Customer Service in the news – w/c 1st October
This week – Vodafone’s digital humans will soon arrive in stores, how artificial intelligence (AI) will redefine the job market, why friendliness goes a long way and how the fashion industry is driving the digital revolution.
Is the world ready for digital humans?
Vodafone New Zealand has become the first AI-powered digital human retail store in the country by putting a face onto AI-based customer service applications.
Customer service kiosks using new technology FaceMe, which attempts to humanize AI, will arrive in stores in late 2018. The technology is already employed by Auckland Airport and Vodafone hopes it will speed up the check-out process for customers, while also freeing up time for employees to deal with more complex queries.
Time will tell if Kiwi customers are ready to welcome digital humans with open arms. More here.
Hospitality industry embraces robots for customer service
A warm welcome is a crucial part of a guest’s experience when visiting a hotel, but a new report by Colliers International has found that some of the world’s largest hotel brands will be leaving it to robots to greet their guests in the coming years.
According to the research, 73 per cent of manual jobs in the hospitality industry could be automated by 2025, as many hotel operators embrace new technology such as voice and facial recognition, virtual reality and biometrics.
The use of robots in hospitality is increasing at a rapid pace and the global sale of guest relation robots is set to reach 66,000 units by 2020.
But, what about the impact on jobs? Research by McKinsey Global Institute found that smart technology will actually redefine existing roles and create new ones.
Hospitality business owners need to make sure to provide training and give their employees the chance to upskill – or risk falling behind.
Read the article here.
The risks of investing in digital without thorough planning
US fashion brands are increasing their digital investments to keep up with the technological revolution and shifts in customer expectations. The question is, is it enough?
The new Digital IQ Index report by Gartner L2 found that the US fashion industry still has some way to go when it comes to meeting consumers’ needs, with only 29 per cent of brands offering click and collect services, compared to 71 per cent of department stores. As a result, consumers are more likely to be drawn to third-party sites rather than buy directly from a fashion brand.
Brian Lee, associate director at Gartner L2, suggests that fashion brands are rushing to introduce new services and technology in a bid to race ahead of competitors, but this can easily result in inconsistency across services and channels. Being an innovative early adopter shouldn’t be at the expense of carefully thinking through digital strategies and approaches.
Read the article here.
Apple Business Chat is taking the world by storm
Less than a year after its launch in January, Apple Business Chat is expanding its platform to 15 new companies in the US and another 15 internationally – including in the UK, Japan, Hong Kong, Singapore, Canada, Australia Italy and France.
The technology allows customers to communicate directly with businesses on Apple’s messaging platform and makes payments easier, too. Apple recently added Apple Pay and other features to iMessage to make it easy for consumers to transact directly with businesses in a totally digital way.
The expansion proves that many customers now prefer online chats over telephone systems and wait music.
Many businesses are still struggling to cut down telephone customer service waiting times and improve customer satisfaction, and Apple Business Chat is capitalizing on customers’ frustrations.
Read the article here.
Author: Editorial team Future. Customer.
