Modern services have created modern problems. And for users of technology, this often leads to frustrating experiences. Imagine talking to a financial service executive to apply for a credit card or a mortgage. You provide a long string of personal details only to be told to wait 72 hours to hear back from the company. At this point you are faced with a single question: “Would it not have been easier if I had done it myself?” But things can only get worse when you use the company’s website to do it yourself. After making your way through dozens of screens, filling in minute details using endless drop down boxes, uploading documents, following captcha instructions, and hitting submit, an auto responder sends you a mail saying, “Your request is being processed. Our executive will be in touch with you in the next 3 business days.” This is 2020; but it feels like we are still in the last century.
Today’s technology can change that. Using Robotic Process Automation (RPA), Cognitive Intelligence, Machine Learning and Natural Language Processing (NLP), etc., it can turn what used to be a frustrating experience into a stress-free – even delightful – interaction. The real reason why these wonderful experiences are difficult to come by is because IT systems designers are out of touch with end users. They don’t know how to go about using technology to redesign processes and meet user expectations.
Over the last decade, there has been dramatic change in technology. Today, organizations can use chatbots over mobiles, instant messengers and websites to deliver multi-lingual voice and text support. Next Gen technology can accurately handle customer queries and arrive at precise decisions using massive knowledge banks, Artificial Intelligence (AI), Big Data Analytics and even the Internet of Things (IoT) and Blockchain! In fact, now is the time for organizations to place the power of self-healing and self-service in the hands of users. Using these technologies and methodologies, it is possible for users to reduce resolution and response wait times to minutes instead of days, sending the time when “raising a ticket” was the norm into history.
While re-casting processes and replacing technologies, it helps to bear in mind the three different categories of end users we have today:
The Digital Native:
A person who has grown up in the era of ubiquitous technology, popularly known as the millennial and the centennial generation, for whom the technical world poses no challenge. These are the people who want the best-in-class service.
The Digital Immigrant:
This is a person born before the digital era, popularly known as the Xennial generation, which has had an analogue upbringing but has learnt the digital ropes. They are making the effort to feel at home with technology but they want simple-to-use technology.
The Digital Handicap:
This is the “old school” and digital has not been their ally…yet. It requires patience and perseverance to make sure this user can work his/her way through technical problems. For these users, customer service needs to be 100% on point since they stand to lose the most if their issues do not get addressed properly.
The type of service used depends heavily on which of the above three categories the user falls in. This brings us to the key question: If users have evolved over the last decade, why are we still offering the same services to everybody, as though there is no distinction in the way these users approach their digital world?
The answer lies in the mind-set of service providers. It is the service provider that needs to refresh the technology that forms the backbone of these services and which intuitively adjusts to end user needs.
What are your thoughts on this? Why have IT teams been slow to change? Why have they been reluctant to keep up with the shifts in consumer behaviour as well as expectations? Stay tuned to this blog to know more!
Author:
Sujoy Chatterjee is the Vice President @ ITC INFOTECH. In his current role he is responsible to incubate new technology, alliances and build solutions in the IT Infrastructure space. He drives End User Computing services to global customers.
With his 25+ years of IT Industry experience, he helps organizations to re-look at the way the end user services are delivered and to transform these services to a user experience led delivery.
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