Technology is changing the way people interact with businesses and brands. As a result, it’s also changing the way people expect to be treated by those brands.
Harvard Business Review identified seven customer experience factors that directly influence customer satisfaction. Addressing these seven: convenience, choice, navigation, payments, ambiance, expertise, and touch-and-feel – is vital to establishing a good customer experience.
Many companies can integrate new technologies to respond to those factors.
How technology impacts customer satisfaction
How customers interact with brands, offline and online, has changed dramatically due to technology. There are multiple ways to use them, but how you do matters the most.
Here are a few examples:
Personalization
It allows brands to deliver customized content to individual customers based on preferences, needs, and behavior.
In recent years, much of marketing (and business operations as a whole) has shifted to providing a more personalized experience for consumers.
Companies collect data through various channels to improve customers’ overall experience with a brand.
Streamlined processes
Customer support teams use technology to automate processes like billing to make operations more efficient. This improves overall customer satisfaction and helps organizations save time and money by reducing the manual labor involved.
Faster resolutions
Using technology to improve customer satisfaction and support allows companies to resolve issues faster. Employees can access information quickly without having to be limited by department silos.
Cultivating a digital mindset matters now more than ever. Organizations must either adapt or risk being left behind.
Customer satisfaction technologies
Here are a few of the technologies for customer satisfaction you’re probably already seeing today:
Automation
Everyone wants their service finished as quickly as possible, and automation speeds up the process without sacrificing quality. For example, an online ordering system allows clients to place orders faster than they could if they called in.
Automated systems reduce wait times and make things more efficient for customers and employees. They also mitigate mistakes by eliminating human errors like typos or misheard instructions.
Automation can also utilize smart algorithms to predict which products customers are most likely to buy, then automate the process of filing those orders.
This process also allows customers to get the information they need more quickly.
IoT
The term “Internet of Things” (IoT) refers to the current idea of connecting people, things, and devices over the internet to share information. These objects have been named “smart devices.”
IoT can give organizations a better understanding of client behavior, increasing customer satisfaction. IoT accomplishes this by using various devices to monitor the user and then modifying tactics to consider user preferences.
For instance, cameras in a physical store can record customers’ facial expressions as they interact with products. The recordings can then be turned into data to serve as guide regarding what other products they can offer.
Artificial intelligence (AI)
Artificial intelligence (AI) uses computer systems to perform tasks typically requiring human intelligence.
AI use has become very prolific in recent years. Many industries and corporations have found different ways to integrate the technology for efficiency in their businesses.
Machine learning (ML)
Closely related to artificial intelligence is machine learning (ML). This technology works by having machine algorithms learn from data and improve performance over time.
Machine learning emphasizes the importance of data in improving customer satisfaction.
Combining artificial intelligence and machine learning within customer satisfaction systems is crucial. It allows companies to utilize machines that can basically be left alone to handle customers, continuously learning as it goes.
Best practices for integrating technology
Many technologies enable companies to explore ways to enhance their operations and customer satisfaction experience.
Some of the best practices that have worked so far include:
Track performance with analytics tools
With analytics tools, you can monitor website traffic, see conversion rates, and compare your performance to corporate objectives.
You may track how users interact with your mobile app, website, or other managed digital platforms using tools freely available like Google Analytics.
This knowledge is essential for increasing revenue, customer satisfaction, and engagement.
Additionally, businesses can also leverage information from secondary channels like social media pages or email communications. All these tools give them an idea of what issues to fix.
Introduce a website chatbot
If you’ve visited any company’s website that offers software-related services, chances are you’ve already encountered a chatbot or conversational AI.
Chatbots are one of the more common and successful uses of AI nowadays. They function as automated assistants that answer customer queries on a website.
Chatbots can do everything from giving basic information about your products or services to offering technical support or handling orders. AI and ML allow it to learn as it goes by analyzing patterns in human conversations and responding accordingly.
The nature of chatbots allows them to offer a personalized experience for each user, contributing to customer satisfaction.
Add mobile options
Since mobile technology has become the new norm, businesses must now not only contact their customers on their smartphones and tablets but also deliver a valuable experience while doing so.
You may communicate with customers on the go by adding mobile options like apps, SMS messaging, or live chat. You must also optimize your website’s navigation for mobile devices.
This achieves two goals: It allows customers more flexible options to get in touch with your company whenever they want and gives them more control over how they connect with your brand.
