A few days ago, I was asked to send a fax to a government agency. I couldn’t believe my ears. Sending a fax these days is like sending a pigeon. I wasn't even sure where I'd find a fax. Then I thought about how many companies put their customers through a similar experience…. maybe not by asking them to fax, but by not allowing them to message.
The way we communicate has dramatically evolved in the last few years. The fax incident was a stark reminder of the extent of our evolution. Most people, when communicating with their family, friends and co-workers choose to message. Messaging has many advantages - one can carry on a conversation and yet do it at one's own pace. The history is all there, so a conversation can pick up exactly where it left off, even if it took place hours or days ago. However, while this is most people's communication channel of choice, many organizations do not allow them to use it in their service interactions.
Obviously, it is not that they do not realize the importance of these channels. They use them in their daily life. So, it must be something more profound than that.
Messaging is not just a change, it changes everything we do.
Unlike voice and email where protocols rarely change, protocols for digital messaging platforms are proprietary and are constantly being updated. To keep up, organizations need the latest software version that supports AI and machine learning commonly used by many channels. (How many organizations do you know that update their software even once every two years, let alone every month?).
Each platform also needs experts on databases, security, tech support etc. So, with 30 or 40 platforms that are constantly evolving which need dedicated experts to sustain them, it becomes much harder to keep pace. Breaks and issues are common when protocols are updated as fast as they are today. Organizations often launch a new platform but then try to navigate customers to the ones they're best at supporting, forcing customers to choose and leaving them with a less than ideal service experience.
Getting your head into the cloud is the best way I know of overcoming what can be a treacherous cycle. With automatic and timely software updates that support the latest technologies and platforms, the cloud ensures companies have all they need to innovate, provide the next generation of services and have ongoing conversations with their customers. It also allows businesses to tap into the technology experts needed to support their growth in digital platforms and social media channels so customers don’t need to choose.
Cloudifying the business isn’t just about saving on capital expenditure or driving operational efficiency – that's a myth. It's about enabling businesses to focus on innovating at the pace their customers expect. It's about allowing small and medium businesses as well as enterprises to keep pace with the market, engaging with customers on their current channel of choice and stay in the game. It is really about extending the peace of mind businesses need to focus on delighting their customer.
But messaging is not only different because of how often it changes. There are other challenges. More on that in the future.
Learn more about NICE’s Smart Digital Conversations solutions.