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Instant gratification drives customer experience

By Charmaine Shangase
Johannesburg, 25 Aug 2015
Customers expect the same type of service, irrespective of the service provider or product, says Amdocs' Melanie Kockott.
Customers expect the same type of service, irrespective of the service provider or product, says Amdocs' Melanie Kockott.

Customers are looking for instant gratification, which requires a change in the way organisations do business.

This is according to Melanie Kockott, VP at software and services provider, Amdocs SA, who notes as the lines of business cross, the customer experience can no longer be compartmentalised to the industry and product.

Customers expect the same type of service, irrespective of the service provider or product, adds Kockott.

"We have entered an era of instant gratification through real-time experiences, which has led to the change in customer expectations, where such expectations are being driven by the massive amounts of available data and new experiences gleaned through the use of the Internet."

Customers quickly adopt a new dimension of interactive purchasing, personalisation, digital presence, agile and quick response times for feedback and fulfilment, notes Kockott.

Today's customers expect immediately available and consistent information associated with their purchasing journey, and will be less loyal towards a service provider that does not offer this type of service, she adds.

According to Kockott, South Africans today are still focused on customer service through human intervention, either an interaction with a call centre agent or a face-to-face engagement with a representative.

A key trend is the quest for greater operational efficiency and cost reduction or containment, says Kockott, adding this is driving investment in online channels to reduce the call centre footprint and associated costs (training, churn, disinterest, etc), while ensuring a consistent experience.

"Digitalisation of customer service can be seen in distinct industries such as insurance, banking and finance, among others, where the demand and supply is relatively basic and the engagement is transparent."

Today's digital transformation affects the nature of how companies interact with their customers and how their customers form a service and credibility view of the company, says Kockott.

Change is difficult, with a large base of legacy assets needing to be optimised, which is typical in the telecommunications industry, she notes.

She points out it's essential to deliver a premium experience that meets customer expectations, while ensuring the economics of the model make sense for the business.

"The digital transformation will inevitably affect your business - the only question is whether you adapt to change by developing a service- or experience-oriented model that will enable your organisation to move ahead, or you stick with your tried-and-true business model and get left behind."

But all is not lost, as new opportunities will emerge for companies to collaborate and expand into areas that will be enabled through digital channels and the use of technology, says Kockott.

"One key threat is the cost of imported innovation/s, given the weak rand-dollar exchange rate. This will impede the rate of organisational transformation. The flipside is to see the poor exchange rate as an opportunity to invest in local innovation and technology development, fostering growth in the ICT industry in SA.

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