We’ve seen the major technology companies like Google, Apple, and Microsoft invest hundreds of billions of dollars into developing machine-learning software to improve everything from the photos we take with our smartphones to how personal assistants transcribe text-to-speech. There’s also been a mad scramble for across all industries to adopt automation tools like AI and chatbots in recent years, especially as a means to streamline customer service operations. However, the heavy reliance on these technologies, particularly the AI and chatbots, has backfired for some, as it has led to a decline in overall customer satisfaction and loyalty.
While AI has the potential to enhance efficiency, the absence of a human touch is actually driving many customers to the competition. It is therefore crucial that businesses find a balance between leveraging these technologies while also maintaining humanity in their customer experience. Let’s talk about how:
Alienation
We must first recognize that fully automated systems can alienate customers who value human interaction. As mentioned in a recent Forbes article, titled Companies Are Failing at Customer Experience, New Study Shows, “The market study by CCW Digital and Customer Management Practice asked 530 adult American consumers about their sentiments, preferences and purchasing habits. It revealed an alarming trend—a mere 7% of customers believe their service interactions improved recently, while 55% say experiences worsened.”
Customers often find chatbots to be more of a hindrance than a help, as these technologies are not only impersonal and inefficient, they often gatekeep the customer’s ability to even reach a person who can better understand what they need. This fact highlights the importance of maintaining human touchpoints all throughout your business rather than hoping a computer program can handle everything.
Morale
Moreover, excessive use of automation can impact your staff morale negatively, making them feel undervalued and under the threat of being replaced. This leads to employee disengagement, which in turn further sours the service quality they deliver. When your employees are demotivated, their interactions with your customers will inevitably suffer, serving to further diminish the overall customer experience.
Instead, businesses should look to use technologies like AI as tools to support and enhance agent capabilities rather than replace them. This approach can vastly improve morale, as it makes employees’ lives easier and empowers them to execute their jobs better. This is an especially great way to filter out the kind of mistakes AI is liable to make, thereby saving the customers from frustration. Best of all, you keep an empathetic face for the customer to connect with, which will further strengthen their loyalty.
Implementation
Automation should be used strategically to genuinely save customers time and effort, not merely cut down on your payroll by replacing your employees. Properly implemented, AI can streamline your sales and service processes to offer quick resolutions—but critically, they must not act as barriers to reaching human agents. If you do opt to use tools like chatbots, be sure to make escalating to an employee easy. Allow technology to be a convenience option rather than a moat to keep customers from accessing the help they need.
Remember, these technologies do hold great potential for enhancing the customer experience if you’re thoughtful about how you implement them in your business. Don’t fall into the trap of over-reliance that many have recently, as you should never forget that the absence of a human touch can easily drive customers away or sabotage your employee morale. It’s just not worth it in the long run.
The Brandt Group is here to help you fine tune your business’s customer experience. Whether you’ve embraced automation, are starting to think about implementing it, or have very little interest in doing so at all, we’re here to help get the most out of your employees regardless of your choice. They are the humanity in your company, and their training and development is what will power your long-term success and win your customers’ lasting loyalty.
Drop us a line and let’s talk about your plans for the future. We’d love to help you.
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