A reset in consumer expectations has taken place over the last year and a half or so, with customers demanding new digital channels to interact with preferred brands. To support this change, successful companies have embraced digital-first technologies, such as marketing automation, but is there a danger that the human element of delightful customer experiences is being lost along the way?
That’s precisely the subject of a new report for the UK from CRM platform HubSpot, Hybrid Customer Experience in a Post Pandemic World: Where do we stand on the Human Touch?. Among the findings was a sharp disconnect. While 83% of CX professionals reported that bringing in more digital channels to serve customers has positively impacted business performance, 52% of consumers say they would prefer to deal with a human being when interacting with a brand.
The Importance of the Human Touch
“The disruption caused by the pandemic has shown the extraordinary value that digital plays in great CX. Ironically, it has also highlighted the importance of the human touch,” says Crevan O’Malley, HubSpot’s UK Country Manager and Senior Sales Director. Most companies do at least seem to have an understanding of this trend, with 72% saying they are investing to deliver more human-centric engagements. Investments supporting this goal include ensuring people have easier access to customer-facing teams, such as sales executives and customer service agents, while actively encouraging longer customer talk-time periods.
“While 22% of consumers would rather stay making purchases and interacting with brands online, a significant 52% would prefer to deal directly with a person again,” says O’Malley. “58% of those who interacted with a person are more likely to shop with that brand again, both in B2B and B2C. Finding the right balance between digital and human will be different for each company and each sector, but the reward for optimising this service level will provide a platform for growth into the future.”
However, there are some differences in how B2B and B2C customers respond to the human touch. “In general, the importance of the human touch becomes more prominent before the purchase for B2C consumers and post-sale for B2B customers,” says O’Malley. That’s because B2B customers are more likely to exit a potential purchase if they cannot get hold of a person when needed. “What’s clear is that we all still crave access to helpful, friendly professionals when we have a query or an issue around a purchase. While businesses have had to lean into digital-first as a result of the pandemic, our data shows that being digital-only, with no access to human contact when required, is a real risk factor.”
A CRM platform is crucial to achieving that level of relationship with customers and prospects, with 31% of businesses feeling they need to invest in a new CRM platform to meet business objectives. “Buyers are now far more informed and demanding - and will certainly switch services if the experience isn’t up to expectations,” says O’Malley. “A truly great customer experience is now an even bigger differentiator than the actual product itself.”
