We’ve seen the pace of digital transformation accelerate dramatically over the past two years, with innovation continuing to gather pace.
This shift to digital is not only changing the way we consume products and services but how companies are rallying to meet customers’ expectations. Customers today often won’t hesitate to take their business elsewhere if their experience is less than exceptional.
This means connecting with customers via whatever channel they want – whether that’s a phone call, WhatsApp message, or via social media. Gartner estimates that today a third of all buyers desire a seller-free sales experience – a preference that climbs to 44 percent for millennials.
Providing an exceptional experience therefore also includes giving customers the option to self-serve instead of having to engage with the company directly, whether that’s pre-or post-purchase queries, support or problem-solving.
“People don’t want to spend lots of time dealing with a particular issue or getting an answer to their question with an organisation,” explains Aruf Khan, Head of Presales at NICE Nexidia. “They want to find the information themselves. They want to make their lives easier and be more in control. And they want to move between the different channels as and when they need to.”
Smarter self-service
Forrester says 80 percent of companies today provide a self-service offering to customers. Yet, Gartner says only nine percent of customers report resolving their issue completely via self-serve. So while organisations recognise they need to offer self-serve options, they may not be doing it effectively to meets the needs of customers.
“Organisations should be able to use everything they know about the customer from across all their different channels – for example, seeing what a customer has done online before speaking with them,” says Khan.
This is where using artificial intelligence (AI) and data can help bridge the gaps.
Khan explains: