Technology: Pain or Pleasure?
I saw an amazing infographic that justified the use of technology in disrupting what one might think of as “traditional” industries or services. It went like this:
Netflix did not kill Blockbuster.
Ridiculous late fees did.
Uber did not kill the taxi business.
Limited access and fare control did.
Apple did not kill the music industry.
Being forced to buy full-length albums did.
Amazon did not kill other retailers.
Poor customer service and experience did.
Airbnb isn’t killing the hotel industry.
Limited availability and pricing options are.
Technology by itself isn’t the disruptor. Not being customer-centric is the biggest threat to any business.
Whether one agrees with all the above is moot. What the message is though is clear: if you don't look after your customers, technology has evolved to the extent that it can take business away from any organisation that can’t provide a great experience.
There are some things I won’t buy online (however great Amazon’s refund policy and process are – and by the way, they’re terrific!). I suspect that all of us have certain things that we like to see and feel/hold/touch/test before committing to parting with large sums of money. However, there are certain things we will buy “sight unseen” (except for a picture) based on what we see on a website and any comments from previous buyers.
I have also come across instances where “technology” itself can’t provide a “customer-centric” service. Most often, this manifests itself is so-called “help desks” not responding to email queries, or sending standardised answers. Apple, in my opinion, are particularly prone to this as they tend to answer requests for support by sending links to articles on their customer forums. The problem with this is that some of those answers either seem to assume a level of computer awareness approaching genius level, or are written in a language few can understand.
So yes, even “technology” can get it wrong. If the technology and its developers aren’t sufficiently customer-centric, the service will suffer the same fate as the industries above. Technology isn’t the answer in itself, it’s simply another means to an end – great customer experience. The problem is that too many forget this…
I have spent more than half my life delivering change in different world markets from the most developed to “emerging” economies. After more than 20 years in the global financial services industry running different service, operations and lending businesses, I started my own Performance Management Consultancy to offer solutions for improving performance, productivity and risk management. I work with individuals, small businesses, charities, quoted companies and academic institutions. An international speaker, trainer, author and fund-raiser, I can be contacted by email. My websiteprovides a full picture of my portfolio of services. For strategic questions that you should be asking yourself, follow me at @wkm610.
Labels: Customer Care, Leadership, Productivity, Selling, Strategy, Teamwork
posted by William Martin @ 10:10
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