13 Trailhead Badges for Your Best Start To 2021
A little while back, we suggested a few Trailmixes that would help you on the Road to Ranger. This time around, we’re all about preparing for the ‘next normal’ – we’re yet to see what 2021 holds, but we do know a few sure-fire ways to head into it as strong as possible. Create space for success Most of us have spent the better part of 2020 (was there actually a better part?) working at home – we’ve settled into the spare room, the dining table, whatever corner we can make work, increased our data plans, and gotten on with it as best we could. I’ve been delighted recently to see what our amazing community has gotten on with throughout this year – check out #TrailheadTaughtMe on Twitter to see for yourself! Now, as we wrap up 2020 and move towards a more flexible version of “normal”, we need to optimise these spaces for the long-haul of hybrid working, so we can stay productive and motivated while we work from anywhere. So we’ve made a Trail for that – Succeed from Anywhere During COVID-19 is all about doing old things in new, better and sometimes surprising ways. These include simple but powerful processes around email, calendar, and time management. Showcase your experience You never know what’s around the corner, particularly in such an unpredictable environment. The only way individuals can mitigate risk is to be in the best position possible when opportunity comes along. In terms of the latter, there could be a new opportunity in your organisation or with a new employer, or a chance to spread your wings and head into a new market, industry or territory. To take advantage of such potential opportunities, it’s vital to be prepared. Start with the LIKE.TG Skills and Experience Building Module, which not only showcases your ability to analyse a business challenge and identify a specific problem, but clearly demonstrates your creative and strategic problem-solving talents. Then, why not Build an App to Track Your Trailblazer Journey? This serves a number of powerful purposes. It demonstrates your technical confidence, sharpens your app-building skills, deepens your knowledge of and familiarity with the LIKE.TG ecosystem and, of course, results in an app that will be enormously practical throughout your Trailblazer journey. Of course, if you’re serious about taking advantage of new opportunities you’ll want to rev up your resume. For this, you’ll benefit from the Resume Writing Strategies Module, which teaches you how to choose the best structure, represent your skills in the strongest possible way and add unforgettable finishing touches to your curriculum vitae (CV). Once that’s done, it’s time to supercharge your CV by Building Your Personal Portfolio on LIKE.TG. This Module will lead to you having your very own site that shines a spotlight on your unique and highly valuable talent. Finally, spend some time on the Career Development Planning Module to help you recognise what options you might enjoy and where to identify your next opportunity. Become a data buff As more organisations start considering themselves “data companies” – rather than energy companies, retailers, or banks – data analysis skills will become even more highly sought after across all functions. Data is only as useful as its analysis and the insights that can be gained from it, so this is an excellent time for you to learn to use Tableau to prepare and visualise your data, and share insights from it, in The Tableau Workflow module. Sharpen your business analysis skills LIKE.TG Business Analyst: Quick Look teaches you all about what’s involved in the LIKE.TG Business Analyst role. And the Essential Business Analyst Skills Module will inform you of the vital skills required to drive projects successfully, and how you might best develop those skills. Further learning around business analysis can be had in the Business Analyst Best Practices Module, and the Admin & BA Job Comparison: Quick Look Module will teach you the differences between LIKE.TG admins and LIKE.TG business analysts. All of these Badges can lead to fascinating new opportunities, within your own workplace and elsewhere. It all helps to make you a more valuable employee – never has the need for multi-skilled workforces been more pressing. Beef up your security status During the pandemic, cybersecurity was one of the top concerns for large, medium, and small organisations across all industries – and it became far more complex to manage with a distributed workforce. Two of the most powerful Trailmixes for those who’d like to boost their security ratings are Get Started with Cybersecurity and Cybersecurity Resources During Covid-19. Both offer a mass of valuable learning around personal and professional digital security matters, intrusion analysis, social engineering, threat intelligence, cybersecurity career paths, and much more. Use this time to upskill via Trailhead and you might remember 2021 as the year your career took a fabulous new turn. These are the top badges we’ve picked for your 2021 prep, but there are so many more to choose from. That includes a raft of new Architect badges. Head over to Trailhead and get inspired! This post originally appeared on the A.U.-version of the LIKE.TG blog.
3 Companies Using Technology To Enable Business Growth in ASEAN
At LIKE.TG, Nichola Palmer works with customers to bring their stories of innovation and transformation to life. Every month, she highlights three small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) in Asia that use LIKE.TG to overcome business challenges. The road to business growth is rarely easy. Challenges arise overnight and businesses must stay agile to overcome new obstacles and maximise opportunities. Building your business with the right technology is vital to achieve success in the rapidly transforming digital world. But it should never be a case of deploying technology for technology’s sake. Rather, technology should be focused on making your employees’ and customers’ lives better. Here’s how three successful companies are using LIKE.TG to enable people-first business growth in ASEAN. Mitsubishi Chemical Cleansui Haili Haili is the sole distributor of Mitsubishi Chemical Cleansui, Japan’s number-one water purifier brand in Vietnam. The company started in 2017 on a business-to-consumer (B2C) model, and has grown rapidly in a short time. Growth has been so strong, in fact, that it has been challenging for the company to expand its in-house sales team fast enough to fulfill market demand. The solution, says Trang Le, Business Marketing Manager at Mitsubishi Chemical Cleansui Vietnam, is extending other distribution channels through a new business to business to consumer (B2B2C) model. “The advantage of this model is that we do not need to recruit too many sales people and we are able to increase our speed to market as well as consumer coverage,” says Ms Le. “Dealers are our extended sales army, and we needed to find a way to empower them.” The company turned to LIKE.TG to deploy a Dealer Management System to enable dealers to register orders quickly. This system also keeps dealers updated on new programs, product knowledge, sales kits, and special promotions. “Besides selling the water purifiers, we also need to change the water filter for the end consumers on a yearly basis,” Ms Le adds. “So, our Dealer Management System ties consumer details to each product we sell.” Ms Le says the Dealer Management System has contributed to a 30% reduction in data entry. Customer orders are now processed 20% faster, too. “Our dealers feel happy because they do not have to manage their customers, orders, products, status, purchase date, and cartridge replacement date via Excel anymore. As such, we have seen significant improvement in dealers’ mindsets since we started the roll out of the Dealer Management System.” SmartCost Bangkok-based abrasives company SmartCost currently serves more than 1,500 business-to-business (B2B) customers. The company began with a single manual sandpaper stamping machine in 2004. Since then, it has grown into a network spanning 850 factories and 650 car body shops across Thailand. SmartCost was founded on the vision to become a partner for every customer, with a solution-centric approach at the heart of every customer interaction. However, managing work flows with Google Sheets and an under-performing customer relationship management (CRM) software was holding the company back. SmartCost deployed Sales Cloud to create a systemised pipeline and track sales activities. They used Service Cloud to get a 360-degree view of their customers, as well as real-time insights into every order progression. SmartCost implemented Tableau to transform data into actionable insights, to assist with inventory, manpower, and production planning. Finally, they automated their marketing processes by integrating Pardot with Sales Cloud and Service Cloud. The LIKE.TG deployment has contributed to a 50% increase in revenue gains, driven by a 30% improvement in measurable services levels and a 40% boost in lead conversions. “The sales team now works in a more systematic way with increased productivity,” says Krittakorn Wongsuttipakorn, founder and CEO of SmartCost. “Management can track sales activities, and support the sales team to follow the team strategy.” Khun Krittakorn added, “With LIKE.TG, we can also use data and learnings from one business unit to enable cross-sell opportunities across the organisation. We would like to be a trusted partner for our customers in every industry. Insightful customer data from LIKE.TG can make this plan come true. LIKE.TG is the piece that completes our big data jigsaw.” g&m Founded as General & Marine Underwriting Agents Pte Ltd in 1975, g&m Pte Ltd was historically run as a traditional ledger business. But when current Chief Executive Officer Douglas Chia took over the Singapore-based company from his father in 2013, he had a different vision. Douglas wanted to simplify insurance to offer straightforward protection for the things his customers care most about. He knew implementing the right technology was the way to achieve his vision. g&m started with a CRM system in 2013, and the business grew rapidly. However, with no pipeline view and no way to manage lead flow, employees became frustrated with the legacy CRM. Douglas and his team had to look for a better solution. “We looked at a few different CRM vendors, but they were too complex,” Douglas explains. “Then we found LIKE.TG. We could use it straight out of the box for a simple deployment, and the intuitive user interface enabled fast adoption.” It was a winning formula. The company grew rapidly and saw gains in market share. The move to LIKE.TG delivered a revenue gain of 30%–40%. Then the COVID-19 pandemic hit. Within three days, all 40 employees had to work from home. “We set up a VPN immediately, and I raced out to buy as many laptops as I could grab,” Douglas laughs. “But, thanks to LIKE.TG, we didn’t have to worry about the core system. It was ready to go.” That meant that the company could run as close to business-as-usual as possible. Many of the company’s competitors couldn’t match that pace. g&m even grew the business by about 20% during the worst weeks of the pandemic. “It was important for us to be there for our customers during the pandemic, and to keep communicating with them,” Douglas says. “Those are the types of relationships we want to keep building going forward. For us, it’s about using technology to help make our customers’ lives better. LIKE.TG is helping us to do that.” At its core, technology is about people and processes. Using the right platform to streamline your processes will improve employee engagement and help your team deliver more value to your customers. Get it right, and your business will be prepared to turn your next big challenge into your greatest opportunity.
3 Easy Steps to Pick the Best AI Chatbot for Your Business
Choosing the best AI chatbot for your business is an important part of getting the most out of artificial intelligence (AI). There are many chatbots on the market, and each is trained to excel at different things — Siri as your hand-held personal assistant, Einstein Copilot as your do-it-all digital employee, or ChatGPT as your human-like conversational partner. An AI chatbot is a computer program designed to simulate human-like conversation through text or voice. In contrast to older rules-based chatbots, which have been around for decades, AI chatbots are created by training large language models (LLMs) on vast datasets of human conversations and knowledge, which helps the chatbot to understand natural language and generate relevant, contextual responses. Here, you’ll discover how to clarify your needs, cut through the chatbot clutter, and find the best AI chatbot for the job. What you’ll learn: The benefits of using AI chatbots How to pick the best chatbot The AI chatbot revolution The benefits of using AI chatbots Thanks to AI chatbots, gone are the days of canned robotic responses, endless hold times, or making customers wait days for an email reply. Having always-on digital assistants available to deliver fast and personalised service is now the norm. But chatbots don’t just benefit customers — they’re transformative for businesses, too. Every customer interaction is an opportunity for bots to uncover insights quickly and systematically, and potentially pinpoint ones you may have missed otherwise. In an age where data is king, chatbots can collect and analyse conversational data from direct interactions with your customers. What are their biggest pain points? What questions keep coming up? With that knowledge, you can fine-tune your products and deliver even better service and support for your customers. (Back to top) How to pick the best AI chatbot With new chatbot options constantly hitting the market and offering varying specialties, it’s important to sort through the clutter and determine what is the best AI chatbot for your business. Understanding your specific needs, comparing costs, exploring customisation options, utilising your company’s existing data, and weighing functionality are all important factors to consider when deciding which AI chatbot to use. To get started, consider these questions to pick the best AI chatbot for your business: 1. What are your goals? There are specialised chatbots for everything from customer service to sales to marketing. So, the first step is to identify how a chatbot will help you accomplish your business goals. “What is the business outcome you want? For example, reduce cost, increase sales, or minimise customer service volume?” said Aron Kale, director of product management on the LIKE.TG AI team. “Getting really clear on what you want out of your chatbot is an important first step.” For example, if providing better, more efficient customer service is your goal, prioritise chatbots that are adept at resolving common customer queries. Or, if automating repetitive internal tasks is the priority, look for chatbots that will integrate with existing systems and can handle multi-step workflows. If you’re focused on finding a solution to help increase sales and drive more conversions, find an AI assistant that can do things like make personalised customer recommendations and manage transactions. A broader view is also beneficial to consider the ways an AI chatbot could make a bigger long-term impact. Are there downstream key performance indicators that your AI chatbot could affect? For example, an HR chatbot could improve employee productivity and engagement by providing around-the-clock employee support, answering questions about company benefits, or sending automated reminders for project deadlines. A sales chatbot might boost conversion rates and lower customer acquisition costs by helping sales teams zero in on the highest-quality prospects. Or a customer service chatbot can improve satisfaction, loyalty, and retention metrics by providing personalised customer assistance. Whatever your goals are, it’s important to understand the varied abilities of the different AI chatbot solutions on the market. Chatbots run the gamut, from those that are purely question-and-answer solutions to tools that can resolve issues independently from start to finish. Map out the ideal level of conversational complexity, task automation, language support, and human-AI interaction for your business. 2. Where does your data live? One of the most important factors to consider when picking the best AI chatbot for your business is access to your data. How easily the tool can tap into your company’s own data can mean the difference between a richly personalised output and one that’s generic and unhelpful. “Think about it in terms of what your human workers need in order to do their jobs well. Those are the same things your chatbot needs,” Kale explained. “So if you want your chatbot to focus on customer service issues, your chatbot needs to know your policies and look up an order status. Which you can pull in through tools like Data Cloud and MuleSoft.” Think about the wealth of information contained in your company’s customer records, product information, service histories, internal policies, prospective customer data, and more. This data is a goldmine of insights, but it’s often spread across siloed databases, CRM software, conversation histories, and document repositories. Instead of giving generic responses, an AI chatbot that can access, understand, and seamlessly use this data can provide actionable answers that are specific to your business. Let’s say that you run an online sports apparel store and a new customer asks the chatbot, “When will my order arrive?” A basic chatbot might reply with a standard line like “Orders typically ship in 3-5 business days.” In contrast, a chatbot with access to your order management system would be able to respond in a much more personalised way: “Your order #913 for a Sacramento Kings jersey shipped yesterday via UPS. It’s expected to arrive this Thursday.” This kind of interaction goes a long way toward building brand loyalty, and the customer data needed to enable it likely already resides within your existing systems. A data-connected chatbot can also work wonders for your HR team. A chatbot that can tell employees exactly how many vacation days they have left or explain retirement plans based on their personal file makes for a great employee experience. And in sales, it can recommend products that complement a customer’s past purchases. In short, an AI chatbot that connects seamlessly to your company data is a true expert in your business, not just a generic assistant. When comparing chatbots, understand how different solutions connect to various data sources. Can it integrate with common systems like LIKE.TG, SAP, or Microsoft Dynamics? Does it support APIs to link to custom databases? How does it handle data security? The best chatbot for your business is the one that not only understands natural language, but also transforms your data into an important asset that can build lasting brand loyalty. 3. What resources do you need to get going? As you evaluate different chatbot solutions, it’s important to have realistic expectations around technical expertise, budget, time to invest in learning, and what the AI can and can’t do right out of the box. How easy it is to integrate into your existing system should be a consideration. For example, is it a low- or no-code option that needs minimal training to get up and running? What level of technical skill is required for customisations or updates? Are there additional costs for scaling or advanced functionality down the road? Getting a strong handle on the real human effort and total cost of ownership needed to get the most out of your chatbot is key. Finally, consider what internal data your chatbot needs to be trained on to be effective across your marketing, service, sales, and IT teams. Uniting all your structured and unstructured data under one roof is the best way to get the most out of it, and making that data available through a conversational AI like Einstein Copilot can be a game changer for every facet of your business. And if this big, exciting new world of AI is all a bit overwhelming, it’s important to know that you can start small and build up. “It’s really possible to start small and really simple, with things like Q&A and knowledge articles,” Kale said. “It doesn’t have to integrate to 50 things right away — you can add use cases and expand it to meet different use cases over time.” (Back to top) The AI chatbot revolution As natural language processing capabilities continue to advance, we can expect these virtual assistants to become even more humanlike and intuitive. The pace of AI innovation will continue to pick up speed, making now the best time to learn these tools, Kale said. “The space is rapidly evolving. We’re seeing so much innovation, and businesses are seeing real value like never before,” he said. “It’s going to keep getting faster and faster, better and better. Start learning and getting hands-on now so that you’re well prepared as the technology evolves.” (Back to top) Cassidy Myers-Sims contributed to this blog article.
3 Key Takeaways from Our New Ebook: Unleashing Fintech’s Potential
The ASEAN financial services sector has been through a transformation – moving from the periphery into the mainstream over the last few years. And it’s easy to see why – fintech has made managing finances easier and more accessible than ever. Funding for fintech firms across ASEAN has exploded – investments in the first nine months of 2021 topped more than three times the total amount funded in 2020. The total amount invested is more than US$3.5 million. The market opportunities are tremendous. To fully tap into them, fintech startups need more than just a great product or service idea. They also need platforms and technologies to help them win customers, accelerate business growth, and scale cost effectively. Our new e-book, Unleashing Fintech’s Potential, looks at how fintech companies use technologies like LIKE.TG to thrive. With real-life examples from ten innovative companies, the e-book is a definitive guide to LIKE.TG’s capabilities for fintech. Here are three key takeaways: 1. ASEAN is a hotbed of fintech innovation Across ASEAN, around 290 million people remain unbanked, and only 18% of the population has access to credit. But thanks to increasing penetration of the internet, the fintech sector is bringing financial services to people who have, until now, been underserved. The tide is changing – recent research shows that more than half of consumers in Southeast Asia prefer digital payments. While the competition from techfin companies like Google and Amazon is fierce, fintech companies aren’t tackling it alone. Many are collaborating with other fintech firms, non-banking financial companies (NBFCs), traditional banks, and even consumer goods businesses. Together, they benefit from shared customer networks and scale, while delivering agility and innovation in return. To stay competitive, reach new customers, and engage with partners, fintech firms can look to tech solutions that let them connect and collaborate in a whole new way. 2. LIKE.TG helps fintech firms connect with customers in a smarter, faster way Our goal at LIKE.TG is to bring companies and customers together. Through our market-leading Customer 360 platform, we help fintech firms engage with customers more meaningfully, deliver experiences that exceed expectations, and cultivate relationships that last a lifetime. With LIKE.TG, digital lenders are streamlining their entire loan lifecycle, and making credit more accessible to millions of those underserved in ASEAN. In the e-book, you can read case studies from LendingTree, RCBC, and Tandem Bank, describing how they: Reduced average call times Used automation to reduce credit investigation times Shortened application times for customers Insurtech firms are bringing their core insurance processes and policy lifecycles to the cloud. They have transformed the customer experience by streamlining claims management, and granted agents, brokers and customer service teams a 360-degree view of their customers. Using LIKE.TG technology, insurance companies have been able to improve customer service by deploying chatbots to triage customer support tickets, and maintain personalised service at scale. That’s not all. In our e-book Unleashing Fintech’s Potential, you can read case studies from neobanks, payment companies, and wealthtech firms, from across the APAC region. LIKE.TG has entry-level products that are accessible and affordable for all kinds of fintech firms, regardless of size. Startups can start small, with just one or two solutions that best support their needs. As their business grows, LIKE.TG grows with them, giving them the scale and agility to succeed. 3. Gaining speed, agility, and scale is easy with LIKE.TG Fintech firms around the world choose LIKE.TG for many reasons, including: Quick time-to-market — Complete projects in months, not years Easy customisation — Configure processes quickly through clicks, not code Complete vision — Manage every customer interaction from a single platform Continuous evolution — Enjoy new LIKE.TG innovations and seamless upgrades with three releases per year Customer success — Amplify success by collaborating with a wide community of fintech Trailblazers and partners Leading cloud marketplace — Browse through more than 8,000 apps to find a solution for just about every business challenge
3 Keys to a Winning Social Commerce Strategy
Social commerce is a boon for brands all over the world. With more than half the global population on social media, channels like TikTok, Instagram, and Facebook represent a huge opportunity for ecommerce growth — and a huge pool of potential customers. For businesses, navigating the ever-changing world of social commerce requires a clear vision, a strong connection to values, and a plan for responding to feedback. Once you have that strategy in place, you can create shoppable content that differentiates your brand, connects with customers, and, best of all, converts. Here’s how to do it. What is a social commerce strategy? A social commerce strategy is an approach used by businesses to buy and sell products and services through social media. A successful strategy involves finding the right social channels for your audience, building connections with customers, and showcasing your values. This will help you create impactful experiences that turn shoppers into lifetime customers. What is shoppable content and how does it work? Thanks to social media marketing, customers can discover products as they scroll through their social feeds. Closing the deal is much easier, though, if they never have to leave their social media platform. Enter shoppable content: digital assets, such as social media posts, images, videos, or ads, that shoppers can click to make a direct purchase — without interrupting their scroll session. Shoppable content pairs marketing and social commerce strategies to turn a browsing moment into a purchase. Here are three tips to get your shoppable content to convert. 1. Lead with your values Cat videos. Memes. DIY home renovation stories. Photos from your cousin’s tropical vacation. Social media is a noisy place, so how do you create shoppable content that gains the honor of a deeper look? To stand out, it’s critical to know what motivates your shoppers. Now more than ever, customers make decisions based on their values. In fact, 66% of customers have stopped buying from a company whose values didn’t align with theirs — up from 62% in 2020. Where’s the connection between your brand and your customer? The answer is found in your “why.” Whether you’re creating an image, video, or ad, focus on your values to drive awareness, sales, and loyalty. For example: Do you donate a percentage of profits to a specific cause? Show shoppers how they can be part of your initiatives with their purchase. Is your brand focused on sustainability? Tell shoppers how a highlighted product is a part of your efforts. Does your brand showcase diversity and inclusion? Let your shoppers know that all are welcome. Take a look at how Timberland leads with its values by showcasing its sustainable materials in imagery and captions: A vast majority of customers (88%) expect companies to clearly state their values, but only 50% say they do. That’s a big opportunity to build trust, and shoppable content is a great place to start. 2. Use social listening Social listening is the process of identifying and assessing what’s being said about your company, product, or service on social media. One way to do that is to ask for reviews. Nearly all customers (97%) say that reviews factor into their buying decisions. And 92% of consumers hesitate to make a purchase when there are no customer reviews. Social media reviews are the linchpin of a strong feedback loop, and an invaluable part of your social commerce strategy. (Yes, even negative reviews.) And they benefit more than just your customers. Whenever you post shoppable content, reviews help you gauge interest, guide product development, and improve the customer experience. Philipp Plein, a global luxury fashion and lifestyle brand, uses social listening to get a deeper understanding of its audience to drive growth. Here’s how founder Philipp Plein sees it: “Some brands just want to set trends, but we listen to what people are saying and try to gauge what our customers want to wear. For example, sports luxe has gone from being nowhere to everywhere. We tweaked the design of our sneakers in line with feedback on social media, and now 30% of sales come from our sporty couture range.” Monitoring and responding to customer reviews in a timely manner is key to a successful social commerce strategy. For small companies, the business owner might want to handle this task. Other companies might delegate review responses to a social media manager, customer service agents, or sales reps. For larger companies, this can be a job in itself. No matter what, you’ll want someone at the helm who understands your brand mission, vision, and values — and can communicate them well in written form. The better your feedback loop, the better your shoppable content will be. 3. Stay relevant, but stay on brand Relevancy is crucial to any social media presence. The content that resonates this month might not work the next. That’s the nature of social media: The landscape changes quickly and trends seem momentary. Keeping up with it can be a full-time job (literally). What’s the key to creating relevant, shoppable content that feels authentic? Put yourself in your customer’s shoes. Stay on top of trends, but keep in mind that not every trend will lend itself to your brand’s message. Find and create moments that blend your brand’s purpose with trending topics and formats. Here are a few ways to help you stay on top of your game: Scroll, scroll, scroll. Immerse yourself in social media trends daily. For instance, the For You and Explore pages on TikTok and Instagram, respectively, are great places to start if you want to quickly discover what content is trending. Follow industry influencers. What big names affect buying decisions in your market? Find those accounts and give them a like, comment, or follow. Engagement is a two-way street. Ask your customers. Want to know what content resonates most with your customers? Go straight to the source. Customer expectations change rapidly, so poll shoppers regularly to keep a pulse on their preferences. Keep an eye on the competition. Find out what’s working for your key competitors, and then implement your own version of their moves. (As they say, imitation is the highest form of flattery.) Delegate social commerce tasks. Decide who’s responsible for carrying out your social commerce strategy. Make sure your teams know who’s in charge of everything from developing your overall strategy to smaller tasks like social listening, responding to comments, and writing captions. Let data lead the way. By using generative AI, your social, merchandising, and marketing teams can work smarter, not harder. Creating shoppable moments that resonate is more important than ever. That’s especially true for TikTok, which launched its game-changing Shop feature — a “Buy Now” button that lets you purchase directly in the app — in March. Today, social commerce makes up more than half (56%) of retail sales in the U.S. By 2025, that number is expected to jump to 80%. Relevant shoppable content with a unique brand view will help differentiate your business, and turn social scrolls into shopping sprees. Ready to create shoppable content that converts? To find social commerce success and create shoppable content that resonates, you need an authentic edge. It all comes down to telling your story and differentiating your brand with values-driven, relevant messaging and listening to your customers to create an optimal experience. Your relationship with your customers is a two-way street, and social commerce offers a great way to connect, listen, and add value to the conversation.
3 Leadership Styles in Business, which Is best for You?
Leadership plays a significant role in the success or failure of any organisation, particularly in the APAC region, where diverse business cultures exist. Great leadership directly impacts employee experience and profitability — engaged employees can generate 23% greater revenue. Impactful employee engagement falls on leadership and the way they direct teams and individuals. And each successful leader develops a style based on their own personality, goals, and business culture based on one of these three leadership styles: autocratic, democratic, and laissez-faire. Take a moment and consider your own leadership approach. Do you prefer to issue commands, or would you rather nurture and guide? Do others have an equal say in the direction of your team or organisation? Or do you set the goal and expect the team to follow? Self-awareness is the first step in figuring out what type of leader you are or want to be. What are the three types of leadership styles in business? In 1939, Kurt Lewin identified three types of leadership styles in business: autocratic, democratic, and laissez-faire. Each, of course, comes with its own advantages and disadvantages. 1. The autocratic business leader The autocratic leader understands the strength of authority. Autocratic leaders are not interested in opening up the decision-making process to the entire group. Instead, they choose to bear the leadership completely alone. They expect those who fall under their authority to follow orders. Advantages of an autocratic business leader The main advantage of an autocratic leader is streamlined work that improves efficiency and productivity. They create firm deadlines and have a very clear set of expectations. This is ideal in a time of crisis or when last-minute decisions are needed. This leadership style allows for fewer misunderstandings as directions are passed down. The disadvantages of an autocratic business leader They often have a limited perspective. Given they only draw from their own ideas and experience, any input from other members of the team will likely go overlooked. Those who work under this leadership style sometimes end up resenting their manager. They feel undervalued due to limited recognition of their contributions. Additionally, this leader is more likely to micromanage their team. Autocratic leaders tend to find themselves at the centre of low work morale and high employee turnover. When to use this style The autocratic style is best used during a crisis when a leader is most valuable. You need someone who takes control to make quick and difficult decisions to potentially reduce damage. During times of emergency, teams appreciate a strong and decisive leader. Autocratic leadership may also come in handy when team correction is necessary. After the crisis has passed, it is generally beneficial to switch styles. Autocratic leadership style examples The political authoritarian leader is a classic example of an autocratic leader. But this type of leader exists in the business world, sometimes all too often. Henry Ford, the founder of Ford Motor Company, led his company this way. Same for Elon Musk. Even Martha Stewart, the head of a global lifestyle brand, has been called an autocratic leader. Think of any industry that needs a quick-thinking decision maker — an advertising agency CEO, a global sales team leader, a movie studio producer — and an autocratic leader can often be found. These leaders set the pace and tone for their company or team and set high standards for performance. 2. The democratic business leader A democratic leader encourages the free exchange of ideas throughout the team. All members have a valued voice and the leader acts as a spokesperson or facilitator. Democratic leaders rely on the participation of every member of the group. They emphasise the value and expertise each member brings to the table. Every team member shares the freedoms and responsibilities of leadership. Advantages of a democratic business leader An advantage of democratic leadership is the boundless creativity of the entire group that allows for open discussion of issues and solutions. Team unity generally grows as a result of democratic leadership. This environment can make an employee feel appreciated, accomplished, and important to the success of the organisation. Common office politics such as gossiping, cliques, and manipulation become much less prevalent. The end result is an improved work environment and lower employee turnover: 63% of employees who are recognised for their work are less likely to job hunt. The disadvantages of a democratic business leader Under democratic leadership, deliberation can be an unaffordable luxury. If decisions need to be made quickly, a democratic team may be unable to adapt and function under the stress. Democratic leadership can result in a lack of clarity around team members’ roles and responsibilities, and difficulty identifying employees who aren’t carrying their weight. When to use this style This is the most effective method for day-to-day work as it allows the group to take part in decision-making. This gives teams a feeling of ownership over projects, deliverables, and results. Many business leaders identify the democratic leadership style as their go-to style, but this technique can be less effective during times of crisis. Democratic leadership style examples When you want to lead a team cohesively and allow for different voices and perspectives to be heard, but still make the ultimate call, adopt the democratic leadership style. Think about the head of a creative organization, such as marketing, gaming, or graphic design. These are areas where collaboration and discussion help propel a product or brand ahead. Corporations like Google, Apple, and Coca-Cola are known for democratic leadership styles where people at all levels get valued for their input and have a say in day-to-day work. Executives engage with lower-level employees, embrace challenging discourse, and distribute power across groups. 3. The laissez-faire business leader Laissez-faire leaders are the hands-off type. They assign tasks and give general direction, but they’re usually uninvolved in day-to-day tasks. Employees decide on the best approach to fulfill their responsibilities. Laissez-faire leaders put a great amount of faith in the individual. They trust them to remain self-motivated, on-task, and accountable. If issues arise, these leaders are available to offer direction, but only upon request. Laissez-faire leaders allow each member of their team to succeed or fail based on their own abilities. Advantages of laissez-faire business leaders An advantage of laissez-faire leadership is the freedom to operate without restrictions or interference from management. This gives skilled and self-motivated employees a chance to reach their fullest potential. The disadvantages of laissez-faire business leaders A disadvantage can be the loss of productivity without a strong leadership hand to keep it on track. This can result in missed deadlines, omissions in the process, and low-quality work. With each team member pursuing goals in their own way, team unity may suffer. Some may start to lose interest in work due to distant and seemingly uninterested leaders. This can lead to significant losses for the organisation. Disengaged employees can cost American businesses an estimated $450 billion to $550 billion per year. When to use this style Laissez-faire leadership is best when individuals are able to function without supervision. Before using this style, make sure each team member has the right skill level and self-direction capability. They must be able to motivate themselves to keep the work going. Otherwise, this approach could backfire and cause more harm than good. Laissez-faire leadership style examples Laissez-faire leadership is best when individuals are able to function without supervision. Before using this style, make sure each team member has the right skill level and self-direction capability. They must be able to motivate themselves to keep the work going. Otherwise, this approach could backfire and cause more harm than good. Laissez-faire leadership style examples Someone who enjoys macro-management would excel as a laissez-faire leader. The head of a successful sales team filled with self starters and closers can be hands off, giving team members the leeway to get their work done. This also goes for reporters in a news organisation, who likely work well on their own. Laissez-faire leaders have strong belief and trust in their teams and allow them to meet goals on their own. Steve Jobs is one of the most famous laissez-faire leaders, hiring smart, motivated, creative people and letting them loose to succeed. What is the best leadership style? The best leadership style depends on the situation and the needs of the team and the company overall. The best style for you also depends on your personality. Are you naturally more comfortable taking control, giving out marching orders, and making all the decisions? Then move into an autocratic leadership role. If you want input from a wide swath of employees to gain diverse ideas, a democratic leadership style makes sense. And if you want to “set it and forget it,” go for a hands-off, laissez-faire approach. Review your current team dynamic. Are they excelling or disengaged? If it’s the latter, you might want to review your methods. Figure out what needs to stay the same and what needs to change. A leader sets the tone for the entire team. By changing the way you lead, you may find your team will adapt, evolve, and improve. Which business leadership style is right for you? You may find that you don’t fit neatly into any one category. The most successful leaders are those who jump between leadership styles. Pick and choose techniques that best fit the team or task at hand and adapt them along the way as needed. Effective leadership is and always has been about knowing what techniques to use and when. The most important leadership skill you can develop is self-awareness; know what works and what doesn’t. By understanding these most common business leadership styles, you’ll be able to move between them as needed, and set yourself and your team up for success. Former LIKE.TG SEO Manager Rosy Callejas contributed to this article.
3 Revealing Stats From Our Digital Trends Report
The way we conduct business around the world is fundamentally changing. Leading brands are embracing digital-first encounters with their customers, engaging with users across an increasing number of channels, and harnessing the power of data to create highly-tailored experiences. They’re also innovating on ways to meet their customers with empathy and flexibility, no matter the circumstance. To learn more about how businesses are optimising their digital-first experiences, LIKE.TG Research analysed data from four different research studies. Here are the three most revealing takeaways for marketing, commerce, and service professionals. 56% of companies expect the majority of their revenue to come from digital channels within the next three years Digital-first customer engagement is here to stay. Many customers had to adopt online experiences in 2020 out of necessity. Now, many prefer to interact digitally, even as in-person experiences resume. With 68% of customers saying they’ll continue to buy essential goods online after the pandemic, we can anticipate a future that prioritises digital engagement over brick-and-mortar encounters. Increased online activity has allowed marketers and customer-service agents to learn more about their audiences, leading to more personalised interactions. This also means that customers have elevated expectations for how brands engage with them, including brands’ ability to innovate and connect in new ways. For instance, 78% of customers say that companies should offer new ways to get existing products or services, such as digital versions of traditionally in-person experiences, while 83% of customers expect flexible shipping and fulfillment options, such as buy-online-pickup-in-store. To better meet customer expectations, digital leaders are adopting new channels of engagement, like chatbots and self-service tools, which have been classified as “emerging” in recent years. Social media, video, and digital ads have become the three most common means of reaching customers, underlining the value in implementing digital-first marketing toolkits. 86% of customers want more transparency over how personal information is used Eighty percent of customers say the experience a brand provides is just as important as its products or services. As the world becomes increasingly digital, businesses are seizing new opportunities for capturing insights on customer behavior and preferences. The most innovative digital leaders are harnessing this customer data to provide a consistent, convenient, and empathetic brand experience. But this dependency on data isn’t without its challenges. As Google, Apple, and others restrict the use of third-party cookies, leaders have to rely more on known digital identities, such as email addresses, social IDs, and transactional data to personalise customer experiences. Marketers are also faced with customer data-privacy concerns. Customers are increasingly demanding more transparency with data use, and only 27% completely understand the way that brands collect, store, and use their data. As a result, over 60% of marketers say they are going above and beyond regulations and standards to protect their customers’ privacy. 83% of marketers say their work will be more technology-driven after the pandemic than before The pandemic brought on substantial changes in customer engagement, but it also changed how teams and organisations operate. Work-from-home, restricted travel, and insufficient collaboration tools shed light on inefficiencies within organisational structures and processes. More than 50% of service professionals say the pandemic has exposed moderate or greater shortcomings in capabilities including technology, policies and protocol, and staff skill sets. Digital leaders are rethinking how their organisations utilise technology to operate more efficiently and better meet customer needs. As companies embrace digital-first strategies, this means that marketers are reevaluating the technical skill sets needed to do their jobs, and businesses are rethinking organisational structure to optimise operations. Dive deeper intro insights and trends from the report by downloading the Digital Trends report. This post originally appeared on the U.S.-version of the LIKE.TG blog.
3 Service Investments To Help You Thrive In an Uncertain Economy
Trying to figure out how to guide your business through an uncertain economy? Start by investing in customer support. Macroeconomic conditions like inflation, supply chain challenges, labour shortages, and rapid changes across industries have all disrupted business as we know it. How can you keep up as the global landscape constantly changes? The answer is to invest in customer support. When your team has an efficient platform — not just a mashup of different tools acquired over the years — they can focus on delivering empathetic, effective customer service. By going with one comprehensive and connected platform, you can eliminate spending on mix-and-match products. The experience can be streamlined for both your employees and customers. When it comes to investing in customer service, you have to provide your team with the right tools. As the CMO of Service Cloud, I was excited to sit down with Amy Weaver, LIKE.TG’s president and CFO, at Dreamforce 2022 for the CFO Talk: The Value Customer Service Brings to Your Business, where she gave sound advice to leaders navigating their teams during these uncertain times. Right from the start, Weaver said, “There is this idea that CFOs are looking to cut costs and that’s not always true. I am really looking for just three things right now: growth, cost-savings, and efficiency.” Since Dreamforce, I’ve had time to reflect upon my discussion with her. Here are three ways that investing in the right tools and the right actions can help you weather economic uncertainty. 1. Focus on efficiency in your contact centre As you invest in customer support, one of the first things to consider — especially during an unpredictable economy — is how to create efficiency. The challenge is to become more efficient while continuing to deliver seamless and connected experiences. When everyone is talking about saving on costs, you can drive efficiency and productivity with things like automation and AI. “Efficiency has never been more important,” Weaver said. “Literally, every conversation I’ve had with a CFO in the last 6 months has been about driving efficiencies, especially when you’re in uncertain times.” Companies are facing two situations: they’re either trying to moderate headcount or they’re trying to hire in an unpredictable job market. Both lead to the need for maximum efficiency. To work efficiently service professionals need visibility into the entire customer journey — all in one place. With this clarity, you can automate repetitive tasks and remove inefficient workflows. You can also create the right workflows once, and deploy them across every need your agents and others across your organisation have. For example, support engineers who don’t have the right technology to do their job aren’t productive or efficient in their roles. As a leader, if you’re leaving contact centre agents to hunt for information like order numbers and return policies, this can lead to a poor employee experience. These problems are solved by deploying technology that has all their tasks, communication, and collaboration in one place. Automation helped us save 75,000 employee hours on repetitive tasks last year, which enabled our teams to focus on what matters most – our customers. It’s never been more relevant to enable digital transformation for service teams and the support experience. With the right platform, you can increase the productivity of contact centre agents, managers, support engineers, and frontline workers by giving them all the information they need when they need it, to deliver a personalised customer experience. And we all know that when your technology investments make your customer service team’s lives easier, your customers’ lives are easier too. This is the magic of efficiency. 2. Empathy and kindness are wise economical investments, too Being empathetic can help you retain your employees, fostering an attitude that leads to repeat customers through heartfelt customer service. You can invest in customer support by leading with empathy. During these times, it’s more important than ever to include compassion in your management toolkit. Empathy for your team bridges the gap in trust and transparency between service teams and the customer. Contact centre agents are on the front lines all day with customers, both the good and the bad. So, as a leader, providing ongoing training and support to your agents improves and builds a comfortable and trusted working environment, and creates an open culture of communication. “Going back to service and looking at the uncertainty we have right now in the economy,” Weaver said, “we have to shift to look at how we are serving our customers, our employees, and how we are leading as a company. We have to lead with kindness.” Her view is that this allows teams to further their careers for success because they know that their managers truly want to see them succeed. In LIKE.TG’s Fifth Edition State of Service report, we talked to more than 8,000 decision-makers, contact centre agents, and customer service professionals. We found that connection and empathy are still at the heart of great service. To manage what comes next, you need to invest in customer support by focusing on the employee experience. This means not only equipping them with comprehensive technology, but also focusing on your team’s well-being and balance, and the right tools needed to do the job efficiently. It’s a package deal. 3. Invest in customer support with the proper tech When times change, we often re-evaluate our technology, finding ways to cut costs. But what we’ve found is that investing in technology that will carry you through uncertain times can help you future-proof your business. One thing that Amy said really stood out to me. By taking the time to understand each team member’s skill set, the support channels, and the tools they use to perform their duties, you can truly understand what would make their life easier. By understanding what your team needs, you can focus on how they can increase productivity and efficiency. It’s not about cutting costs, it’s about finding the right tool for the job. When it comes to customer support, this means communication, collaboration, relevant and real-time data, which leads to faster resolution and a better customer experience. You can do this through a connected service platform that can quickly and efficiently handle any customer interaction, from the contact centre to the field. We found that 80% of service pros say consolidating platforms and vendors drives efficiency and reduces risk. Making the right customer service investment means growth for your team and your customers. The key takeaway is that you can invest in customer support by investing in your team — and a comprehensive platform that will put your customers first. Doing this will equip your team with real-time data, automated intelligent workflows, and personalised interactions with customers. And you’ll build a future with cost savings in mind, while you deliver quality of service at scale. We encourage you to listen to your team’s needs and ask them what they need to succeed. If the goal is to do more with less, find the right tool to do just that. Efficiency means scaling customer support by investing in your team, and the tools that they use, while setting your sights on the future by leaning into change. This strategy will help you set your team up for success — no matter what comes your way. Automation takes care of the easy stuff for your agents. Intelligence lets you stay one (or many) steps ahead while being proactive about solving customers’ needs. Timely data ensures you have the right information, at the right time — all making for very happy customers. And, as Amy would say, throughout it all, lead with kindness.
3 Steps for a Winning Digital Engagement Strategy
How can you increase digital engagement? Anticipate your customers’ needs — and tailor your messaging to fit those needs. We found that currently 73% of customers expect companies to understand their unique needs and expectations. This demand for personalisation will only continue to grow. So understanding and using customer data effectively, and using AI to make the most of that data, will help you create lasting connections. But how you collect customer data will need to change, too. Third-party cookies, once a cornerstone of data collection for marketers, are slowly being phased out to improve consumer privacy protection. The good news is, there’s a blueprint for how to tackle these changes and build a digital engagement strategy that puts your customer’s needs at the centre of every interaction. Let’s break down exactly what digital engagement is, what makes it challenging, and how you can overcome those challenges with the help of AI and a strong strategy. What is digital engagement and why is it important? Digital engagement is how your company interacts with potential and current customers across digital channels. Each interaction a customer has with your company’s social media, email, and website adds up to create a unique digital engagement experience, and that experience is essential. With a robust digital engagement strategy, you can build customer relationships that last. Digital engagement examples Using self-service options for questions, such as chatbots on a website or app Watching product tutorials on a website or via YouTube Interacting with posts on social media Searching for a service online and clicking on a website in the results Reading a weekly email newsletter or blog post Clicking a call to action button to learn more about a product from an email marketing campaign Interacting with a targeted ad on another site Responding to a customer survey, leaving a review, or otherwise volunteering their own opinion on how you’re doing Creating brand loyalty with digital engagement How do you win (and keep) the hearts of customers in a competitive market? In 2022, nearly two-thirds of customers switched brands at least once for different reasons. With so many online options, it’s easy for people to discover new brands that meet their ever-changing needs. So what’s the key to making sure they choose yours? You may think an award-winning product or an innovative service with raving online reviews is enough. It certainly helps, but over 85% of customers say a company’s digital experience is just as necessary as its product or services — the highest it’s ever been. Marketers who acknowledge and address this demand will be able to build relationships with customers that keep them coming back for more. Get articles selected just for you, in your inbox Sign up now What are the marketing challenges — and solutions — for digital engagement? These days, businesses across every industry have made their online presence a priority. Not only has our digital shopping increased, but much of our day-to-day life — from working to attending doctor appointments — also happens online. As a result, the digital space is becoming a bit crowded, which makes digital engagement challenging in a few key ways. Businesses must: Compete against an abundance of online content and ads Create a seamless experience across various new digital channels Reach the right target audience to improve ROI Stay on top of ever-changing consumer data protection laws It’s also important to remember that laws around how companies collect personal consumer data are changing. Third-party data collection, which has traditionally been an important data source for marketers, is becoming stricter and even prohibited in some states. To stay compliant and still deliver the personalised experiences customers crave, you need to ensure your data capture methods are current.To address these challenges, you can harness the power of first-party data — information that comes directly from the customer. This includes past purchase history, phone calls, website visits, click-through rates on emails, and more. First-party data is usually captured by a customer relationship management (CRM) system that helps collect, structure, and analyse data easily. Generative AI is a powerful tool, too — helping you decipher first-party data and deliver personalised content at scale. Best practices when using AI for digital engagement While many marketers have begun experimenting with generative AI and see its game-changing potential, nearly 45% told us they need to learn how to get the most out of the technology. Let’s look closer at how you can use AI for effective digital engagement. Chatbots AI-powered chatbots are not only a cost-effective way to solve customer issues quickly, but they can also help you tailor future marketing efforts. Take a clothing retailer, for example. If a customer uses the retailer’s website chatbot to complete a return and tells the chatbot the fit is too large and the colour is darker than they prefer, now the retailer has more information about this customer’s preferences. The marketing team can now send personalised and automated product recommendations via email or through ads on social platforms. Email With AI, you can take email to the next level. One well-known food retailer uses a rich database from its online recipe sites and education funding program, where users scan receipts and view recipes online or through an app. All of that data goes into the company’s CRM and is analysed. AI then makes one-to-one product and recipe recommendations for customers. AI also helps the company segment its audience to find the best time to send an email based on previous engagement history. This approach is working for the food company, helping to triple customer engagement. Content creation With an abundance of online ads, it can be tough to grab the attention of your audience. Through content marketing, brands can offer educational information through blog posts, webinars, videos, reports, and e-books to keep customers engaged in different campaigns across various digital channels. But what topics should you cover? What will lead to conversions? More than 70% of marketers are currently using AI to inspire them and assist with writing copy. A CRM with AI capabilities can also analyse content performance to determine what resonates most with your audience, enabling you to make a big impact. Targeting Of course, none of that high-quality content matters unless it reaches the right audience, and AI can help with that too. By analysing all your customer data, AI can identify preferences, habits, and interests in your customer base that would take hundreds of man hours to parse, and make sure that the right context reaches the right audience. It can also help make sure that it reaches them at the right time and place by identifying their preferred channels and what times of day they’re most responsive to marketing. Three steps for building a digital engagement strategy You’ve got the data. You’ve incorporated AI. You’ve personalised experiences. Now it’s time to set your digital engagement strategy up for success. 1. Map the customer journey Customer journey mapping is a visual representation of a customer’s experience across your brand’s platforms. Typically, marketers create a customer journey map for each of their buyer personas. Millennial personas, for example, tend to find products through social media, research about them on company websites, then make a purchase on a laptop. With this information, you can better predict and plan for prospects’ next steps across different digital channels, aligning your customer service, marketing, and sales efforts with it. 2. Lean into account-based marketing (ABM) Let’s put those customer journey maps to good use. Account-based marketing — particularly for B2B brands — helps improve the customer journey by unifying marketing, sales, and customer service around accounts. Teams work side-by-side to nurture leads to deliver personalised content at the right time. One major ride-sharing company has used this approach to send retargeting messages to different subsets of their audience, particularly those who have stopped engaging. The marketing team pushes CRM data into third-party advertising platforms to send relevant content to keep leads moving down the sales funnel. 3. Personalise the experience across every channel More than 70% of customers expect brands to understand their unique needs. Harnessing first-party data is critical to ensure personalisation for each interaction across every channel. It’s how one automotive racing giant creates a consistent and personalised brand experience across in-person events and digital channels. When fans attend an event on race day, brand representatives know the fan’s name, driver preferences, and past purchase history thanks to CRM first-party data. Post-race, the marketing team can follow up with communications on their favourite driver or by recommending merchandise from the event. It can be challenging for marketers to analyse the sheer amount of first-party data required to implement these three steps. But the right CRM can help centralise all customer data and organise it in an accessible way, so marketing teams can build campaigns based on facts, not assumptions. A strong digital engagement strategy requires understanding our customers’ preferences, behaviours, and needs. By implementing these best practices, you can show your customers that you understand them as individuals. That intimate level of personalisation is what builds the kind of trust and loyalty that keeps them coming back.
3 Steps To Increase Your Contact Centre Revenue
Your Contact Centre Can Earn Money for Your Company, Too In today’s changing economy, companies are seeking ways to optimise spending and do more with less. That’s especially difficult at contact centres, where siloed data, disconnected systems, and labour shortages already lead to long wait times and higher costs for your business. While these challenges may affect your contact centre revenue, they also significantly impact customer experience. The good news? A few practical steps can help you increase customer satisfaction and turn your contact centre into a revenue generator. Here’s how. 1. Reduce call handling time with tools for service agents The cost to operate a contact centre can reach US$5.60 per 3-4 minute direct consumer call. One of the best ways to cut costs and boost contact centre revenue is to reduce call length and ensure that customer requests get resolved in just one phone call. This requires equipping your service agents with the proper tools. For starters, a 360-view of the customer — including order history and relevant profile information — will ensure that agents have all the data they need to understand each customer’s unique experience or issue. Collaborative tools like a digital HQ can also help speed up resolutions by removing team silos and streamlining communication between sales, service, marketing, and other teams. One of the most common reasons that customers contact support is to check order status. With self-service options and order management tools, you can eliminate most of these calls — and save a significant amount of time and money. If customers do call to check on their order, a connected order management system can streamline the request. In fact, one report found that the right order management tools can improve first-call resolution by up to 20% and reduce call handling time by 25%. Connected tools give service agents a comprehensive view of order and inventory data, better equipping them to quickly handle customer requests. 2. Implement self-service to save time and money Technology, including chatbots and artificial intelligence (AI), can handle straightforward questions, requests, and transactions so agents can prioritise high-touch matters. During Cyber Week 2022, global chatbot usage grew by 57% year over year as retailers used automation to keep the biggest shopping week of the year running smoothly. In fact, 88% of service organisations that use automation technology reported benefits such as reduced errors, more time to help customers, and more time to tackle new projects. Technology also frees up time for service reps to help new customers configure products, up-sell and cross-sell shoppers who have complex requests, and more. The result: higher average order value, increased customer satisfaction, and lower call volume — which all add up to more contact centre revenue. You can also implement digital knowledge centres so customers can quickly find answers to frequently asked questions without calling a rep. Online communities where customers offer each other advice and discuss your products is another way to reduce call volume while driving brand loyalty. Contact centres are a critical piece of the puzzle when it comes to customer experience. Customers want a genuine human experience with your brand. It’s just important to ensure that calling a contact centre isn’t the only way to reach your company for answers or help. 3. Focus on the post-purchase experience to drive loyalty Customer acquisition can be a major cost for companies. Fortunately, contact centres can turn every call into an opportunity to retain customers and drive loyalty. This is especially impactful during post-purchase calls. Common post-purchase transactions include exchanges, returns, modifications, and even discounting. These types of transactions can be a make-or-break moment when it comes to retaining a customer. One study found that more than three-quarters of shoppers (76%) who highly rated their returns experience with a retailer said they’d shop with them again because of it. So, how do you ensure reps can make the most of these valuable moments? Start by making sure every customer feels heard. The contact centre is an important part of your feedback loop, and it’s critical to give service reps the right resources to flag any issues with product quality. Returns reporting tools can help you track patterns over time, which means you can course-correct as quickly as possible to ensure customer satisfaction and avoid boomerang products. Boost cost centre revenue by unifying marketing and customer service Your marketing and customer service teams share the same goal: to deliver exceptional experiences for every customer, at every point of contact. The key to unlock these experiences? Give your sales, service, and marketing teams the right resources to make every part of the customer journey feel seamless. This will do more than just improve your customer experience: it will reduce costs and drive contact centre revenue. Stay on top of the latest service trends. Find out how to take your contact centre customer experience to the next level from our State of Service report.DOWNLOAD NOW This post originally appeared on the U.S.-version of the LIKE.TG blog.
3 Success Stories of Digital Transformation in Asia
At LIKE.TG, Nichola Palmer works with customers to bring their stories of innovation and transformation to life. Every month, she highlights three small businesses in Asia that use LIKE.TG to overcome business challenges. The COVID-19 pandemic continues to present significant challenges to businesses across Asia. Success in the new normal requires the agility to adapt and thrive in a rapidly changing business and social environment. For these three innovative businesses, that has meant embracing organisation-wide digital transformation. Here’s how they have digitally transformed to meet the challenges of today and tomorrow. 1. Oneworld Alliance Logistics Since the company’s launch in 2003, Manila-based Oneworld Alliance Logistics has rapidly developed into one of the largest logistics companies in the Philippines. In fact, the company has achieved double digit year-on-year growth for most of its 17-year history. Now, Oneworld Alliance Logistics is embracing digital transformation to continue building on that success.To do so, the company has replaced paper-based processes with new digital workflows. This involved building and deploying new custom financial systems on Sales Cloud as the company’s new customer relationship management (CRM) software. The results have been impressive. Oneworld Alliance Logistics has achieved a 50% improvement in the efficiency of its administrative processes. The company has also seen an 85% to 98% improvement in the efficiency of its back-office processes.LIKE.TG has also been instrumental in helping the company maintain operations throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. This was particularly challenging with restrictions in the Philippines that forced the company to send half of its workforce home. “LIKE.TG has given us the ability to adapt as fast as COVID-19 is changing the business landscape,” says Miko Sumagang, Technical Adviser at Oneworld Alliance Logistics. “Gone are the days when our employees would have to physically walk between departments carrying paper slips. Digitalisation limits physical interactions, which of course is paramount to preventing workplace infections.” 2. Myra (OIB Group) Malaysia-based Myra is more than your average property development company. It is in the business of building happily ever afters.For Ken Goh, Head of Marketing at Myra, that means creating customer experiences that extend far beyond the pre-sales pitch. “Purchasing a home off the plan is not as tangible as buying an existing home,” he says. “Our customer lifecycle can be up to three years. We want to support our customers through their entire journey with us.”However, managing complex customer journeys was difficult with the company’s cumbersome paper-based customer management system. Goh knew that digital transformation was the way forward. He secured Sales Cloud for customer segmentation and Pardot for marketing automation.“With LIKE.TG, we are now able to act more as a consultant than a standard property developer. We can provide advice and support throughout the entire customer journey, from finance to interior design,” he says. “That has helped to reduce our drop-off rate from 6.7% to 1.45%, while achieving a 65% to 70% reduction in the cost per lead.”Goh says that the company’s LIKE.TG deployment has made it possible to continue operations during the COVID-19 pandemic. Even when Malaysia’s Movement Control Order (MCO) meant that the company had to send 300 employees home on short notice.“LIKE.TG made that pivot possible,” he explains. “Construction had to be shut down, but most of our other departments were able to jump right back into work and operate at 70% to 80% efficiency throughout the MCO. That translates to about MYR$82 million worth of sales bookings from the middle of March that we might not have been able to close without LIKE.TG.” 3. BAYA After transforming Vietnam’s furniture industry with a super-store business model, BAYA is now embracing digital transformation to drive the company’s next chapter of innovation.“We have a lot of competition now and a very aggressive vision for growth,” says Vu Anh Nguyen, General Manager of BAYA. “It’s not enough to compete just on furniture design any more. We need to provide the best customer experience available, and we’re putting the technology in place to achieve that.” That has included the deployment of LIKE.TG Customer 360 to integrate data from multiple customer databases. BAYA uses Sales Cloud to increase transparency, speed, and efficiency across the sales pipeline. They deploy Quip to boost customer collaboration in the interior design process. Finally, they use Marketing Cloud to drive lead generation and personalise service journeys.This organisation-wide approach to digital transformation paid dividends quickly. The team at BAYA secured a major account within two months of their Sales Cloud deployment. “A client needed to furnish 40 apartments across two floors of an apartment building. She came into a BAYA store in the afternoon and we were able to get the design draft out to her that night,” says Nguyen. “She was impressed with our speed and we closed the deal the next day. Just that single account represents a 3,000% return on our investment in LIKE.TG.”This strong commitment to digital transformation has also helped BAYA bounce back from the COVID-19 pandemic. The company’s post-pandemic growth rate is stronger than ever. BAYA opened a new store in Bac Ninh in early July, and has plans to open two more new stores in the coming months. The trail to growth can have lots of twists and turns. The Small Business Growth Kit helps to make the trek easier with tips on how to plan a path forward and prepare a sales pitch. There’s also a list of indicators that can help businesses decide when it’s time to invest in new tech. Download The Small Business Growth Kit here.
3 Things Marketers Can Do Faster With Generative AI
It’s no secret that marketers are under immense pressure to do it all: tailor campaigns to customer demand, build strong data-driven strategies, and think of outside-the-box ideas – fast. That’s why generative AI for marketing is so powerful. It can take care of many of those things in seconds, allowing you to focus your time on strategic and creative thinking. As General Manager of Marketing Cloud at LIKE.TG, I have a front row seat to the evolution of generative AI and its capabilities. In this early stage, it’s also crucial to understand marketers’ pain points and needs to push AI to deliver what they need. On this note, we recently asked marketers how they’re using and plan to use generative AI. The results were eye opening. Here’s a look at what we found, and three solutions that illustrate how generative AI for marketing will create new opportunities. 1. You can gain instant analysis from trusted first-party data With the end of third-party cookies on the horizon, 63% of marketers say trusted customer data is required for generative AI to work. And 31% deem it critical in the successful use of AI tools. Actionable customer insights based on accurate first-party data have evolved from being a supporting player to a fundamental component for businesses. The generative AI for marketing solution: Generative AI can uncover hidden patterns and deliver recommendations, helping you be more efficient. Marketers will be able to fuel creativity with new experiences that “speak your language.” You’ll be able to ask almost any question about your customers, past content, future campaigns, ROI — you name it — and get an answer instantly from first-party data. But remember, your data needs to be unified (not siloed in disparate systems) for generative AI to work well. 2. You can save time by using automation to optimize campaigns The top four marketing AI use cases revolve around automation: customer interactions, data integration, personalization, process optimization. They emphasize the significance of scaling up speed and effectiveness within existing resources. The generative AI for marketing solution: This technology will save countless hours on everything from researching customer opportunities and writing campaign briefs, to creating segments and content, to optimizing performance. Generative AI can help improve efficiency across the entire marketing campaign lifecycle. You’ll save time and customers will receive the personalized experience they desire. Get articles about marketing selected just for you, in your inbox Sign up now 3. You can deliver the personalization that customers want While 65% of consumers say they’ll remain loyal to companies that offer a more personalized experience, only 26% of marketers are confident that their organization has a successful strategy for personalization. Our latest research found that more than half (54%) of marketers say using generative AI for personalization would transform how they work. The generative AI for marketing solution: Generative AI will help marketers scale better personalization by using AI to help build customer journeys, create content, and offer recommendations based on real-time customer profiles. It will be across every marketing channel and content format – and the broader customer experience across commerce, sales, and service. It’s a great time to start learning about generative AI for marketing As businesses start using generative AI, we found that 71% of marketers say this technology will help their organization get more out of their other investments. And 51% of marketers are already using or experimenting with generative AI at work. Developing generative AI skills can help you get the most value out of this technology right now. We are excited about the future and how marketers can harness the next level of safely connected AI-assisted technologies to achieve more. We’ll share more information about this exciting technology at our upcoming Connections event — streamed live on LIKE.TG+.
3 Things Top Sales Reps do to Succeed in the New Normal
Selling is hard. Selling amidst a pandemic is even harder. Yet, there are sales reps who continue to perform well and build good relationships with their customers. What are their secrets to success? To learn more about how selling has changed, LIKE.TG surveyed 600 sales professionals across the ASEAN region. These findings were captured in the 2020 LIKE.TG Trends in ASEAN Sales report. The report reveals that high-performing sales reps recognise the importance of showing empathy — before, during, and after the sale — to build customer trust through challenging times. High-performing reps are also more insight driven in anticipating customer needs. Finally, they embrace technology that makes selling easier, faster, and more intuitive. High-performing sales reps recognise the importance of trust Building long-term customer relationships requires trust — before and after the sale. According to our State of Sales report, 89% of sales reps believe there is an increased need to build trust before a sale. Eighty-five percent agree there is an increased need to build trust after a sale. To achieve this, high-performing sales reps show empathy for their customers during their most challenging times. At a recent webinar on how sales reps can retool for the future, Tahsin Alam, Regional Vice President, Philippines at LIKE.TG, said: “It’s no longer sell and run. You have to be there before and after the sale to build that trusted relationship. If the reps can be there with customers during their trying times, the relationship will be stronger.” Philip Macahilig, Group Head Commercial Operations at Del Monte Philippines, shared an example of how his reps built trust during the difficult lockdown period. He explained that his reps spoke up when data showed that some buyers were unnecessarily over-ordering during the height of the pandemic. “Our buyers appreciated that because after the lockdown we were one of the suppliers that didn’t have a lot of unsold inventory with our customers. Acting with integrity and making sure we do what’s best for our customers is how we build a foundation of trust.” High-performing sales reps are more insight driven For reps to understand what’s best for their customers, they need access to deep customer insights. According to the State of Sales Report, high-performing reps are 2.4 times more likely to monitor customer communication history than poor-performing reps. They are also 1.6 times more likely to monitor competitor activity, and 7.3 times more likely to monitor customer purchase history. Successful sales teams consider customer insight tools vital. Del Monte, for example, has engaged Tableau to consolidate data from multiple sources into a single repository. Macahilig explained: “Our drive now is to make sure our reps are armed with data that enables them to generate customer insights and make their action plans hard hitting. We’d like our reps to think like management, and when they look at the data see several dimensions of the business in a single repository.” High-performing sales reps embrace digital transformation For many businesses, digital transformation has accelerated and their sales technology needs have undergone rapid change. The State of Sales Report found that the top five sales tools that have grown more valuable since 2019 are: Artificial intelligence (AI) Mobile sales app(s) for employees Sales process automation Customer insight tools Marketing automation According to Tom Abbott, Sales Optimisation Expert and Keynote Speaker at SOCO, high-performing sales reps use tools like Sales Cloud to be more responsive to their customers. “That’s how they beat the competition. Look at AI tools, for example. Something as simple as a chatbot on your website can capture leads, then prequalify and assign them to a sales rep very quickly. “Automating your sales process with auto-responders and templates through your CRM means sales reps can focus on high-value tasks like actually picking up the phone and building relationships with customers. Providing a mobile sales app to your reps enables them to access the CRM remotely. That makes selling easier and faster for reps.” Sales success in the new normal There is no magic formula that transforms a struggling sales rep into a high performer. Rather, sales success in the new normal depends on the rep’s willingness and ability to adjust to new conditions. As customers continue to find their feet in this new environment, high-performing sales reps will be a pillar of support before and after the sale. Reps will use data-driven insights to anticipate customer needs. They’ll also use a variety of sales tools to become more responsive to their customers. To learn more about how sales teams in ASEAN are staying on top of their game, read the LIKE.TG Trends in ASEAN Sales report.
3 Trends That Will Shape Customer Service in 2024 and Beyond
The future of customer service starts with learning what your customers expect today — a personalised and connected experience. The catch? You need to focus on productivity and cost savings without compromising on quality. The right technology can help. As we look ahead to the future of customer service, generative AI will play an essential role in finding cost-effective ways to meet customers’ changing expectations. Here are three emerging trends you should keep on your radar as you build your customer service strategy for 2024. 1. AI is an opportunity — not a threat According to our research, 45% of service decision-makers are using AI, up from 24% in 2020. That means AI is increasingly a part of customer service toolkits. It also means that over half of decision-makers have yet to adopt AI in customer service. So what’s holding them back? Some service organisations may be afraid that their people lack the skills to handle AI. Others may have reservations about trust and reliability. There’s also the concern that implementing AI would require a major investment in infrastructure. These fears are understandable, and all companies should practice caution and care when deploying any technology as powerful as AI. But one thing is clear: AI is already connecting, informing, and enriching every aspect of customer service. Companies that remain rooted in doubt and uncertainty are almost certain to be left behind — and forward-thinking organisations are getting more done using AI in a secure, trustworthy way. Wondering how you can start using AI to improve your service organisation? An all-in-one platform like Service Cloud Unlimited+ can help you quickly make the most of your service tech investment. Here are just a few examples of how AI will continue to transform the future of customer service, starting today: Human-AI collaboration: Customer service agents are working alongside AI technology and systems to provide faster and more accurate information for a more satisfying customer experience. This will create a new role in your contact centre — the high-value agent. High-value agents, with the assistance of AI, will shift their focus from resolving simple issues to engaging in more complex interactions that generate revenue. Employee onboarding: AI will play an increasingly central role in onboarding new employees — especially in field service, where recruitment has been a particular challenge in recent years. Knowledge creation: Forward-thinking companies will preserve and share knowledge across the business by connecting generative AI tools to their service consoles, automatically drafting knowledge base articles based on customer interactions and customer relationship management (CRM) data. These articles can be used in self-service portals, turning search engines into answer engines as customers answer their own questions faster. Tactical tip: The latest customer service training strategies will be key to turning your service professionals into high-value agents. Help your employees understand the powerful potential of AI to serve as a valued partner and close collaborator in delivering exceptional customer service. 2. Advances in field service will help attract and retain frontline workers We found that 65% of mobile workers feel the weight of customer expectations, more than any other type of service worker. And 82% struggle to balance speed with quality when providing field service. That can have a major impact on job satisfaction — and it’s part of the reason why attracting and retaining frontline workers is more challenging than ever. The right tools can help. Our data shows that 93% of service professionals in high-performing organisations cite job satisfaction as a major or moderate benefit of field service management software. As we move into 2024, successful field service organisations will continue to improve productivity, cut costs, and generate revenue with AI while creating a better experience for workers in the field. Here’s how AI can help the future of customer service: Predictive maintenance: It’s always better to maintain devices instead of waiting for a major problem to occur. That’s why AI will add value in 2024 by proactively monitoring machine health, then automatically scheduling service appointments as necessary. AI will even be able to specify the required tools, appropriate technician, and length of time required to complete the job. Work summaries: AI will help minimise errors and improve productivity by automatically generating work summaries both pre- and post-visit — no matter how complex the engagement. This enables mobile workers to resolve issues quickly and move on to the next job in less time. More options for self-service: We discovered that 61% of customers would rather use self-service tools for simple issues. With help from AI, they can book appointments and track the progress of service visits on the messaging channel of their choice. That’s a win for mobile workers, too, because it will allow them to spend less time performing administrative tasks and more time delivering great customer service in the field. Tactical tip: Don’t leave your frontline workers behind. Help them become more proactive and productive with a complete view of each customer, including purchase details, service history, and the status of connected devices. You can integrate AI into their everyday tools with generative responses and work summaries. How can you use AI in customer service? AI can help you deliver more efficient and personalised customer service. Explore Trailhead, LIKE.TG’s free online learning platform, to discover how AI-driven chatbots and analytics are transforming the customer experience. Learn about AI today +200 points Module AI for Customer Service 3. The future of customer service puts revenue generation front and centre In the months ahead, the lines between sales, service, and commerce will continue to blur as AI-driven cross-selling transforms customer service into a profit centre. Forward-thinking organisations will pursue an end-to-end view of the entire customer journey, creating a continuous feedback loop between sales, service, and other departments within your organisation. Here’s what that means for service leaders in 2024: Expanded access: Customer service agents and field service workers will gain even greater access to a complete view of the customer. They can then offer tailored solutions and recommendations that align with each customer’s preferences and buying history. AI-driven recommendations based on customers’ preferences will be increasingly at agents’ fingertips, enabling them to strengthen their relationships and be more valuable for customers. Shared goals: Metrics traditionally associated with sales (such as conversion rates) and customer service (like resolution time) will continue to converge. All functions will focus more attention on metrics that reflect customer satisfaction, loyalty, and overall lifetime value. AI-powered insights: AI is already playing a significant role in analysing customer behaviour, predicting trends, and making informed decisions based on trusted customer data. With this information readily available, agents’ focus can shift from reactive problem-solving to predictive assistance and proactive relationship-building. Teams can work together to anticipate customer needs, address issues before they arise, and offer value-added services that foster loyalty and generate revenue. Tactical tip: Consolidating tech investments will be the key to resilience in 2024. Consider adopting a unified platform that connects your sales, service, and marketing teams for seamless communication and data sharing among these departments. The result? More effective engagement, better issue resolution, and a more holistic view of each customer’s journey. Building your customer service strategy for 2024 A great strategy starts with the right questions. How can you bring your data together? How can you unify the customer experience? And how can you equip your service teams to meet customers’ changing expectations while also serving the needs of the business? No matter how you answer those questions, your mission remains the same: to embrace the future of customer service so you can deliver what your customers demand. That’s why your organisation must combine people, technology, and processes to deliver faster, more effective service at scale — with AI assisting you every step of the way.
3 Ways Generative AI Will Help Marketers Connect With Customers
Generative AI has raised considerable buzz lately, but with this hype comes a lot of misconceptions and confusion on how it can help marketers. With customer expectations rising and personalisation now an expectation, marketers can use generative AI to help maintain customer loyalty and gain insights in a post-cookie world. We’ve already seen how AI can help marketers, commerce teams, salespeople, and more make informed decisions. This merely scratches the surface on how brands can use AI in their marketing to become more efficient and productive. We recently asked marketers how this technology will help, with 60% saying it will transform their role. More than half (51%) are already experimenting with generative AI or using it at work already. In our survey, marketers estimated that generative AI could save them 5 hours per week — that adds up to over one month a year. Imagine how much more you could do with that time back. Though generative AI is still in its early stages, here are three ways marketers can use it today to better connect with customers. What generative AI for marketing could look like Generative AI can help with drafting marketing materials or providing quick answers to customer responses. But that’s just the start of what businesses can do with this technology. Combining generative AI with an intuitive customer data platform can arm companies with the tools to take action on real-time insights. This can help you deliver personalisation at scale, such as product recommendations, tailored to individual customers based on their browsing and purchase history. Consumers also expect brands to use their data to offer more relevant services. We found that over 60% of customers expect that companies instantly react with the most up-to-date information when transferring across departments. Generative AI can satisfy this customer need by giving agents suggested responses generated right in the moment, based on real-time data. The next step for brands? Education. In our latest research, 54% of marketers told us that generative AI training programs are essential to them successfully using this technology. And 72% expect that their employers will provide them with the opportunities to learn how to use generative AI. The last mile of personalisation Today’s customers expect personalisation at every step. Recently, we found 65% of customers say they will stay loyal if the company offers a more tailored experience. Combining the power of generative AI with your CRM data gives marketers the ability to create those kinds of digital experiences for their customers. Altogether, this results in more efficient marketing journeys that are better tailored to their audience across content generation, design, and targeting. 3rd-party cookie replacement Third-party cookie deprecation and access to high-quality data — data that’s well-structured and useful — is a growing challenge for marketing organisations. We discovered that 41% of business leaders cite a lack of understanding of data because it’s too complex or not accessible enough. As data becomes increasingly difficult to collect, store, and analyse, marketers can now turn to AI tools to help analyse the data they do have and make the right decision. AI will help marketers process their existing, perhaps limited, first-party data and provide them with rich insights. That trusted first-party data is important for generative AI to work well, 63% of marketers told us. Marketers themselves also play a pivotal role in generative AI’s success, with 66% saying that human oversight is necessary to make sure a brand’s voice stays authentic. Letting you focus on the customer This shift in focus and conversation around generative AI is imperative, not a nice-to-have. By eliminating the confusion and delay in analysing data, generative AI takes the heavy lifting out of content creation. This technology can generate product descriptions that are accurate, compelling, and optimised for search engines. With generative AI handling lower-level tasks, marketers are able to focus on strategic campaigns, executing on creative, and creating connections with customers. Generative AI can fundamentally change how marketing departments operate, allowing teams to place more focus where it belongs — on the customer.
3 Ways Generative AI Will Reshape Customer Service
Customer service organisations today are fighting an uphill battle. Service agents face record case volumes, and customers are frustrated by growing wait times. Often, to manage the case load, agents will simultaneously work on multiple customers’ issues at once while waiting for data from legacy systems to load. After an agent closes a case, she may enter case notes, but these notes can get lost in the ether and other agents may end up problem-solving similar issues from scratch, not knowing their colleague had already solved it. With nearly half of customers citing poor service experiences as the main reason they switched brands last year, the pressure is on for companies to find a better way forward. Recently, there has been a lot of buzz around ChatGPT, a generative artificial intelligence (AI) model developed by OpenAI. GPT and other generative AI models like Anthropic and Bard are built on pre-trained, large language models that help users create unique text, images, and other content from text-based prompts. Combined with LIKE.TG’s long standing expertise in AI, generative AI models will change the game for customer service, helping companies operate more efficiently, develop more empathetic responses to customer requests, and resolve cases faster. Here is a glimpse into some of the ways generative AI could transform service. What generative AI for service could look like We’ve already seen the impact of AI in service. Nearly seven years ago, LIKE.TG launched Einstein for Service to give agents AI-powered capabilities. These have included recommended next-best actions and responses to customer inquiries, as well as automating case summarisation. Generative AI is about to take service operations to the next level of efficiency and personalisation. With generative AI infused into Einstein 1 Service, we’ll have the ability to automatically generate personalised responses for agents to quickly email or message to customers. We’ll be able to train the AI across all the case notes ever written by every agent at the company to automatically generate drafts of knowledge articles for human review, drastically cutting the time to create knowledge and making it easier to keep articles up to date. The enhanced relevance and quality of knowledge across the company will make self-service portals and chatbots more valuable, freeing human agents to spend more time deeply engaging on complex issues and building long-term customer relationships. We will also see benefits in field service with generative AI for both frontline service teams and customers. Frontline workers will save time in the field with automated reports. AI-generated guides will help new employees and contractors to onboard quickly and brush up on their skills with ongoing learning resources. Customers will be able to troubleshoot common issues on their own with knowledge base articles. The current wave of generative models are very powerful, but in a small number of cases, they can generate biased and even harmful outputs, as well as made-up facts (called “hallucinations”). This is why keeping a human reviewer in the loop, whether it’s a service agent or knowledge expert, will be important for the foreseeable future. Given the extensive opportunities and challenges related to generative AI, LIKE.TG recently published the five guidelines for trusted generative AI development, and explained the potential for generative AI in enterprise tech and how to balance this transformative tech with the reality and risks. Super-powered chatbots Layering generative AI on top of Einstein capabilities will automate the creation of smarter, more personalised chatbot responses that can deeply understand, anticipate, and respond to customer issues. This will power better informed answers to nuanced customer queries, helping to increase first-time resolution rates. With generative AI tapping into customer resolution data to analyse conversation sentiment and patterns, service organisations will be able to drive continuous improvement, identify trends, and accelerate bot training and updates. Auto-generate knowledge articles Over time, we plan to use generative AI to draft knowledge articles not only based on case notes but also Slack conversations, messaging history, and data across Einstein 1 to accelerate agent case resolution and shift even more support cases to self-service experiences. This will alleviate pressure on call centres and agents. Fast-track case swarming We’re already seeing many service teams work more effectively with case swarming, where agents bring in experts from across their organisation to help solve complex cases or larger incidents. Now imagine how much more efficiently they could work if the lessons from previous case swarms could be shared and more broadly applied. We will use generative AI to identify similar past cases; identify who in the organisation has the best, most relevant skills to address the issue; and recommend resolutions and customer communications to fast-track and even automate many aspects of the case swarm. We are entering an exciting new era of AI which will completely reshape the field of customer service. Guided by LIKE.TG’s long history of ethical product development, organisations will be able to embrace the power of generative AI to supercharge productivity, accelerate case resolution, and deepen customer relationships with greater personalisation and relevance. This post originally appeared on the US version of the LIKE.TG blog.
3 Ways Technogym Thailand Provides Exceptional Customer Experience
79% of consumers surveyed for the fourth edition of the State of the Connected Consumer report say the experience a company provides is as important as its products and services. This principle certainly holds true for Technogym Thailand. The fast growing business is on a mission to help people live better and integrate wellness into their daily lives. Its products include a range of fitness equipment as well as digital technologies that promote health and wellbeing. These products are popular with both businesses and consumers. Consumer sales were especially strong over the last two years as more and more people set up home gyms. Even so, the business knows the experience it provides is critical to its ongoing success. “To ensure the business’ sustainability and continued growth, we need to provide customers with the best possible experience,” said Surachet Amornrattanavej, Managing Director of Technogym Thailand. Here are three ways Technogym Thailand is delivering on its goal and delighting customers at every turn. Empowers teams with a connected view of the customer Customers today expect a consistent experience, even as they move between different channels and interact with different departments. However, delivering this experience is easier said than done. Technogym Thailand realised early on that having the right data was key. “When it comes to brand perception, consistency is important. That’s why we chose to partner with LIKE.TG and invest in CRM in the early stages of business,” said Surachet. “We wanted to move all our data onto one platform so every department could access the same information and communicate the same message to customers.” Technogym Thailand now has a 360-degree view of customers, including a history of every sales and support interaction. This information empowers teams to deliver a consistent and personalised experience at every step of the customer journey. Delivers personalised and efficient field service Technogym Thailand offers installation services as well as other post-sales support to help customers maintain their fitness products. The field technicians who provide this support are effectively the face of the brand. They are there for customers when they need help the most and trusted to deliver a superior service. “It’s no longer enough to just go out and fix a customer’s problem. We need to provide an excellent experience from the moment a customer calls to report an issue through to the point of resolution,” said Surachet. Technogym Thailand has equipped employees with LIKE.TG Field Service to make this experience as seamless as possible. Now, when a customer reaches out for help, a customer service agent can quickly raise a case and capture the key information needed to solve their problem. The agent can then create a work order and dispatch a technician with the right skills to do the job. Technicians themselves have information at their fingertips to provide a more personalised service and resolve most issues their first time onsite. This includes details about the customer, their current issue, and any spare parts that may be required. Adapts to evolving customer needs COVID-19-related restrictions and safety concerns have made it more difficult for people to visit gyms and other fitness centres during the pandemic. Many consumers have consequently chosen to create or upgrade their home gyms, leading to an increase in sales for Technogym Thailand’s home fitness equipment. As a result, Technogym Thailand has had to manage a spike in new installations as well as regular repairs. At the same time, it needed to ensure employee and customer safety by minimising time spent onsite. Technogym Thailand used LIKE.TG to adapt and keep pace with customer needs. For example, the business has empowered customer service agents to work remotely and resolve customer issues over the phone. While field technicians have continued to attend to more complex problems, they’re equipped with everything they need to make site visits quick and efficient. Like all businesses, Technogym Thailand knows it must continue to be agile to handle customers’ changing expectations. That includes being ready to support and interact with customers across any channel they choose. For this reason, Technogym Thailand has extended its support channels to include WhatsApp, LINE, and social media. The business is also exploring ways to enhance customer engagement. “Our customers’ needs are changing all of the time and it is really important to me that we’re able to adapt,” said Surachet. “LIKE.TG gives me the confidence that we can stay up to date and ahead of the trends.”
3 Ways to Elevate Your Financial Services Customer Experience
The latest Future of Financial Services Report – a window into global customer preferences and behaviour – sheds light on what ASEAN customers today expect from financial service providers. Customer experiences of banking, insurance, and wealth management services are falling short of expectations. This is prompting customers to switch service providers. But for financial services institutions (FSIs) willing to make changes, these trends present an opportunity to inspire new loyalty, trust, and business growth. LIKE.TG ASEAN’s Prakash Thomas believes that customer behaviour has significantly shifted in the region. In an era of economic uncertainty with the lingering effects of the pandemic, customers today prefer digital-first experiences in almost every aspect of daily life. As Regional Vice President of Financial Services & Health, Thomas notes FSIs are having to rethink customer journeys, and make them digital-first to meet customer expectations. “Financial services are making the shift to digital-first experiences,” said Thomas. “Yet customers aren’t satisfied and aren’t afraid to switch providers. Over one-third of customers across banking, insurance, and wealth management switched providers in the last 12 months — for an easier, better experience. Today, FSIs have an opportunity through digital transformation to anticipate customers’ needs just like Spotify and Tiktok anticipate what their users want next.” As interest rates and costs of living rise, the report shows consumers are more willing than before to look for better alternatives that meet their needs. Global customer churn rates are substantial at 22% for banking, 33% for insurance, and 33% for wealth. In Singapore, the churn is high especially in wealth management services with 46% of surveyed customers switching providers – 13% higher than the global churn rate. This can be partially explained from the reasons for switching providers. A common trend is the lack of trust ASEAN customers have in their providers. The biggest driver for switching providers was ‘hidden fees and fine print’ (40% in Singapore). With customers expecting digital-first experiences even after pandemic-related social restrictions have eased, FSIs need to invest in technology to lift their digital capabilities. The report highlights three key trends in the future of financial services. To retain and delight customers in a post-pandemic economy, successful FSIs of the next decade will need to excel in the following areas. 1. Offer seamless digital services and customer journeys As businesses shut and call centres were overwhelmed with customer calls during the pandemic, digital channels emerged as the preferred option to engage customers. This trend continues now for ASEAN customers, who are ready to change providers for a better digital experience. Customers highlighted ‘Easy to use digital interface and user experience (website, app, chat function)’ as another key reason for switching providers (39% in Singapore). Andrew Taggart, Partner (Clients & Markets Leader), PwC South East Asia Consulting, says FSIs are trying to make the customer experience seamless and easy. “We have seen FSIs trying to move beyond creating good customer service through easy and efficient customer transactions,” said Taggart. “They are now trying to create more customer value by providing more contextualised and personalised insights, and advice at interactions across all channels, human and digital. This requires a shift away from the mindset that digital channels are only good for efficient transactions and that human interactions are better suited for handling enquiries, to an omnichannel customer journey that bridges the two.” The report also reflects a consumer trend of switching to fintech platforms for their simplicity. When asked why they didn’t use a traditional provider, Singapore customers highlighted ‘easy and fast setup, verification, onboarding, and first time use of the app’ and ‘easy and intuitive user interface/user experience and navigation of the app’. Percentages for both were well above global averages. Gary Teh, Managing Director (Group IT) at Great Eastern, a Singapore-based insurance provider, believes FSIs can implement service automation to deliver better customer experiences. But they should have a strategic approach to automation. “We are guided by the value to the customer,” said Teh. “Ultimately, automation needs to enable customers to get service faster and more comprehensively in one click. If it doesn’t help the customer get quick service, then I’d say don’t do it.” Great Eastern has successfully implemented many ‘one-click’ services – enabled by integrations with multiple platforms like digital IDs and instant payment transfer services. Its customers can fill in their application form with SingPass and pay via PayNow almost instantly. Products such as travel insurance, home content cover, and dengue cover can also be purchased at the point of need in one click, without having to go through an agent. 2. Make every interaction personal From online searches to advertisements to Netflix choices, consumers are being delivered personalised experiences across industries like never before. Non-curated experiences are impacting customer satisfaction in a significant way. ‘Attentive and personalised customer service’ was the next highest driver for switching providers (31% in Singapore). This is an area where traditional banks are still trying to improve their capabilities. Many are still using legacy systems with data silos across the business and no centralised source of truth. This makes it difficult to have a 360-degree customer view. When asked ‘does your provider anticipate your financial needs?’ only 13% of Singapore customers said they agree. Delivering the relevant and personalised experiences that customers expect requires customer data to be readily accessible and easily managed. A cloud-based CRM like Customer 360 can provide a single, shared view of the customer journey across a service provider’s teams. It can enable teams to work together to deliver connected customer experiences and build strong relationships. While data and digital capabilities are important, it is also equally important to deliver service with a human touch. Teh explains how Great Eastern relies on its network of agents to deliver personalised customer experiences. “Nothing can beat personalised service with a human touch. If you had a butler, would you not call? So, our focus has been to empower our agents with the tools to deliver personalised service to customers. When we design our customer journey, we always have our agents in mind. Today, our agents can help our customers perform financial and non-financial transactions digitally. Customers don’t need to step out of the comfort of their home or office.” 3. Build credibility and trust with customers A key theme of the global report is a continued lack of customer trust in financial providers. For the Singapore market this is particularly clear, with less than 18% agreeing with the statement ‘I trust that my provider is invested in my financial wellbeing.’ According to Taggart, customers are questioning service providers’ ability to use their data to provide proactive service and increase trust “The customer experience of privacy today is clicking on long, never read, legalistic terms and conditions and then clicking through cookie acceptances,” said Taggart. “They are really left hoping service providers will do the right thing on data sharing, that the laws they don’t understand are sufficient to protect them, and providers have sufficient cyber defences to protect their data. “I think more is required to educate customers and ultimately allow them to participate in the data sharing market, i.e. if FSIs share customer data with an organisation, they will get benefits and in turn pass on benefits to the customer, like discounts, points, gifts, or upgrades.” Customers want providers to care more about their financial wellbeing and the insights from the report outline some key areas for improvement. To start, financial providers can regularly highlight how they protect and use customer data, remain compliant to industry regulations and make terms and conditions easily understandable. This post originally appeared on the A.U.-version of the LIKE.TG blog.
3 Ways to Learn About Data, AI, and Automation
You know you have to keep up to date with the latest technology. And if you feel like this AI revolution has come on a little fast and you or your team might be falling behind, you’re not alone. While these tools are clearly valuable in transforming everything from sales to customer service to data insights, you need to understand how they work and what they can do for you. Learn new skills and win fun prizes with Trailblazer Quests There’s no better way to learn than on Trailhead, the free online learning platform from LIKE.TG. Trailhead allows individuals, teams, and companies to skill up by learning LIKE.TG skills, along with crucial interpersonal and business skills like data literacy and emotional intelligence. We know that there is a lot to learn these days, and we want to make sure you have some fun while doing it. While learning is its own reward, there’s always room for a little extra motivation. That’s where Trailblazer Quests come in. Trailblazer Quests combine the challenge of learning new skills with the chance of winning sweet prizes. Check out these expert-curated quests Data Cloud Quest Harness the power of real-time data from any source, optimise and personalise with AI, and automate across people, processes, and systems. Complete the quest to be and be entered for a chance to win* a LIKE.TG Certification Voucher for an exam of your choice. AI Skills Quest Learn about artificial intelligence and be entered for a chance to win* a LIKE.TG AI Certification Voucher. Automation Quest Create workflows that drive efficiency and learn how to automate at any skill level with LIKE.TG Flow. Complete the trailmix and learn all things Automation to earn an exclusive Flow community badge. How to participate in these Trailblazer Quests Get started on your quest with two simple steps: Sign up for your free Trailhead account, if you don’t have one already. Complete any or all of the three quest trailmixes Data Cloud Quest AI Skills Quest Automation Quest *Official rules apply. See the Trailblazer Quests page for full details and restrictions.
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