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Harnessing progress, delving into data, thinking big and bold: Enhancing the digital customer experience

You get the monthly bill via email from your cell phone and internet provider. Upon review, you see that once again, your provider has overcharged you. Annoyed, you try calling their customer service number, and get this: “Your approximate wait time is 42 minutes. Please stay on the line, or hang up and call back later.”
We’ve all been there. As a consumer and an individual, we’d like to think our time is valuable—and spending time on hold, or waiting days for an answer to a question on social media, isn’t acceptable anymore.
But as a business, what does this mean and how can you improve it with a digital approach?
Here are three things to keep top of mind when evaluating your customer experience in the online space:
Artificial Intelligence
What used to take an army can now take a single, highly trained computer. Artificial Intelligence programs can not only help your bottom line, but they can streamline and speed up customer service timelines.
Customers are often visiting your website to answer common questions. In the case of a phone bill, many customers will visit a website to ask: “When is my bill due?” or “How can I pay my bill online?”
Having a chatbot answer these standard and rudimentary questions can free up your human resources for the more complex situations that involve dedicated customer care.
The Power of Data
Your business is likely collecting more data than you realize. Between email newsletter sign ups, client information, registrations and more, companies have a wealth of customer intelligence that can be used to create a more seamless and focused experienced.
Work with your IT teams to understand the data that’s collected, identify trends, and use this information to make strategic decisions that benefit your customers’ digital interactions with your business.
Look for opportunities to improve a client journey like eliminating (or even just condensing) steps in their search for information. The fewer the steps, the more likely a customer is to complete the buying process.

Digital Disruption

Every day, strong industries are being disrupted by startups who have found a way to make it easier for customers to do business with them.
Take Uber and Airbnb as examples; these successful digital-first companies have optimized the customer experience with user-friendly technology. They enable easier decision-making with appealing online platforms.
The digital revolution has made this possible. Encourage your teams to think outside the box and use technology to drive a customer-centric experience—the ideas of tomorrow that challenge today’s thinking could ultimately keep your business ahead of the competition and keep your customers coming back for more.
The customer experience has changed significantly over the past decade, and we see no signs of it slowing down. Ensure your team thinks digitally first to improve how you render services and products to your customers. Use the data that you’re already collecting to make more informed decisions and embrace big ideas that could be tomorrow’s competitive edge for your business.
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