In an Age of Automation, Customer Service Still Matters

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In an Age of Automation, Customer Service Still Matters

It’s an age of automation. Expedited checkout, self-service, fewer clicks. These are the driving forces of modern eCommerce, and if ever there was a time when a service representative guided buyers through an online purchase, I don’t remember it. In our growing mastery of expedient acquisition and ownership, we've set aside the need for help from sales specialists and business owners - but is that a good thing?

Buyers are in a position where the next great thing is only ever a few clicks away from their front door. Amazon’s next-day delivery means they probably won’t even have to wait very long, and making purchases directly from a Twitter post keeps them in the zone and off of shopping sites that try to press additional sales or sign-up sheets. People have access to the things they need, in a snap, and that’s great. If anything goes wrong, nine times out of ten it can be solved with the automated creation of a return label and a quick trip to the post office. Nevertheless, that one-in-ten scenario is out there, waiting to complicate their day, and it’s times like these that remind everyone how vital customer service still is in the age of automation.

Most experienced online shoppers know the day. The day when automation simply isn’t enough. When they need a human being to make sense of their situation and guide them to a happy ending. Maybe there was a glitch in their purchase, maybe a non-refundable item just won’t work for them, when things went so awry that their far fetched explanation would send a problem-resolution algorithm spiralling into a flaming nosedive. For the customers of the world, that day is a nightmare - but for the service rep or website owner, days like these are golden opportunities.

Look at it this way: 65% of consumers trust the word of their peers over the word of an expert. Professional reviews can be effective, but a customer review is real, it’s absent of the visible fumes of a bloated marketing budget, and it’s going to put a business in a favourable spot or an unpleasant one. On that dreaded day when additional assistance is required, a savvy business owner or service provider sees an opportunity to provide the light at the end of the tunnel, and they know people will be talking about that experience. These scenarios may not occur as often as they once did (self-serve problem resolution is getting better and better), but having service personnel on hand will separate a web service from the competition when a few minutes of talking will lead to a relieved buyer, a loyal user, and interest from traffic researching your product.

It’s good to move forward and rely on modern technologies to make services simple, efficient, and accessible to the user who wants a speedy, hassle free experience from start to finish. The trick is remembering that in complicated or frustrating situations, users (and people in general) will consistently fall back on what they know - the basics. When looking at a tangled web, a phone call will trump an email and a conversation will trump an attempt to automate the solution; it’s in our nature to fall back on this familiarity. Whether building a full website or a simple app, those positioned to capitalize on familiar, effective utilities will reap the rewards of being the best of the old and the new.

Do you have a memorable customer service experience that put a company on the map for you? Leave your comments in the section below, and check us out on Twitter, Facebook, or Google+ for more! You can also fill out the subscription field below to receive digital design and development tips, news, and infographics, right to your inbox!