Excellent customer service, or customer engagement, is a hot topic. Organisations without a strategy for it will struggle. And it goes far beyond simply having a presence on social media.
At the end of May, I attended Microsoft’s Future Decoded event at the Spoorweg Kathedraal in Utrecht. Keynote speaker Peter Hinssen of Nexxworks took the idea a step further. Serving customers well is one thing, but he urged organisations to think about “the day after tomorrow”. Too often, businesses are caught up in today’s demands. Sometimes we think about tomorrow, but we rarely look further ahead. Yet Hinssen argues that this is precisely what is needed to survive in a rapidly changing digital world.
He was referring particularly to technology’s disruptive power. In my view, technological developments are still too often treated with suspicion, especially robotics and artificial intelligence. Not long ago, “robots are taking our jobs” dominated the headlines. Of course, technological change brings security challenges and privacy debates, which I continue to follow with interest.
But look at the opportunities technology offers. I love walking into a CitizenM hotel and finding my room at the perfect temperature because my preferences were saved during my previous visit. I do not enjoy shopping, so I look forward to virtually trying on a potential purchase from my sofa and receiving relevant advice straight away. I am less enthusiastic about a drone delivering the parcel: that would feel a little too impersonal to me. The possibilities for serving customers will become almost limitless.
Yes, robotics will take over many tasks. But a personal approach can surprise customers and help a business stand out and win their loyalty. Those are human qualities that robots cannot yet imitate.
Inger Hund
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