This is a guest post by TechnoloJen
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Customer happiness remains the most important ingredient to business success. In fact, research featured by NetworkWorld revealed that 89% of companies will compete primarily in terms of customer experience. The rise in advanced technologies has provided enterprises with new platforms to reach their target market and increase customer happiness that equates to more success in the long term.
Two of the most important innovative solutions to achieve customer satisfaction are the Internet of Things (IoT) and artificial intelligence (AI) that hold huge promise in helping businesses engage with their target audience better. These tools can be leveraged by startups to help them build and maintain lasting relationships with their target market in record time.
However, its effectiveness will still depend on the ability of companies to maximise these technologies to be able to offer a meaningful and positive experience to their consumer base. How do you effectively use the IoT and AI in improving customer satisfaction? Read on below to find out.
Embrace Big Data to Simplify Work
Gone are the days when businesses had to guess on what customers want, as big data offers them detailed information on how to effectively reach their target market. With big data, companies can easily phase out ineffective product features, marketing campaigns, and even an entire product in real time. It allows your staff to put less energy in searching for information and more time brainstorming and executing marketing approaches. The question is now: ‘How can we make it work even better?’ instead of ‘Is this working?’
Concentrate on Thoughtful Automation
While Big Data may be overwhelming even for the most experienced marketer (as it continues to grow), automation will play a huge and important role in customer service strategies. When maximised efficiently, it can help in sorting, processing, and understanding massive amounts of customer data that will allow businesses to respond to their audience quickly. Customers want assistance and quick response time, especially in today’s digital world, and automation is the only way to attain this.
While some remain unsure about the idea of allowing artificial intelligence and other machine learning technologies to do the work (since some believe it will decimate middle class jobs), it improves every day in ensuring accuracy and delivering results. DeepFace by Facebook is now 97% accurate, while IBM’s Watson technology is 2400% “smarter” than it was six years ago. Samsung is now working on adding a human-like AI called Bixby that will appear along with other rumoured revolutionary features of the Galaxy S8, as highlighted by O2. Likewise, Apple is also developing a “more human” Siri with the release of their new iOS this year. There’s no better time than now to trust technology in building a lasting relationship with customers.
Get Personal
Consumers are becoming more tech-reliant and soon they will be managing their relationships with businesses via these high-tech platforms without interacting with a human. A more personal approach will remain vital in marketing campaigns, and massive automation as well as Big Data will make this process easier for enterprises. It is more than just a personalised landing page and drip campaigns,
as personalisation with the IoT and AI will help businesses in proactively answering queries from customers before they ask, proving information ahead, and knowing when audiences are unhappy and fixing it immediately to secure a lasting positive impression with them.
Relationship Remains on Top
By incorporating emotional intelligence into voice and chat responders, businesses are able to nurture and grow their relationship with customers without sacrificing the productivity of the human workforce. Healthcare provider Humana revealed the strong correlation of the two: the higher the emotional connectivity, the higher the customer overall happiness. At the end of the day, relationships are still what customers are looking for, and the IoT and AI will be able to provide assistance in enhancing the bridge between businesses and buyers.
Customers are not the only ones that will benefit from AI and the IoT as businesses will also be able to maximise it to improve customer happiness, increase audience retention, and even build a clearer vision for their staff. Big Data will be able to assist in creating a workplace that is organised, efficient, and with clear goals that can inspire the whole team. And, no amount of big data can replace a good company spirit.
About the Author:
TechnoloJen is finishing graduate school, where she is studying Information Technology. She has a wide knowledge of the IoT, AR, VR and AI. She hopes to explore how new technologies will be able to revolutionise different industries from the enterprise, education, healthcare and more. She is now finishing her dissertation and wishes to work abroad upon completing her studies.*