Companies are increasingly adopting artificial intelligence as part of their customer experience. But is it really useful?
Let’s face it, we all have a natural distrust of banks, insurance companies, utility companies and governments. There is a huge list of reasons that you can give for this distrust, but trust me, we all feel it, and the companies that succeed in business will be the ones that win our trust.

#1 Trust is built on the relationships between people

#2 People are our biggest asset

#3 It is relationships that drive all trust

#4 Artificial intelligence should augment human relationships

We trust our friends and family’s recommendations 92% of the time, and advertising from companies only 47% of the time. Therefore, the smartest companies don’t act like faceless corporations – instead, they let the humanity of their team members take canter stage. This human-centered approach can have a profound impact on customer experience.

Customer Behavior
Although a majority of businesses feel that they’re giving their customers great experiences, the latter don’t seem to agree. In fact, only a measly eight percent of customers feel the same way as brands do about the quality of service they’re receiving. This painful realization should act as a wake-up call for businesses to start changing the way they interact and engage with their customers if they want to make them feel more valued.

This is where the Humanity Comes In
According to a study, businesses that focus on human experience and customer engagement outperform the stock market by 133%. The study shows that in order to provide a good human experience, brands need to connect with their customers on a personal level. Customer experience research is a great way to do this because it allows brands to talk directly with their target audience and find out how to cater to them.

Importance of Humanity in Customer Experience
Research has found that 60% of customers would withdraw from doing business with companies that provide unfriendly services. 46% of customers withdraw due to the perception of employees’ limited knowledge, whereas 50% of customers stop doing business with companies they don’t trust. Also, one in three customers have said they would never return to a brand they love just because of one bad service.

It’s important to remember that customers are the bread and butter of any company – without them, businesses wouldn’t be able to function let alone make a profit. Therefore, it’s essential to do whatever it takes to keep them happy whether it’s by providing excellent customer service, being knowledgeable about the product or service, or demonstrating trustworthiness. Companies should also be aware that even one bad experience could cause a customer to never come back – which is why it’s so important to get things right the first time!

Speed, efficiency, and convenience are important to customers when it comes to customer experience. However, more recently, adding a human touch or personalization has been becoming increasingly popular as it allows for a more unique experience. Employees who are knowledgeable and helpful also play a big role in customer experience as they are the ones interacting with the customers on a daily basis.

Less Hassle, More Efficiency
A human touch is always best when trying to build trust with customers – it’s one of the most important aspects of having a live agent to talk to them. This trust leads to a feeling of positive experience which is key for customer retention. Live agents can go off-script when talking to customers, which is out of scope for non-human support systems, making the conversations more free-flowing and convenient. Humans are also capable of listening up to 450 words per minute – this makes them much more adept at problem-solving and picking up on social cues.

Also, if a customer’s interaction history shows that they have been struggling to resolve an issue, live assistance could be offered in order to help. A live agent can aid in understanding the issue from the customer’s perspective – emotionally, mentally, and technically. As a result, the agent can not only solve the problem at hand, but also build long-term relationships with the customer and increase customer satisfaction by 20%.

So why is this the case? Why do we trust our friends and family over companies? The answer lies in the relationship we have with our friends and family. We trust them because they are a part of our lives, and they bring us joy. It’s the same way we relate to companies. As the saying goes, “People don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care”. Therefore, personalization is so important. It’s an opportunity to show that you care. By serving personalization to your customers, you’re showing them that you are invested in them and their needs. In turn, you’ll build trust and increase their willingness to purchase from you. Personalization doesn’t have to be a complex process either. It can be as simple as changing the design of a welcome email to the first name of the customer or a personalized video on an e-commerce site. These simple strategies are easy to implement and can have a big impact on your customer relationships.

We hope you enjoyed this blog post about humanity in the customer experience. As a market research firm, we are always looking at how companies can improve their customer experience. If you have any questions about this blog or about customer experience in general, please don’t hesitate to reach out. We are always happy to help and contact Philomath Research for Market Research, the premier market research company. Visit us at www.philomathresearch.com