Increase productivity and keep your customers happy with these innovative new technologies
What technology do you use to make your life easier? While consumers scramble to buy the latest smartphones and newest in-home smart devices, businesses are also seeing the potential of new technology to transform how they work.
Innovation is key to stay ahead of the competition, but you must be careful not to forget the most important aspect of your business — the customer. In fact, 42% of business leaders believe automation technologies will most improve the customer experience aspect of their business.[1]
When used right, technology can make your business smarter, faster and more organized. It can help you grow, scale and keep connected with your customers. Keep reading to explore some of the new technology trends that can boost your business without losing the human connection.
Digital workspaces
Are your employees equipped to work from anywhere? Digital workspaces — where your team has access to all the tools and systems they need from any device, regardless of their location — are becoming increasingly popular with innovative businesses.
A digital workspace can improve internal communication and make work processes leaner, more flexible and more adaptable to changing business needs. In a recent survey, 39% of businesses using digital workspaces also reported a reduction in costs.[2] Being able to work from anywhere at any time means your team can be on hand to help your customers, too.
Artificial intelligence
In the age of 24/7 customer service, consumers are learning to expect immediate responses. Utilizing artificial intelligence, companies are using chatbots to answer online questions, comments and complaints. If you’re not on board, you should be: 80% of businesses are planning to use chatbots by 2020.[3]
A word of warning: consumers can sometimes equate a lack of humanity with a lack of authenticity. You’ll make things more comfortable for your customers when you train your chatbot to use the same language that your customer service representatives do, bringing the same cohesive brand voice to all of your communication channels.
Augmented reality
No longer the preserve of Snapchat filters and Pokémon Go, augmented reality now has a place in the business world too. There are many interesting applications for superimposing visual data over the natural environment, such as mobile apps that let people try before they buy. Great examples include letting consumers visualize how new furniture will look in their own homes or helping them see if a particular shade of lipstick will match their skin tone.
Don’t sacrifice quality in the pursuit of the latest new technology: if you choose to incorporate augmented reality into what you offer, make sure your interface works well and it adds real value to your customers.
Blockchain
Defined as “a distributed ledger that maintains a continuously-growing list of every transaction across every network distributed over tens of thousands of computers”,[4] blockchain technology has the potential to change how businesses record data. Because data is securely stored over such a huge digital area, it’s purportedly almost impossible to hack. That’s why some of the world’s largest banks are looking to implement blockchain technology into how they do business.
With blockchain technology you can increase security through the whole customer experience, giving consumers an added assurance when they choose to share their information with you. Because you’re keeping their data so safe, they may choose to share extra information that can then be used to further personalize their customer experience.
Cloud technology
Simple put, cloud technology shares information and resources over the internet. Everything is instantly backed up and always accessible, so businesses do not need to worry about losing important data or connectivity.
The cloud can be used for many aspects of your business, including software and telecommunication systems. It’s proving to be a robust and reliable resource, helping businesses keep connected with their customers at all times.
Voxtell’s Cloud PBX service employs converged data and voice networks, allowing all of your telephone services to run through your internet connection. This results in unmatched reliability for your customers and enhanced cost-effectiveness for your business. You can read more about the benefits of a cloud PBX system here.
Whatever the future of technology brings, the most important trend will be to make sure you continue to meet the needs of your customers. Any new technology you bring to your business should support your existing efforts to continually improve the customer experience.
Our advice for implementing new technology
So, you’ve found a new solution and you’re excited to try it. While it’s tempting to roll out new tech as soon as possible, you must be careful. Rolling out new systems before your team are truly ready to start using them can be a recipe for disaster, leading to customer confusion and frustration.
Instead, plan well in advance. When looking for new solutions, ask your team’s opinion before you choose. Their insight could prove invaluable and they may notice usability issues that you might have missed. Once you have a firm solution in mind, choose a rollout date that gives you plenty of time to train your team and to inform your customers of the impending change.
Did you find this article useful? Visit the rest of our blog for more business insights and industry news from the technical experts at Voxtell. Read the latest here.
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