Part 4
Excellent CX needs the human touch
Sure, customer experience absolutely benefits from digitization and technological innovation, but it’s only part of the CX equation. Your people are the secret sauce.
And our research shows that human interaction is still very much in favor: the telephone and email remain the preferred touch points when customers need to resolve issues with brands. While digital channels are growing in popularity among older consumers, established channels such as the phone are beginning to resonate with younger generations.
More importantly, over 80% of consumers think a human agent would best understand their request when contacting a brand’s customer service.11
Which form of customer service representative do you feel would best understand your request and assist you properly?
An agent in a live channel
A digital or automated channel
Self-service
Source: “Foundever™ CX landscape 2022-2023”
Empathy & understanding
It’s important to remember that live customer service associates do more than resolve requests. They show empathy and understanding and add to a truly personalized customer experience.
Make sure to offer the right digitization tools so they have access to all relevant information while leaving repetitive, low-added-value tasks to automation, freeing their time for more complex tasks requiring active listening and empathy.
Be sure to team up with an outsourcer who has the cultural affinity to convey the values of your brand and set up a culturally diverse customer support team able to overcome differences and create an truly empathic connection with customers from different cultures.
Today’s consumers are looking for this human touch and they appreciate friendly staff. In fact, according to the Foundever CX landscape survey, it’s the most important attribute proving that a brand is committed to delivering a positive customer experience.12
of consumers say that helpful and friendly staff is the most important factor for a positive customer experience
The link between employee experience & customer experience
Offering your associates a good experience is essential in more than one way. Employee experience and customer experience are closely linked — if your employees aren’t satisfied, then they won’t offer your customers the best possible experience. Making sure your customer service associates feel valued and empowered contributes to turning them into brand ambassadors.
The employee experience is fundamental to the outsourcing industry. Leading organizations within the sector understand that their people are their greatest point of differentiation and their most important asset. Outsourcers that focus on employee experience as their primary means of improving the customer experience have seen greater levels of retention, lower rates of absenteeism and increased productivity.
“The working conditions of associates are part of our core values, and Foundever has been very transparent in this respect.”
— Team Lead Customer Success at a French insurtech
Spotlight
Why culture and technology are key to a positive employee experience
As part of a comprehensive approach to improving or optimizing the employee experience, the role of technology should be to empower people to do their jobs to the best of their abilities, not to replace their jobs. Likewise, as well as for eliminating the mundane and repetitive aspects of roles, technology and tools should be used to simply communicate and collaborate as well as provide access to continued learning and development.
However, without a business culture that recognizes and spotlights the importance of people, any attempt to elevate the employee experience will ultimately fail to meet its objectives.
The strongest business cultures value innovation, inclusivity and respect; celebrate workers’ achievements; facilitate communication and connection; and understand the importance of flexibility and work-life balance. And without the right blend of culture and technology, organizations will fail to excel. And there are real business benefits behind a strong focus on employee experience.
Forrester Consulting conducted a study of 900 HR decision-makers, finding that 77% reported increased revenue.
And 61% reported increased profitability thanks to their organization’s employee experience initiatives.13
Key takeaways
Ensure a balanced mix
Prioritize human interaction in customer service. Assess your touch points and ensure a balanced mix of digital channels and human interaction options like phone, email and chat.
Boost agent performance with automation
Empower your customer service team with the right digitization tools that provide access to relevant information. Automate repetitive tasks to free up their time for more complex tasks requiring empathy.
Optimize the employee experience
Enhance employee experience by nurturing a positive work environment that values innovation, inclusivity, respect and work-life balance.
11 Foundever, “Foundever™ CX landscape 2022-2023,” foundever.com.
13 Ibid.
13 EY, “Close the employee experience gap,” ey.com.