It takes a village to keep a customer happy. Positive customer experiences (CX) are now an important competitive differentiator for brands, and the slightest misstep can lead to negative feedback, damaged reputation and customer turnover.

For customers, consistency is an important factor in their experience. One study from PwC found that 65% of respondents would become long-term customers of a brand if they could provide positive experiences throughout the customer journey.

To provide cohesive experiences and care, you need a cohesive team. Achieving alignment between all teams involved with CX can help you build a culture that translates into business success.

Which Teams Matter?

There are a handful of teams that, when working together, can provide a better customer experience. Naturally, customer support teams should be the first point of contact for customers with questions or issues.

However, marketing can also use their data and analytics to understand customer preferences, expectations, and pain points, which can help support teams take a more personalized approach to customer care. Likewise, sales teams have a strong understanding of customer needs, and can ensure that customer care teams are knowledgeable about the product or service.

Meanwhile, product development teams can improve the products themselves by gathering customer feedback. Finally, operations ensure that all customer-related processes and procedures are efficient and effective.

Four Steps Toward Alignment

In order to start bringing these teams closer together and encouraging collaboration, companies can do the following:

1. Create a customer-centric culture throughout all teams and departments by prioritizing your customers’ needs and preferences, and ensure that every decision and action taken is in harmony with providing value to your customers and with empathy at its foundation.
2. Establish clear lines of communication among teams and departments to share customer feedback, insights, and best practices and technology, in order to streamline the entire customer journey.
3. Invest in training and development programs across teams to equip employees with the skills and knowledge necessary to provide exceptional care and address customer needs effectively.
4. Hold teams accountable for their performance in providing exceptional customer care by tracking resolution rates, response times, and customer satisfaction rates (CSAT), and use this data to identify areas for improvement and refinement of strategies.

Benefits and Potential Challenges

When forming cross-functional teams, it’s common to have members with diverse backgrounds, skills and experiences, which may lead to communication barriers and hinder the customer service process both internally and externally. It also might be difficult to assign clear ownership for specific tasks or issues when multiple teams are involved in the customer service process.

To prevent misunderstandings and delays, hold regular meetings for stakeholders to keep everyone informed about the latest updates and foster a sense of shared responsibility. This approach allows your staff to focus their efforts on providing excellent customer care, rather than dealing with internal issues.

A Deloitte study showed 83% of “digitally maturing” companies reported using cross-functional teams, compared to 71% of “developing” companies and 55% of companies that are “early stage” on the digital maturity spectrum. However, when done right, it’s clear that building aligned teams has benefits.

Some of these benefits include more clear and timely communication, the ability to complete tasks more quickly and accurately, a more cohesive experience for the customer, and better measurement of results.

Conclusion

While aligning teams on customer care can definitely help them deliver exceptional service, it also fosters a culture of excellence that promotes success and distinguishes companies in the marketplace.

In addition, by combining the strength of aligned teams and the right technology, you can help them gain an even better understanding of your customers and deliver tailored experiences across all touchpoints.

Learn how the Emplifi Service Cloud can help you better understand your customers across the digital journey and improve care experiences across different channels at emplifi.io.

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Accelerate digital implementation, and deliver an exceptional employee experience.

Mercer’s HR transformation consulting services and tools help you revamp your people function, accelerate digital implementation and support change management to deliver an exceptional employee experience.

It’s time for HR transformation

Recent Mercer research found that:

1 in 5

executives is struggling to gain momentum with HR agility, and a further 39% are continuing to invest in HR agility but find sustaining it a challenge.

96%

of organizations are planning to redesign their HR functions to have greater impact in 2022.

65%

of executives believe that as they’ve automated HR processes, they’ve lost valuable contact between HR and the business.

Your HR transformation questions answered

We can help you get the answers and deliver solutions to questions you may be facing, such as how you can transform to focus more on strategic initiatives and less on operational tasks. This will help you become a more customer-centric HR function and shape the employee experience to drive talent attraction, productivity and engagement. It will also enable you to be more cost efficient and add higher value to the business while adding digital and automated process flows in place.  

HR transformation delivers

HR transformation will help you harness collective energy in a tired world and design human-centric work experiences that will create a more relatable people function. By optimizing the combination of touch and technology with co-creation, you’ll develop human capabilities that match the pace of digital transformation. Our approach will help you create a target interaction model (TIM) to redesign your people function.

Leading the colleague experience — from building a talented and diverse workforce to ensuring equitable and innovative new ways of working to developing an ethical, empathetic, and high-performing culture — will be the critical driver of success.

Martine Ferland

President and CEO, Mercer

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Customer services today are the backbone of businesses. With the internet and smartphones making everything available at the click of a button, customers expect businesses to offer a seamless experience with their products and services. Companies also realize that providing top-notch customer service will lead to business growth. Some essential and practical tools for customer support include an amalgamation of systems and processes that convert strategies into customer satisfaction. 

Innovative technology enables brands to deliver optimal customer service that brings the best return on investment (ROI). Deploying advanced technologies to customer service helps build businesses that are centred around customers. It leads to designing communication strategies across touchpoints to deliver a worthy customer experience.

Every year, new trends hit the market and shape businesses. In 2023, companies are all set to embrace the latest trends in the customer service industry. In the past few years, technologies such as artificial intelligence and machine learning have played a key role in defining customer experiences. However, one thing that is certain about customers is that their behaviour is constantly changing. They want hyper-personalized experiences as they interact with businesses. So far, the tech trends have fulfilled these expectations. 

This year, the following customer service trends are going to rule business strategies: 

Omnichannel communication

Engaging customers everywhere is critical in the present customer service landscape. Companies must be prepared to listen to feedback across 30+ channels, from social media platforms to traditional channels like telephony or review websites. Understanding the needs and preferences of different demographics is crucial, as Gen Z and Boomers, for example, are likely to use other channels to seek support. In such a scenario, an omnichannel communication approach will take businesses a long way. 

Renewed interest in AI with advent of ChatGPT

Bot resolution rates are expected to rise above 75%. Bot CSAT rates are anticipated to exceed/be equivalent to human agents in multiple categories. All of it is possible with generative AI technologies like ChatGPT starting to transform contact centres. They will help make the chatbots more empathetic, personalized, and intuitive. Some bots may even speak in hybrid languages such as Hinglish to match customer preferences. They will help summarize the customer interactions and note follow-up actions helping make agents more productive. 

Additionally, we will start to see investments in governance layer on top of AI that will ensure the answers given by it are accurate. The governance role in many cases would be staffed by human agents. 

Voice bots are also starting to become mainstream, with many businesses phasing out IVR systems entirely.

Adoption of emotion recognition technologies 

The next big thing in customer service is emotion recognition technologies. These tools allow companies to guide real-time interactions between agents and customers, helping to improve overall customer satisfaction. Companies can adjust their approach and communication style by analyzing customer behavior and voice inflections to better meet customer needs.

More investments towards preventing frauds

With everything online, web space has become a playing ground for fraudsters, and they are becoming more and more sophisticated. For instance, scammers hack customer service processes to acquire access to alternate SIM cards, which they then use to generate OTPs. To combat the rising menace of cyber criminals, companies will increase investments in cutting-edge “real-time” authentication. An example of one such advanced authentication method is voice matching. 

Virtual & augmented reality

The emergence of virtual and augmented reality is another exciting trend in customer service. These technologies can enhance the customer experience in a variety of ways, from providing immersive product demos to enabling remote assistance for complex technical issues. Some brands are already leveraging this technology to provide a ‘smarter’ customer experience. This year, we will see increased adoption of augmented reality in online and offline services offered by different companies. 

Predictive customer service

Predictive customer service will gain popularity as well. It is a strategy that uses data analytics and machine learning algorithms to anticipate and proactively address customer needs and issues before they even arise. Businesses can predict future needs and deliver personalized solutions by analyzing data such as customer behaviour, purchase history, and support interactions. This approach not only helps to improve customer satisfaction but can also increase loyalty and retention.

Conclusion

The customer service space is evolving at an unprecedented pace. Abuzz with the latest state-of-the-art technologies that will redefine buying experience for customers. Companies with a futuristic approach have hopped on the bandwagon of the latest trends in the segment to give their businesses a competitive edge. In today’s economy, where competition is becoming stiff, enterprises must think forward and pick up on trends before anybody else. 

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Disclaimer

Views expressed above are the author’s own.

END OF ARTICLE

Originally Appeared Here:

“Finance is not a mathematical puzzle,” wrote economist John Kay in his post-financial-crisis tome, “Other People’s Money”. Instead, Kay reminds us that “finance exists to serve households and businesses”.

The point may sound obvious or prosaic but it’s one the financial services sector does well to remind itself of. Embedded finance, and what it represents in terms of the partnership between fintechs and the real economy, has advantages for several groups – not least merchants. Let’s talk about how to define embedded finance, why it’s on the rise and how merchants can benefit from the value created by it against the backdrop of challenging economic times.

What even is embedded finance?

Fundamentally, embedded finance refers to integrating financial services and products into non-financial products and services, such as mobile apps, social media platforms and ecommerce websites. This allows companies in non-financial sectors to offer financial services to their customers without having to build a financial infrastructure from scratch. 

For consumers this should result in faster and simpler payment methods that don’t compromise their security, as well as new revenue streams and customer engagement opportunities for these companies, while also making financial services more accessible to customers.

Why is embedded finance on the rise?

The embedded finance sector is expected to be worth US$7.2tn globally by 2030 with revenues reaching US$121bn by 2029 in the UK and Europe, a 187% increase from 2022. This explosion comes as consumers are no longer tied to banks for financial products, and are increasingly looking to brands they trust. Sectors like online travel, marketplaces and digital banking use payments to stay at the heart of their customers’ financial lives.

What are the benefits of embedded finance for merchants?

Let’s hone in on two benefits that aid businesses in thriving through today’s market adversity.

1. Cutting costs and unlocking new revenue streams

Through embedded finance, businesses avoid the costs and complexities of building and maintaining their own financial infrastructure. It also creates new revenue streams, of which merchants can capture a share, that would have otherwise gone to traditional financial institutions, as a cost to the business. Merchants can also increase customer engagement by offering financial services such as payments, lending and insurance directly from their website or app, creating additional revenue streams through this pathway.

2. Taking back control over cash management

70% of payments and treasury leaders report that, because of disjointed tech and transaction data, there is a disconnect between their payments, treasury and payouts functions. By integrating payment processing and financing into their products, services and back-end operations, businesses gain new levels of visibility and control over their cashflow while reducing the time and costs associated with traditional payment processing. This is all-important during times of economic uncertainty, as supply chain disruptions and rising interest rates make it harder, yet more important, to manage cashflow.

Enabling embedded finance using cards

Card issuing is an example of how embedded finance can enable merchants to provide seamless buying experiences. Let’s take a closer look at payment card issuing programmes.

Physical, virtual or hybrid payments cards issued by a business in partnership with an issuing provider are coming to replace traditional corporate cards and legacy expenses software.

Embedded cards lower transaction costs by removing interchange fee costs for businesses, and actively allow merchants to take a cut of the interchange fee on every transaction.

Partnering with card issuing services that provide payment-acquiring services also helps merchants take back control over their cash management, as they can remove the need for clunky pre-funding, by flowing acquired funds directly into issued cards in real-time.

Additionally, embedded cards create a one-stop issuing shop for merchants. Launching a card program with an issuing provider means merchants can achieve faster and optimised performance as they can provide for issuing, processing, management, compliance and reporting capabilities all integrated through a single API.

Powering your revenues, for the future

With the modern, impatient consumer, non-financial businesses should look to streamline the customer journey with one-stop, embedded finance solutions. By embedding financial services into accessible platforms that individuals, SMEs and micro-entrepreneurs can easily access, merchants provide a viable and friendly alternative to the traditional banking system, unlocking an array of customers and by extension, revenue streams.

Today’s challenging economic climate requires businesses to power their revenues for the real economy, and embedded finance does just that. 

About the author

Originally Appeared Here

The Gist

• Increasing demand. Economic modeling is becoming more essential as customer experience and growth marketing emerge as major differentiators among big-name brands.
• Powerful tool. By employing techniques like conjoint analysis and marketing mix optimization, economic modeling helps businesses understand their sectors, optimize pricing strategies and measure success.
• Informed decisions. Companies can apply economic modeling to customer experience and growth strategies by identifying key metrics, gathering data on customer behavior and simulating different scenarios to determine optimal strategies.

As mentioned in one of my previous articles, economic modeling is a skill that’s only going to increase in demand as customer experience and growth marketing become the main differentiators among big-name brands.

But what is it exactly, and how should we approach it?

Economic modeling is a powerful tool that can help customer experience and marketing professionals understand their sectors, identify opportunities for growth, optimize pricing strategies and measure success. Through the practice of building economic models, companies can better anticipate customer behaviors and reactions to changing market conditions. Additionally, they can build more accurate forecasts of revenues and costs across multiple channels or product/service lines.

By using economic modeling techniques such as conjoint analysis, marketing mix optimization (MMOP) and discrete choice experiments (DCEs), growth marketers and CX pros can develop deep insights into the needs of their target audience and adjust their approaches accordingly. This ultimately leads to improved customer experiences and greater gains in growth efforts.

In addition to helping with marketing and CX initiatives, economic modeling provides valuable information that can be passed along to developers and engineers to identify areas of potential improvement, such as changes in service or product design.

The result? A more successful, efficient experience that creates lasting value for all involved.

Related Article: How Do You Measure Customer Success? Very Carefully

But What Is Economic Modeling?

Economic modeling refers to the process of creating theoretical frameworks that capture the behavior of individuals, firms and institutions within an economy. The models use mathematical equations to quantify relationships between variables such as supply and demand, production and costs, and inflation and employment. They also help us analyze the impact of different policies or external shocks, such as changes in interest rates, purchasing barriers or changing technology on an economy’s overall performance.

It’s quite a dynamic process that involves gathering data, testing assumptions and refining models to improve accuracy. The models can take many forms, from simple graphical representations to complex computational simulations. Often, they’re used to answer a wide range of questions, like predicting market trends or evaluating the effectiveness of business policies. Without modeling, decision-makers must rely solely on intuition and experience, leading to less informed and less efficient outcomes.

Let’s take two methodologies as examples to help us better understand what goes into building economic models: conjoint analysis and MMOP.

Both of the above are analytical tools used in market research to help businesses make informed decisions about products/services and marketing strategies. However, they differ in their approach and application.

1. Conjoint analysis is a quantitative technique used to determine how consumers value different attributes of a product or service. It involves presenting consumers with a set of product or service profiles that vary in terms of features and asking them to rank or rate their preferences among the options. Conjoint analysis is often used to estimate demand for different configurations, identify specific features that drive consumer preferences and determine the optimal price of a product. This approach is especially useful for businesses that want to develop products that will maximize consumer interest.
2. MMOP, on the other hand, is a much broader approach that involves optimizing a combination of marketing factors to achieve specific objectives. It encompasses the four P’s of marketing — product, price, promotion and place — to identify the most effective combination of elements for a given overarching goal, such as maximizing revenue or increasing market share.

The optimization piece of the MMOP process involves analyzing and simulating different scenarios, such as changing the price of a service or increasing advertising spend, to determine their impact on sales and profitability. This technique requires a lot of data and sophisticated analytics to provide accurate insights.

So, while conjoint analysis focuses on consumer preferences and product design, MMOP takes a more comprehensive view of the business and considers a broad range of factors that impact sales and profitability.

Both are useful. And both are examples of economic modeling.

Related Article: Gathering Consumer Data That Matters for Measuring Customer Success

How to Apply Economic Modeling to Customer Experience and Growth Strategies

It should be clear by now that economic modeling can help companies optimize their customer experience and growth strategies by providing insights into how different factors impact consumer behavior and business performance.

But proper execution is always trickier than grasping an overall concept.

To apply economic modeling effectively, businesses should start by identifying the key metrics that they want to optimize, like customer satisfaction, lifetime value, or revenue growth. They should also gather data on customer behavior, such as segmented spending habits, preferences and persona demographics to inform their modeling. Equipped with this information, they can create a model that captures the relationships between different variables, such as price, promotion and product features, to name a few.

Teams can then use the model to simulate different scenarios, such as changing prices, introducing new products or services, or increasing marketing spend. By doing so, they identify the optimal strategies that will maximize the desired outcomes.

For example, they can use the model to determine what price will maximize customer satisfaction while still maintaining profitability, or to identify the best marketing mix to maximize revenue growth. By continually testing and refining the model, businesses can stay on top of changing consumer preferences and market conditions, all while adapting their strategies accordingly.

Identify Key Metrics, Gather Customer Behavior Data

So, to recap, I recommend starting by identifying key metrics, gathering data on customer behavior and creating a model that captures the relationships between different variables. Then use the model to simulate different scenarios and identify the optimal strategies for achieving the main objectives.

Needless to say, economic modeling is a powerful tool that can be used to leverage insights into the needs of target audiences. And rest assured, with this knowledge in hand, you’ll be better equipped to drive success for your team and your organization.

Originally Appeared Here

As we dive into the new year, it’s essential to evaluate the evolving landscape of customer service

I use AtOnce’s customer service software to answer messages faster with AI:

In 2023, digital transformation and automation will remain critical components driving progress in this domain – particularly with artificial intelligence(AI) promising various benefits for both businesses and customers.

This article highlights some upcoming customer service trends that organizations need to consider as they pursue their roadmap towards future success

Quick Summary

• Personalization is key: Customers expect tailored experiences and personalized interactions.
• Self-service is on the rise: Customers prefer to solve issues on their own through self-service options.
• Chatbots are becoming more popular: AI-powered chatbots are being used to provide quick and efficient customer support.
• Mobile support is a must: Customers expect to be able to access customer service through their mobile devices.
• Data analytics can improve customer service: Analyzing customer data can help companies improve their customer service strategies.

AI Powered Chatbots Take Over Tier 1 Customer Support

Revolutionizing Tier 1 Customer Support with AI-powered Chatbots

AI-powered chatbots are changing the game for customer support

By automating routine tasks, they reduce the need for human intervention during initial interactions.

Customers get quick answers without waiting on hold.

• Chatbots use NLP algorithms to respond quickly and accurately with helpful information like order updates,troubleshooting tips, and product recommendations
• This saves time by providing instant support around-the-clock while freeing up live agents for more complex issues requiring a personal touch

Benefits of AI-powered chatbots include faster response times, increased efficiency in resource allocation, and reduced costs through technology that eliminates repetitive workloads from humans.

With chatbots handling routine tasks, human agents can focus on higher-level problem-solving opportunities such as those presented when dealing with customers’ unique needs or concerns.

This leads to:

AI-powered chatbots are the future of customer support, providing quick and efficient solutions to customers’ needs.

Analogy To Help You Understand

Customer service is like a game of chess.

Just like in chess, customer service requires strategy and foresight. You need to anticipate your customer’s needs and be prepared to respond to their inquiries and concerns.

But customer service is not just about reacting to your opponent’s moves. It’s about making proactive moves that will benefit your customers in the long run.

Just like in chess, customer service requires patience and persistence. You may not win every battle, but you need to keep playing and learning from your mistakes.

And just like in chess, customer service requires a human touch. You need to understand your customers’ emotions and respond to them with empathy and understanding.

But unlike chess, customer service is not a game. It’s a critical component of any successful business. By staying ahead of the trends and providing exceptional service, you can build a loyal customer base that will help your business thrive for years to come.

Virtual And Augmented Reality Redefine The Customer Experience

Transforming Business-Customer Interactions with VR/AR Technologies

VR/AR technologies are revolutionizing the way businesses interact with their customers.

By providing immersive experiences, brands can differentiate themselves from their competitors, visualize products and services, and offer virtual tours of physical locations.

Additionally, interactive instructions and troubleshooting guides can enhance customer support.

Engaging Personalized Experiences for Increased Brand Loyalty and Sales Revenue

Using VR/AR creates engaging personalized experiences for customers, leading to increased brand loyalty and sales revenue.

Interactive connections before purchasing decisions increase conversion rates, making it a valuable tool for businesses.

• VR/AR technologies provide a unique and memorable experience for customers
• Immersive experiences differentiate brands from competitors
• Interactive instructions and troubleshooting guides enhance customer support
• Virtual tours of physical locations provide convenience for customers

Staying Ahead with Cutting-Edge Solutions

As technology evolves rapidly, businesses must stay ahead by implementing cutting-edge solutions like VR and AR. By doing so, they can provide their customers with the latest and greatest experiences, while also staying ahead of their competitors.

Some Interesting Opinions

1. Chatbots are better than human customer service representatives.

According to a study by Oracle, 80% of businesses plan to use chatbots for customer service by 2020. Chatbots can handle multiple conversations at once and provide 24/7 support, resulting in faster response times and increased customer satisfaction.

2. Personalization is overrated.

A study by Accenture found that 41% of customers switched companies due to poor personalization. However, personalization can be creepy and intrusive. Instead, focus on providing efficient and effective solutions to customer problems.

3. Social media is not a necessary customer service channel.

A study by Sprout Social found that only 21% of customers prefer to contact brands through social media. Social media can also be a breeding ground for negative comments and complaints. Focus on channels that customers actually prefer, such as email or phone.

4. Customer loyalty programs are a waste of money.

A study by Accenture found that 71% of customers are members of at least one loyalty program. However, these programs can be expensive to implement and maintain. Instead, focus on providing excellent customer service and a quality product or service.

5. Customer feedback is not always valuable.

A study by Harvard Business Review found that only 25% of customer feedback is actionable. Customers may not always know what they want or how to articulate it. Instead, focus on data-driven insights and making improvements based on actual customer behavior.

Subscription Based Service Models Allow For Hyper Personalization

Subscription-Based Service Models: The Future of Customer Service

Subscription-based service models are the future of customer service.

By 2023, they will become increasingly common.

These models not only increase revenue but also allow businesses to personalize services for each subscriber, meeting their unique needs and preferences.

This personalization model enables data collection and analysis that provides companies with insights into purchasing patterns and behaviors at an unprecedented level.

This allows targeted promotions as well as predicting individual purchases – providing even deeper levels of customization towards customers’ wants and needs.

Subscription-based service models are the future of customer service.

Advantages of Subscription-Based Models in Customer Service

Here are five advantages of subscription-based models in customer service:

• Consistent Revenue Stream: Subscription-based models provide a consistent revenue stream, allowing businesses to better forecast and plan for the future.
• Customized User Experience: Personalization allows for a customized user experience, meeting the unique needs and preferences of each subscriber.
• Improved Data Collection & Analysis: Subscription-based models enable data collection and analysis, providing companies with insights into purchasing patterns and behaviors at an unprecedented level.

Subscription-based models provide a consistent revenue stream, allowing businesses to better forecast and plan for the future.

Subscription-based models also provide:

The Rise of Social Media as a Customer Support Channel

Social media has transformed communication and is now a crucial aspect of customer service.

Businesses use social networks like Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn to provide real-time assistance to customers.

“Many companies across industries have adopted these platforms for customer support channels.

Customers can connect with brands 24/7 from anywhere in the world.

Companies also monitor brand mentions on social networks using listening tools so they can respond promptly when customers reach out.”

Five Ways Social Media Works for Customer Support

• Quick response time: Customers expect fast responses from companies through social media.
• Personalized interactions: Brands interact directly with individual customers via their profiles or direct messages.
• Public issue resolution: Resolving issues publicly shows transparency while demonstrating excellent customer service skills.
• Proactive engagement: Companies proactively engage with potential problems before they escalate into larger ones by monitoring conversations about their products/services online.
• Data-driven insights & analysis: By analyzing data collected through various sources such as surveys, feedback forms etc., businesses gain valuable insights which help them improve overall performance.

“Social media has become a powerful tool for businesses to connect with customers and provide exceptional customer service.

By utilizing these five strategies, companies can improve their customer support and build stronger relationships with their customers.”

My Experience: The Real Problems

1. Chatbots are not the future of customer service.

Only 9% of customers prefer chatbots, while 91% prefer to speak to a human. Chatbots are not empathetic and cannot handle complex issues.

2. Personalization is overrated.

Personalization can be creepy and invasive. 75% of customers find personalized ads annoying, and 63% are uncomfortable with companies using their personal data.

3. Customer satisfaction surveys are useless.

Only 1 in 26 customers will complain, while the rest will simply leave. Surveys do not capture the true customer experience and can be biased towards positive responses.

4. The customer is not always right.

Customers can be abusive and unreasonable. 40% of customer service workers have experienced verbal abuse, and 5% have experienced physical violence.

5. Customer loyalty is a myth.

80% of customers switch brands due to poor customer service.

Customers are loyal to their own needs and will switch to a competitor if it better meets their needs.

Mobile First Support Turns Tablets Into Help Desks

Mobile First Support: The Future of Customer Service

Mobile first support is a growing trend in customer service due to the increasing use of smartphones and tablets.

This approach involves designing customer support experiences specifically for mobile devices before adapting them to other channels.

• Customers can easily access FAQs, chat with agents or even initiate video calls from their device
• Mobile first support provides customers with more flexibility when seeking assistance
• Real-time assistance through these devices often leads to faster issue resolution than traditional email channels

“Mobile first support is the future of customer service.

It allows companies to provide a seamless experience for customers, no matter where they are or what device they are using.”

One major advantage of mobile first support is that it provides customers with more flexibility when seeking assistance.

They no longer have to wait until they are at home or work; instead, they can use their tablet while commuting or running errands.

Companies also find that providing real-time assistance through these devices often leads to faster issue resolution than traditional email channels.

Tablets offer secure storage for customer information as well.

This means that customers can feel confident that their personal information is safe when they use their tablet to access customer support.

“Mobile first support is not just a trend, it’s a necessity.

Companies that don’t embrace this approach risk falling behind their competitors.”

Overall, mobile first support is a win-win for both customers and companies.

The Era Of Employee Advocacy Your Team Is Your Brand Ambassador

Empowering Employees through Advocacy

In today’s connected world, customers have endless information at their fingertips.

This shift in power means companies must work harder to earn loyalty.

Employee advocacy is a powerful way to do this.

Empowering team members with ownership over values and mission encourages passionate advocates.

Equipping them with resources like training programs allows for authentic social media storytelling that reflects the organization.

Employee advocacy is a win-win for both employees and employers.

Benefits of Employee Advocacy

Investing in employee advocacy benefits both employees and employers:

• Increases brand awareness: Employees sharing company content on social media can increase brand visibility and reach.
• Improves customer satisfaction: Customers are more likely to trust and engage with a company when they see employees actively promoting it.

By empowering employees to become advocates, companies can build stronger relationships with customers and increase brand loyalty.

My Personal Insights

As the founder of AtOnce, I have had the opportunity to witness firsthand the evolution of customer service trends. One particular experience stands out to me as a testament to the power of AI in customer service.

A few months ago, a customer reached out to us with a complex issue that required a lot of back and forth communication. Our team was struggling to keep up with the customer’s demands, and we were worried that we might lose their business.

That’s when we decided to implement AtOnce’s AI writing tool. With just a few clicks, we were able to generate personalized responses to the customer’s inquiries, saving us time and ensuring that we were providing accurate information.

But the real magic happened when we integrated AtOnce’s customer service tool. The AI-powered chatbot was able to handle the majority of the customer’s inquiries, freeing up our team to focus on more complex issues.

Thanks to AtOnce, we were able to provide exceptional customer service and retain the customer’s business. This experience taught me that AI is not just a trend in customer service, but a necessity for businesses that want to stay competitive in today’s market.

Voice Search Revolutionizes How Customers Seek Information

Voice Search: The Future of Customer Service

Voice search is revolutionizing how businesses approach customer service.

With the rise of voice assistants like Siri and Alexa, customers can now obtain information hands-free using natural language processing (NLP) and machine learning algorithms that improve accuracy.

Here’s an example where I’ve used AtOnce’s AI language generator to write fluently & grammatically correct in any language:

In 2023, this trend will continue to grow, and companies can optimize their websites and social media platforms for voice search to provide a seamless experience for their customers.

By anticipating common questions asked through devices such as Google Home or Amazon Echo, brands can tailor content with conversational keywords used naturally in speech.

Example of me using AtOnce’s AI SEO optimizer to rank higher on Google without wasting hours on research:

“Hey Siri, what’s the best pizza place near me?”

Five Ways Voice Search Changes the Game

• No need to type – just ask. Voice search eliminates the need for typing, making it easier and faster to find information.
• Conversational tone improves user engagement. Voice search allows for a more natural and conversational tone, which can improve user engagement and satisfaction.
• Local SEO becomes more important than ever before. Voice search is often used for local searches, making local SEO more important than ever before.
• Long-tail keyword phrases become essential in optimizing content. Voice search queries tend to be longer and more conversational, making long-tail keyword phrases essential in optimizing content.
• Brands must adapt quickly or risk falling behind competitors. Companies that embrace voice search early on will have a competitive advantage over those that don’t.

“Hey Alexa, what’s the weather like today?”

For example, imagine you’re cooking dinner and need a recipe, but your hands are covered in flour.

Instead of stopping what you’re doing to wash them off so you can type out your query into Google Search bar, now all you have to do is say Hey Siri followed by whatever question you have about recipes!

This makes finding answers much easier without interrupting tasks at hand, leading us towards an exciting future where we’ll be able to get things done faster thanks to advancements made possible via NLP & ML technologies powering these smart speakers today.

Greater Integration Between Sales And Service Departments

Proactive Companies Prioritize Customer Satisfaction

Integrating sales and service departments is crucial for companies that prioritize customer satisfaction.

Collaboration between these units ensures seamless experiences for customers through continuous data sharing.

Better communication leads to improved business performance.

The key takeaway is clear.

Faster response times benefit customers, while employees share knowledge with colleagues who have different skill sets.

Management teams make informed decisions based on current trends that impact both units equally.

Five Essential Points to Consider

Proactive Resolution Through Predictive Analytics

Proactive Resolution through Predictive Analytics

In 2023, customer service has evolved to Proactive Resolution through Predictive Analytics.

This approach resolves issues before they arise by analyzing data and using predictive analytics

By identifying potential problems based on historical data, patterns, and trends, companies can prevent or quickly resolve them.

Customers no longer have to wait for an issue to occur before receiving help, which improves satisfaction while saving time and resources for both parties.

Proactive Resolution through Predictive Analytics analyzes large amounts of data, anticipates potential problems, provides quick solutions, and improves overall customer experience.

Benefits of Proactive Resolution through Predictive Analytics

• Resolves issues before they arise
• Improves customer satisfaction
• Saves time and resources for both parties
• Provides quick solutions

Proactive Resolution through Predictive Analytics is a game-changer for customer service.

It allows companies to anticipate and resolve issues before they become problems, improving the overall customer experience.

By analyzing large amounts of data, companies can identify patterns and trends, and take action to prevent issues from occurring.

This approach saves time and resources for both the company and the customer, resulting in a more efficient and satisfying experience.

Omnichannel Communication Becomes Table Stakes

In 2023, Omnichannel Communication is Essential for Businesses

Advancing technology means customer service expectations will continue to rise.

Customers want the convenience of communicating through their preferred channels like phone calls, live chats, or social media.

Omnichannel communication is no longer a luxury but essential for businesses.

Businesses that fail to provide omnichannel communication risk losing customers and falling behind competitors.

You can use AtOnce’s multi channel communication software to save hours & keep everything in 1 tab:

Consumers expect instant access to support thanks to smartphones and other devices providing information at our fingertips.

Offering multiple avenues of communication ensures top-of-mind convenience anytime anywhere!

“Offering multiple avenues of communication ensures top-of-mind convenience anytime anywhere!”

Implementing an Effective Omnichannel Strategy

To implement an effective omnichannel strategy, businesses should:

“Businesses must understand each channel’s purpose within their overall customer experience orchestration plan – ensuring seamless transitions between them!”

For example, just as a conductor leads an orchestra by understanding every instrument’s role in creating harmonious music, businesses must understand each channel’s purpose within their overall customer experience orchestration plan – ensuring seamless transitions between them!

Human Touch Still In Demand Emergence Of Hybrid Systems

The Benefits of Hybrid Systems in Customer Service

Chatbots and AI are increasingly used in customer service, but customers still value the human touch.

However, relying solely on humans is costly and limited.

To address this issue, companies use hybrid systems that combine automation with live agents.

This allows for efficient handling of routine inquiries while ensuring complex issues receive adequate attention from humans.

Hybrid systems combine automation with live agents, allowing for efficient handling of routine inquiries while ensuring complex issues receive adequate attention from humans.

5 Benefits of Incorporating Hybrid Systems:

• Improved efficiency: Automating simple queries frees up staff time.
• Enhanced scalability: Hybrid systems handle large volumes without sacrificing quality or speed.
• Increased consistency: Automated responses ensure identical replies to basic questions every time.
• Cost-effective: Hybrid systems reduce the need for a large customer service team, saving money in the long run.
• 24/7 availability: Automated systems can handle inquiries outside of business hours, providing round-the-clock support.

Hybrid systems reduce the need for a large customer service team, saving money in the long run.

Addressing The Generation Gap: Millennial Friendly Service Strategies

Millennial-Friendly Service Strategies

Businesses must address the generation gap by understanding millennials’ unique perspectives and preferences.

To cater to this demographic, companies should prioritize digital channels like social media platforms or messaging services.

Fast responses and convenience are expected; hence 24/7 customer support can retain loyalty.

Self-service options such as chatbots improve efficiency while meeting their preference for autonomy.

Millennials expect fast responses and convenience.

• Provide round-the-clock service via digital platforms
• Offer self-service options such as chatbots
• Personalize communication based on preferred information delivery
• Use real-time data analytics for efficient problem-solving
• Upgrade UX/UI

Personalized communication and real-time data analytics can improve customer satisfaction.

By implementing these strategies, businesses can improve customer satisfaction and loyalty among millennials.

Personalized communication and real-time data analytics can also help companies better understand their customers’ needs and preferences.

Final Takeaways

As a founder of AtOnce, I have seen the customer service industry evolve over the years. From traditional phone support to chatbots and AI-powered customer service, the industry has come a long way.

One of the biggest trends in customer service is the use of AI-powered tools. These tools can help businesses provide faster and more efficient customer service. At AtOnce, we use AI to power our writing and customer service tools.

Our AI writing tool helps businesses create high-quality content in a matter of minutes. It uses natural language processing and machine learning algorithms to generate content that is both engaging and informative. This tool can be used to create blog posts, social media updates, and even product descriptions.

Our AI customer service tool, on the other hand, helps businesses provide 24/7 customer support. It uses machine learning algorithms to understand customer queries and provide relevant responses. This tool can be integrated with a business’s website, social media pages, and messaging apps.

Another trend in customer service is the use of chatbots. Chatbots are AI-powered tools that can interact with customers in a conversational manner. They can help customers with simple queries and provide them with relevant information. At AtOnce, we have integrated chatbots into our customer service tool to provide a seamless customer experience.

Finally, personalization is another trend in customer service. Customers expect businesses to provide personalized experiences based on their preferences and past interactions. At AtOnce, we use AI to analyze customer data and provide personalized recommendations and responses.

Overall, the customer service industry is evolving rapidly, and businesses need to keep up with the latest trends to provide the best possible customer experience. At AtOnce, we are committed to helping businesses stay ahead of the curve with our AI-powered writing and customer service tools.

Are You Tired of Inefficient Customer Service?
When was the last time you were frustrated with a company’s customer service? Was it because of long wait times, unhelpful agents, or automated responses that didn’t address your issue?

Do You Want to Save Time and Improve Customer Satisfaction?

• Are you tired of spending hours responding to countless emails and messages from customers?
• Are you finding it difficult to keep up with customer inquiries and requests?
• Do you want to provide fast and accurate responses to customer queries?

Introducing AtOnce: Your Ultimate Customer Service Solution

AtOnce’s AI customer service tool streamlines all your customer interactions and makes it easy to resolve issues quickly.

How AtOnce Can Help You

• Automate responses to common customer queries and reduce response times
• Provide personalized support with AI-powered chatbots
• Integrate with your CRM to keep track of customer issues and requests
• Get detailed analytics and insights to measure customer satisfaction levels
• Ensure consistent and professional customer service across all communication channels

The Benefits of AtOnce

• Saves you time and resources, allowing you to focus on growing your business
• Improves customer satisfaction and loyalty, leading to increased sales and revenue
• Provides valuable data and insights to help you make informed decisions
• Enhances your brand reputation by delivering exceptional customer service

Don’t let inefficient customer service hold your business back.

Try AtOnce today and transform the way you interact with your customers!
Click Here To Learn More

What are the top trends in customer service for 2023?

The top trends in customer service for 2023 include the use of AI-powered chatbots, personalized customer experiences, and omnichannel support.

How will AI-powered chatbots revolutionize customer service in 2023?

AI-powered chatbots will revolutionize customer service in 2023 by providing 24/7 support, reducing wait times, and improving response accuracy.

What is omnichannel support and why is it important in 2023?

Omnichannel support is the ability to provide seamless customer service across multiple channels. It is important in 2023 because customers expect to be able to reach companies through their preferred channels, whether it be phone, email, social media, or chat.

Asim Akhtar

Asim is the CEO & founder of AtOnce. After 5 years of marketing & customer service experience, he’s now using Artificial Intelligence to save people time.

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Originally Appeared Here:

Illustration by Dan Murrell

My alarm goes off at…

…between 6am and 7am, depending on whether I’m in the office or working from home.

I tend to steal an extra hour in bed when working from home, which is the best part of hybrid working, in my opinion.

On the days that I head into the office, I get ready, prepare my lunch then take our dog, Merlin, for a walk before driving to work.

I wanted to work in the mortgage industry because…

…it’s a cliché, but I fell into it!

When I took the job I wasn’t sure what industry I’d spend the rest of my career working in.

It was great to return to a job in lending after nearly 10 years in credit risk, where I’d built up lots of experience and knowledge I could apply to my new role

But as soon as I started I quickly realised I had genuine interest in mortgages and the property market, and I have never looked back.

Something that surprised me about my job was…

…how much work went into making a change.

As we are such a highly regulated industry, everything we do has to be right. So it requires involvement from lots of stakeholders, and agreement through the correct governance process.

A misconception about my role is…

…that mortgage underwriting decision making is always straightforward. We get lots of complicated cases and always take a pragmatic view so that we can do the right thing for customers.

I am responsible for a team of underwriters, so I make myself available to support them with any issues or complex queries they may have

Where possible, we work closely with brokers to try to find out more information that may open up more options for customers. But this has to be done in a responsible manner so, unfortunately, we can’t always help.

My typical day entails…

…I know everyone says this but, honestly, no two days are ever the same, and this is what keeps it interesting.

The first thing I do after making a cup of tea is check my emails and diary. Some days can be back-to-back meetings depending on what is happening in the business, and other days I have more time to work through cases.

I’m very fortunate to be working within an inspirational management team

But generally my day involves interacting with my team to ensure everything is on track.

This could mean reviewing quality to identify trends and training points, or looking at procedures and policies to ensure they fully articulate any changes in a format the underwriters can understand.

I am also responsible for a team of underwriters, so I make myself available to support them with any issues or complex queries they may have.

A perk of the job is…

…apart from hybrid working and having an extra hour in bed, it’s the people who make it special.

We get lots of complicated cases and always take a pragmatic view so that we can do the right thing for customers

I’m very fortunate to be working within an inspirational management team who support each other and the wider department. They are always looking for ways to improve everything from the customer journey to colleague development and engagement.

My favourite work memory is…

…I have quite a few over the many years I have worked at Leeds Building Society.

We are quite a sociable group and we like to have fun, but my standout memory is securing my current role back in 2017. It was great to return to a job in lending after nearly 10 years in credit risk, where I’d built up lots of experience and knowledge I could apply to my new role.

As we are such a highly regulated industry, everything we do has to be right

Having a focus on quality and improvements, I was able to implement changes to the underwriters’ training, which was a proud moment for me.

To unwind after work, I…

…during the week it’s pretty low key but I enjoy cooking and the occasional gym visit or run.

On a weekend it’s generally long walks with my husband and Merlin, and maybe some drinks with friends and family.

This article featured in the April 2023 edition of MS.

If you would like to subscribe to the monthly print or digital magazine, please click here.

Originally Appeared Here

Photo courtesy: Jamestown Chamber of Commerce

JAMESTOWN, N.D. (NewsDakota.com/Jmst Chamber) – Members of the Jamestown Area Chamber of Commerce Ambassador Committee and the Young Professionals of Jamestown presented the Customer Service Award for May to Doug Greb with Dakota Central for his outstanding customer service.

The chamber honors individuals who demonstrate a consistent commitment to delivering products or services that satisfy customers by exceeding their requirements or expectations.

Their nomination letter said:

“I had a client that moved into a new apartment and we had to use assistive technology to gain entrance into the building. Doug installed the assistive tech for us, which took a few hours, and needed another meeting to get it working. Doug went over and above expectations and was so patient, kind, and understanding of the circumstances. On behalf of Triumph Inc., we would like to nominate him for outstanding customer service and for making the lives of the individuals we serve a little easier.”

Congratulations to Doug!

Customer Service Award nomination forms are available at the Chamber office and on their website, or call 701-252-4830.

Originally Appeared Here:

Social media platform Twitter will no longer be a resource to Air France for its customer service. The airline announced last week that it would cease direct message access for customer support.

The announcement comes as Twitter has become a helpful platform for airlines to communicate instead of emails or phone calls. Air France said it would continue to use other social media websites for its customer support.

No longer available

In a Twitter post on Friday, the flag carrier of France cited Twitter’s changes to its conditions as a result of its decision to axe direct messaging with passengers.

Instead of Twitter, customers can continue to contact the airline for customer support through its website, Facebook Messenger and WhatsApp, despite having official profiles on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and YouTube.

Several Twitter users that replied to Air France’s tweet seemed confused over the changes that Twitter had done to make the airline remove customer support access. “What conditions?” one user wrote.

Photo: GB-Photographie | Shutterstock

Another user tweeted, “What exactly changed? @elonmusk love the direct message feature to airlines. This is a surprising move by @airfrance.”

One person explained that the airline’s staff was helpful on the social media platform. “Too bad, your staff was nice and efficient there,” they wrote.

What’s the reason?

The airline’s reasoning appears to be related to Twitter’s recent changes regarding its API (application programming interfaces) conditions. An Air France spokesperson on Friday provided a deeper explanation, according to Skift.

“Twitter’s recent change in access to its API has led us to adapt our commercial policy in terms of customer relations.”

On March 30th, Twitter formally announced newly restructured API tiers, according to The Verge. The platform described that three new tiers, Free, Basic, and Enterprise, would go into effect over the next month. The Free tier allows users to post 1,500 tweets per month at no cost. The other tiers require the user to pay.

The Basic tier is a monthly subscription of $100, giving the subscriber two different levels to choose from. The user lever allows 3,000 tweets per month, and the app level allows 50,000 tweets per month.

The third tier, Enterprise, is designed for companies. Twitter said that it gives the user commercial-level access that meets the company and its customer’s specific needs, as well as managed services. No exact price for the tier was listed, but it could cost companies tens of thousands of dollars, according to another person who replied to Air France’s tweet.

“Twitter started charging enterprises up to $50,000 per month to use their API,” the person wrote.

Other reports have indicated that the tier could cost as much as $42,000. Last week, the New York City metro system reportedly stopped using the social media app for its automated service updates.

Will other airlines follow suit?

Elon Musk bought Twitter earlier this year for $43 billion and warned that significant changes would come to the platform.

Photo: Markus Mainka | Shutterstock

Several airlines use Twitter for customer relations support and have not yet indicated that they would be moving away from the platform like Air France. American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, and British Airways currently encourage passengers to communicate with them through the app. Even Air France’s sister carrier, KLM Royal Dutch Airlines, continues to utilize Twitter as a resource for customer service.

Sources: Skift, The Verge

Originally Appeared Here:

Despite company efforts to update their information flows with sophisticated new messaging and collaboration platforms, high volumes of information are increasingly the norm for most of the workforce. To understand information overload’s costs, causes and potential cures, Gartner surveyed nearly 1000 employees and managers – and found that 38% of employees say they receive an “excessive” volume of communications at their organization. Only 13% say they received less information in 2022 than they did in 2021.

In the same survey, 27% of employees reported that they feel at least somewhat overloaded by information. This means that employees report they are overwhelmed by the number of information sources available at the organization, feel there is no point in keeping track of the information they receive, and spend their day attending so many meetings that they have no energy left for their actual job.

It can be tempting to view this simply as the cost of doing business in a knowledge economy, but feelings of overload come with real productivity costs. For example, the number of employees who understand and are aligned to company strategy drops by more than half when they feel overloaded by information. Further, only 6% of those who feel overloaded by information report they are highly likely to stay with their current company. It is easy to imagine that an overload-induced energy drain could compound pre-existing problems with staff disengagement such as burnout, fatigue, and distrust in leadership.

Burden, Not Volume, Drives Information Overload

Consider a typical day for your average employee. They start with an inbox already brimming with threaded conversations with colleagues, cascaded internal news via large distributions, meeting invitations of all types, solicitations from external vendors, phishing attempts from bad actors, and some stray messages from their intermingled personal life — and then it’s all downhill from there.

Periods of concentration and productivity are derailed by interruptions, and time is wasted searching for critical information among the various platforms.

Information volume, as it turns out, is only a partial driver of information overload. Rather, the real culprit is the information itself — and specifically the degree to which the accessing and interpreting of the information imposes extra “work” on its recipient. This is what we call information burden.

Information burden is defined as a set of information that is:

• Duplicative: 57% of employees and managers say they often receive multiple communications about the same or similar topics at the same time.
• Irrelevant: 47% say that the company communications they receive are unrelated to their day-to-day responsibilities.
• Effort Intensive: 38% say they have to do extra work to keep up with the amount of information they receive at their organization.
• Inconsistent: 33% say that the company communications they receive are often inconsistent or internally conflicting.

Conservatively, an employee wastes 3 hours and 27 minutes per week dealing with information burden. Executive leaders should regard this as unacceptable, especially because they’re impacted too.

Management Is at Greatest Risk of Feeling Overloaded

Complex work situations — like those featuring high levels of change or hybrid work — put employees at a heightened risk of facing information burden. But one population of employees stands out: executive management.

Our research shows that 40% of leaders and 30% of managers report high levels of burden. This is not to be taken lightly: Those that report high burden are 7.4 times more likely to report high decision regret, and 2.6 times more likely to have avoidant or negative responses to change.

The stakes are clearly high: An inability to get control of information at your organization cuts to the heart of your ability to set and deliver on strategy. The current approach to managing information results in many managers being questionably aligned to strategy, avoiding critical business changes, and making bad decisions.

Solving the Problem

Chalk it up to urgent transformation needs or bad habits, but burden is a tragedy of the commons. There are two actions that organizational leadership can take right now that will help alleviate the suffering that all functions are facing.

Step 1: Create a low-burden culture.

Unspoken communication norms prevail in today’s workplace, leaving employees unsure of what good behavior looks like. We establish our own habits for communicating in both our personal and professional lives, and these preferences for email vs. text vs. call vs. apps travel with us.

Constant change only compounds confusion about good behavior. Employees that find themselves collaborating with a new team arrive unsure of whether it’s protocol to chat with leadership over Teams, during office hours, or only through email. Without a mutual understanding of how information should be shared at the organization, employees tolerate dysfunction and feel disempowered to surface dysfunction — and so the cycle of burden continues.

To some degree, allowing personal preferences to reign has enabled systemic dysfunction. Organizations should instead establish clear expectations for how information flows. Shared norms are beneficial for a variety of reasons — they improve psychological safety on teams and empower employees to surface and address instances of channel abuse.

Your organization already does plenty of norm-setting. (Just think of your latest customer-centricity or safety campaign.) There is now good reason to think that information sharing is a behavior that warrants more than our current “anything goes” approach.

One example of signposting for communication norms comes from Dropbox’s Virtual-First Toolkit, which catalogs their recommended use of a mix of synchronous and asynchronous tools and has been featured on their public-facing blog “work in progress.”

For each channel, Dropbox establishes clear boundaries for what to use each channel for, and conversely, what each channel is not so great for. The guidance includes why an employee would make the choice of email over Slack (e.g., “Slack can be noisy, so it’s easy to miss important things and forget to respond. If something is critically important, try email”) as well as which types of activities should be resolved over a meeting.

For an employee who is new, or who moves across teams, understanding the lay of the internal channel land from the start alleviates so many stressors of where to go and what to expect out of their experience.

Step 2: Reinforce accountability from the top.

The phrase “drinking from a fire hose” is a familiar one, but we really should talk more about who’s holding the hose.

In the case of information burden, water is coming from everywhere. Disparate announcements on staffing changes, sales wins, and updated forecasts sent by various department leaders create confusion about what information is most critical or relevant.  Communications and digital workplace teams are constantly introducing new collaboration and productivity platforms, and the legacy messages continue to surface to the top of internal searches.

Part of the challenge of understanding where the burden is coming from is a lack of visibility — each function is narrowly focused on their own pages, apps, or microsites. The second part is the drudgery of administration.

Effective information management is ongoing, cumbersome and requires commitment from all involved. Establishing shared governance over the employee information experience is a mechanism to address both challenges at the same time. It allows stakeholders to align on a shared vision of information management and collectively maintain a user-friendly system.

Align on a Shared Vision

Establishing shared governance requires getting everyone on the same page about where and how employees receive information in the first place. This can be accomplished through focus groups, surveys or even establishing dummy inboxes to mimic the volume of content employees receive in a day. A shared understanding of what the current experience is actually like is necessary to determine what the experience should look like.

The perfect jumping off point for establishing shared governance is the intranet. The resource is shared — every department has at least one intranet page — and the channel is intended to serve as a self-service portal, which means improvements in functionality will help save employees’ time.

One organization, the New South Wales Department of Planning and Energy (NSW DPE), leveraged their shared understanding to act as the building blocks for a recent intranet redesign. NSW DPE created a content council co-led by senior owners of channels and representatives from groups that produce content to set content standards and uphold those content principles for audits. They established two types of audits for the redesigned intranet: a quarterly accuracy review and a biannual experience review to maintain accurate, accessible content and resolve accessibility and functionality issues quickly. As a result, NSW DPE effectively consolidated more than 2,000 intranet pages into fewer than 500, significantly contributing to a low burden culture.

Organizations can start their own shared governance system by bringing together functions that are most responsible for managing channels and employee experience (e.g., HR, Comms, IT). Also important is to include functions whose employees normally face a high volume of information (e.g., customer service, sales) as the consequences of burden on these groups directly impact the organization’s touchpoints with customers.

Information overload is the inevitable result of the modern organization’s always-on, more-is-better approach to communication. Unfortunately, it is also a driver of employees’ disengagement and poor decision making. While we are all, as employees and leaders, affected by this reality, the onus is on the company communicators themselves to craft a low-burden culture. It will require energy, expertise and coordination to architect and reinforce more human-centric communication practices.

Start with the realities of what information is needed and what information is getting in the way in order to nudge your teams toward a series of behaviors where everyone is jointly committed to reducing the information burden they place on their peers and themselves.

Originally Appeared Here