How Technology Is Changing The Way Businesses Manage Customer Relationships

It is fair to say that modern customers have much higher expectations from the businesses they interact with today than ever before.

The customer has always been right. But these days, with the internet giving them access to a global marketplace, they have even more power now because if you don’t at least match their expectations, then you pretty much have lost them forever.

Most customers won’t touch your business with a bargepole if they endure one bad experience, and with social media and platforms like Google Reviews, they are just as likely to tell the world about it as well.

For this reason, any business needs to provide its customers with the products or information they require in a fast, convenient, professional, and courteous manner.

Technology can help you do just that by changing the way businesses manage their customer relationships.

In this article, we will take a look at some of the main ways that are happening when it comes to communication.

Why is communication important?

In every prosperous business, building relationships with customers is a critical success factor. In fact, the better you communicate with them, the more likely you are to benefit from their lifetime value.

If you make your customers happy, they will become brand ambassadors for your company. Essentially by recommending and promoting your business to their network of family and friends.

The process of communicating with your customers starts from the moment they first hear about your company or products. Even if they only need to utilize it once, this process should never come to an end unless they say so.

Ways technology enhances customer communication

Rapid advances in modern technology have revolutionized the way businesses communicate with their customers.

Here are five ways the savviest of companies in Australia have adopted it.

1300 Numbers

1300 Numbers have been a game changer for over 300,000 Australian businesses that use them for their incoming calls.

Regulated by the ACMA, virtual numbers offered by Simple 1300 Numbers act as the sole contact point for businesses that have an Australia-wide network of customers.

You can’t dial out on these 10-digit numbers, but you can provide customers with a more seamless experience by offering a prompter greeting. This will enable them to choose various options via their keypad i.e. dial 1 for sales, 2 for customer service, 3 for accounts, etc.

As well as directing the customer call to the person within your business who is best equipped to deal with it. Featuring this number on all your external marketing materials and communications also makes you appear more reputable and trustworthy.

Social Media

Social media platforms like Facebook, TikTok, YouTube, and Instagram have been central in bringing customers and businesses together.

For a start, they enable you to converse directly with your customers via post commenting or direct messaging. But secondly, they also allow businesses to solve customer issues before they even arise.

With a YouTube, Instagram, or TikTok video, you can show people how to assemble your products or use them most effectively. You can also advise on where to buy them and what new items you have available in your store.

Face-to-face video

Covid-19 restrictions had a lot of negative impacts on business.

However, one silver lining that came from it was the growth in the usage of face-to-face video applications like Zoom and Google Meet.

Some businesses are now incorporating this into their customer service and communication strategy to enable them to be able to talk directly with customers.

Primarily this is used as a way to ‘humanize’ your business and also manage any inquiries your customers may have with maximum efficiency. But also, it does presents an opportunity for soft selling.

Augmented Reality

Often abbreviated as AR, Augmented reality is a brilliant innovation that allows businesses to help their customers to get to grips with their products.

Essentially, it allows businesses to offer their clients interactive guidance and educational tutorials through the use of videos and visuals.

It can be delivered to them across most device types and typically can help them understand how to operate something. This is very effective, for instance, for explaining how to fix a bug on your SmartTV or how to program your new washing machine.

QR Code

Another piece of technology that seemed to take off for businesses during Covid was QR codes.

Although some critics suggest it facilitates a world where human interaction is reduced, what ‘Quick Response’ can do is provide people with a range of benefits like the speed of service and quick access to the information they need.

Restaurants can use it, for example, to enable their customers to order food as soon as they are ready (as opposed to when the wait staff is).

Likewise, a bookshop can use it to show exactly where in their store you can find the publication you are looking for.

Final Thought

Henry Ford famously said every business needs marketing and innovation to not only survive but also thrive.

This insight is still very true today, and with a range of technologies available to companies now, they can draw on more tools than ever to provide their customers with the world-class customer service they expect.

It does not matter if you are a small owner-operated business or a large multi-national. If you embrace the communicative potential these technologies bring, you will go a long way to set yourself up for continued success.

Additional:

• What You Get When You Get Empowered Customers
• Getting Started With Customer Discovery As A Business Owner
• Managing Your Customer Support: Customer Service Audit Checklist
• How Customer Education Can Help You Retain And Increase Your Customer Base