We hear all the time that customers are at the heart of every business; that good customer service is a priority, and a positive customer experience is paramount. But how can this be achieved if the ‘person’ responsible for this doesn’t even have a heart themselves?
Customers are the lifeblood of your businesses. So people should be at the core of everything you do. By solely relying on automated services, you rely on the intangible and miss out on the opportunity to connect on a personal level. The importance of being able to connect with customers shouldn’t be underestimated; by doing this you can build trust and form meaningful relationships.
As humans, we seek natural, easy-going conversations with depth and sincerity. That’s especially true after a turbulent few years. To find out how important this connection is to consumers, we recently commissioned an independent international survey. The survey found that 78% of consumers prefer to talk to a real person over a chatbot.
That’s why we launched Pledge People, Not Bots. The initiative aims to protect the role of people in business and elevate the standards of customer service.
By pledging people, when using our service you know you will talk in real time to an actual person. Having a conversation with someone who also experiences the trials and tribulations of every-day life creates a foundation of genuine understanding. That understanding can elevate the quality of advice, guidance, and support given. It is this idea of shared experience and mutual understanding which allows us to empathise; something a bot, no matter how clever, is incapable of doing.
The same survey also found that nearly half (40%) of consumers say their problems are never resolved by automated services. This level of dissatisfaction will inevitably have a detrimental effect on your business; in fact 85% of people said they would stop using a company’s services due to poor service.
Technology has undoubtedly helped improve communication. That’s why it’s a driving force behind AnywhereWorks. But technology also brings its own limitations, particularly when you hand your communications to bots. Over a third (34%) of people have called a company thinking they were speaking to a person only to realise it was an automated bot. That lack of clarity (or transparency) damages trust and undermines the client relationship. No wonder 81% of consumers think companies should disclose if they are using AI instead of real people.
We need real people who can actively listen and provide a tailored response to individual circumstances. There is often a sense of detachment when interacting with AI. By pledging people not bots, we can eradicate this feeling of friction and truly connect. While technology can enhance communication, it can never replace human interaction.
Enhancing the customer experience goes beyond just that initial instant gratification; it enables you to lay the foundations for a strong relationship well into the future. Building that trust from the first point of contact influences their decision to use your services again or recommend to a friend. Making one customer happy has the potential to help grow your business.
For more information on the Pledge People, Not Bots campaign from AnywhereWorks and to watch the full video, visit: https://anywhereworks.com/pledge-people-not-bots
