From Digital Communication to Digital Service
We live in a time where, now more than ever, the customer is always king. As a company you have to accept this simple fact. There is a transition ongoing from digital communication to digital service. The emphasis lies with a optimised service for the customer or client, through different channels, and nowadays often automated. From the consumers perspective, that translates in a client that possibly can ask a question any given time or day, could receive a notification, or can fix, demand or change something through smartphone or computer, even outside office hours.
Omnichannel Communication
Where telephone, and later e-mail were the means to communicate, nowadays we use multiple channels to communicate with each other. Some people want to receive a message through Facebook, other prefer e-mail, WhatsApp, or a direct call when they want an answer to their question. They often use multiple channels.
We can see there is a trend going on, wherein automatized communication with clients is more diverse and broadened. The marketing, service, billing and invoicing of a company are tuned to each other and the tone-of-voice is standardised. The possibilities hereby are endless.
Imagine that you place an advertisement on Instagram for shoes. You can click on the ad and end up on their website where you order the new shoes. You may ask that the shoes are delivered to your home. Immediately after placing the order, you realise that you aren’t at home when they will be delivered. You can then for example ask through WhatsApp to change your order, so you may pick up the shoes yourself.
This will all be taken care off and you automatically receives a message, through text, e-mail or WhatsApp, when you can pick up the shoes in the store. When you finally have the shoes in your possession, you simply get the invoice through an e-mail.
The contact with this client doesn’t necessarily have to be over at this point. The company that sells the shoes can ask if the consumer like the new shoes, and if they are interested in similar products, or even a free shoeshine.
There are naturally more possibilities and opportunities for automated services and we would like to help you find a fitting solution for your organisation or company.
The Future
Our field is innovative and technology keeps developing. Businesses that use artificial intelligence and computers that recognise human emotions are playing an important role in Digital Service.
KLM is since December 2017 answering questions that they receive through Facebook Messenger, WhatsApp and Twitter through artificial intelligence (AI). They analyse all questions and messages, and respond with an automated message based on that data.
Recognizing human emotion is something that will be evident in the Digital Service. The computer understands what the emotion of the client is. Based on that data, the computer will find an fitting answer or solution. That can be, for example, that the client will be automatically transferred with customer service when the client appears to be irritated.
Needless to say, even with this new technology of artificial intelligence and recognizing human emotion, the clients wishes and demands remain centrefold. The possibilities of new technology only flourish when you uphold this simple fact. The customer is, now more than ever, always king.
