Digital Transformation – the pinnacle of Customer Experience

Customer advocacy has never been so important and positivity breeds positivity, so it’s crucial that businesses tell a good story from the offset. If your customers experience bad service, then they will tell everyone about it, offline and online and your brand and reputation will consequently suffer.

Consistent customer service is only delivered if a company invests in communications technology that makes it easy for customers to seamlessly move through the different channels of communication. If customers have experienced a faultless and impressive service then they will tell their friends, colleagues and family of their good experience which will differentiate you from your competitors. The power of a positive story is your most valuable tool for your business and brand, as it builds momentum in the market being shared via word of mouth and across social media.

Which road to take?

Many businesses are not sure how communications technology can help them to achieve their objectives. One of the biggest challenges we are seeing is that business and IT leaders are often unaware of what is possible with communications technology. It’s often a case of “you don’t know what you don’t know”, which is why working with a solution provider is beneficial to guide your business on getting back to basics and working out what your objectives, strategy and vision are. By working closely with a solution provider you will discover what you need, how communications technology can help you achieve your goals and they will explain the art of the possible.

On the same journey

Often the Board or the business leaders do not speak the same language as the IT decision makers, therefore their pitch in getting approval for communications technology may not be very effective. Key messages and the propositions are often lost in translation and the benefits haven’t been articulated in the compelling manner that they should have been.

The art of storytelling or scenario setting is an effective way of breaking down these barriers. By going back to basics, you create an environment that people can identify with and understand where they want to get to and why. Everyone needs to see the vision, and how you are going to get there, and the benefits that it will deliver to the staff, the customers and the business overall.

In the driving seat

Customer experience is at the top of every company’s agenda at present and the IT team can help drive it from conception, through to implementation and finally to success. Digital transformation is not for the faint-hearted and it is recommended that you work with a solution provider to assist you in developing and managing a technology strategy and road map.

For [technology deployments] to be successful you need to provide effective training and change management programmes

Solution providers should hold discovery workshops with their customers to ensure that they can guide you appropriately through the process, developing a personalised story for the customer. In order to have a seamless and successful customer experience, businesses need to adopt the right strategy, road map and execution to constantly meet the evolving customer’s and business’s requirements.

Getting your employees on-board

A solution provider will assist you in getting your employees on-board in selecting the technology the business requires. After all they are the ones that use it and know what will improve their jobs and give better customer service. A solution provider will work closely with the different business units by involving them and empowering them to do their jobs more effectively, and to design and deploy technology that will best serve these needs. Select innovators to champion the technology and evangelise it internally, the art of connecting is about listening to employees, involving them and working together as a team so they believe in your plan and your vision.

If your employees believe in you, then your customers will.

Often technology deployments fail due to inadequate training. For it to be successful you need to provide effective training and change management programmes, which a solution provider can assist you with.

Gearing up to an innovative culture

Embracing and understanding change is a huge part of digital transformation. For instance, there will be some employees who prefer to communicate by phone, and some who prefer IM; you need to provide choices to both employees and customers and produce seamless touchpoints for both.

It is important to not only embrace change but to also encourage an innovative culture in your business where employees and customers feel they are listened to, and their ideas are being taken on board.

Integration

If a business doesn’t take a holistic approach, then the technology project fails because it becomes siloed and there- fore doesn’t integrate with the existing technology and the back office. The approach with technology communications should be organic so the communications and customer experience is fluid improving business processes and customer service.

Technology solutions are now much more complex and often consist of several vendors, therefore presenting more challenges to the IT department. A multi-vendor solution can also be costly and cumbersome to manage. Solution providers have the expertise in integration to ensure the solution is seamless.

Digital transformation – the pinnacle of customer experience

Digital transformation, if thought out and deployed correctly is the pinnacle of good customer experience. Take time to get back to basics and plan your objectives and strategy with the assistance of a trusted solution provider, ensure that you involve and listen to your employees and customers and design a technology solution that will result in improved communications, improved business processes and a successful customer experience.

 Remember, success breeds success; get in the driving seat!

 Jonathan Sharp is a Director at Britannic Technologies, an award-winning provider of telecommunications solutions, systems integration and managed services to customers worldwide.