Advances in digital technologies are dramatically changing the ways in which customers interact with businesses. Just think about how different today’s experience is – consumers want to purchase anywhere, anytime, and from any device.
It’s dramatically different to the in-store or catalogue shopping experience of the past. It is evident that our customers are changing, so it stands to reason that our customer communications should too.
Tech and the modern shopping experience
Though our shopping habits are indeed changing, the IT revolution doesn’t and shouldn’t stop only at shopping. More and more we see digital-savvy businesses applying that anywhere/anytime/from-any-device experience to every customer interaction and communication.
These interactions have the potential to become even smarter as our technology continues to evolve and transform.
For example, Artificial Intelligence (AI), deep learning, analytics, the Internet of Things (IoT), and other advanced technologies could theoretically make it possible for people to contact their doctor’s office to request information on how all their current medications might interact with the cold medicine in front of them at the pharmacy, all at the touch of a button, or even what alternative treatments might be best for them, in real time.
Sounds great, doesn’t it? The reality is it’s exactly where customer communications management (CCM) and innovations in customer experience are heading.
Transforming the experience of CCM
Before the age of digital transformation, it was not uncommon for information to flow from business to customer through a number of formats, such as billing statements, invoices, annual reports or renewal letters.
However, in the age of cloud computing, Big Data analytics and automation, customers generally expect to be able to communicate with companies in real time on the channels of their choice. Customers with questions want answers and they want them quickly.
When they need their account information or service history they want to access it easily. This is especially true for millennials who are familiar with life in the always-on immediacy of the digital world.
Advanced CCM is an absolute must-have for companies that want to be successful in serving this market and deliver a more robust customer experience.
Regardless of demographics, businesses must communicate effectively with their customers, using methods of engagement they know their customers like.
Whether this is a push notification from an app, or a personalised email offer delivered at a time your customers are known to be online, or an interactive web to in-store experience. It is financially more viable to keep existing customers than to find new ones.
If your customers don’t feel valued, they won’t continue to do business with you.
New technologies promise to help businesses communicate with their customers more quickly, more efficiently, and more conveniently, all while eliminating the paper waste of outdated communication methods like letters and faxes.
In addition, they help organisations pave the way for true digital transformation by providing advanced, intelligent capabilities. These technologies enable compliant, omnichannel communications that work with in-house customer data and integrate with other leading business applications and public datasets.
All these benefits give organisations an edge over their competition in today’s fast-changing, global, business environment.
The future of CCM
Not only is CCM automated, unified and interactive, it is also personalised for every individual customer. The reality of CCM is dramatically different to the past, where companies relied on form letters, or fill-in-the-blank emails, to provide something as close as possible to personalised communication.
With advancing technologies, we no longer see one-style-fits-all interactions where customers have no say in how they interact with a company. Powered by the modern world and what is available today, I welcome you to the age of holistic customer experience management.
