution for your business?
Pivale offers intricate, personalised guidance for organisations that want to utilise technology the right way. This means your company benefits from everything the fast-moving tech world has to offer - but with a commitment to implementing solutions your customers will love, not hate.
It’s a simple process. We identify your problems, create a plan to solve them and bring that plan into reality. Our team is ready to get to work - let’s talk.
