Artificial intelligence is enabling retailers to predict customer preferences and detect patterns in their buying behavior. Augmented reality allows the customer to test out room décor or try on clothes, and “scan and go” applications transform the way buyers pay. However, as technology has improved the shopping experience, customers are usually coming away unsatisfied. Organizations tout their advanced digital innovation but fail to concentrate on the facets of customer experience that are most valuable.
The Human-Focused Approach
When applying automation initiatives, maintaining human-centricity in customer service can be done in two ways.
First of all, contact strategies should remain completely customer-focused, putting their preferences ahead of any requirement for enhanced efficiency. Ultimately, customer service is a human experience, even if a robot conveys it. Therefore, automation is appropriate for the self-service model to allow customers to access the service or information quickly.
Secondly, change the work employees are doing in contact centers. Instead of doing problem-solving tasks and direct customer interactions, employees can oversee processes to ensure they are continually improving.
Apply Human Touch In Automated Marketing
Automation is about removing the cost, labor, and complications from the processes and gleaning the rewards. Automation systems can work well if they fit into the initially created plans. If plans are incomplete or substandard, they will require additional cost, time, and effort later in the process.
To nurture prospects and leads through the acquisition funnel and support buyers across the entire journey, always map your response and then integrate the automated processes into the carefully mapped out strategies. Ensure that your applied automation is not dictating the business practices but making the customer experience seamless.
Benefits Of Human Touch In Automation
While there is no perfect solution that firms can implement for getting the right balance between human intervention and automated processes. However, a blended approach can enable executives to reap the automation’s rewards while avoiding the pitfalls of depending heavily on technology in turbulent times.
Here are the key benefits of human touch in automation
- Greater Agility – The blend between human oversight and automation can unlock significant potential for agility. Relying too much on automated systems can create rigidity.
- Higher Quality – Human touch in automation can effectively remove human errors in many parts of the retail business, triggering considerable quality improvements.
- Sustainable Business – An accurate and efficient business is a more sustainable business. There is a broad range of cost savings to be made from materials and waste to energy and transportation.
- Minimized Labor – Human-focused automation can reduce labor in the retail business to perform error-prone and time-consuming tasks such as forecasting for planning and data input.
The Verdict
With all this considered, the human touch in automation initiatives is a “luxury” that should never be neglected. While technology is altering customer support services, the importance of human communication in overall customer satisfaction, relationship development, and problem-solving cannot be overlooked. Consumers in the digital era want a personalized experience, and their expertise has overtaken other business objectives. You can’t have an excellent customer experience if your support services don’t have a human touch!
📸. Photo by Cytonn Photography on Unsplash