Weekly focus: The latest technology trends in customer service
This week, we look at the latest technology trends impacting the customer service industry – from Facebook’s 3D photo experience, to Alexa’s restaurant takeover and how Lara Croft’s smile is set to improve the customer experience.
“Alexa, place an order for table five”
“Alexa, set the alarm for seven o’clock.” “Alexa, add a carton of milk to the shopping list”. Digital voice assistants have become a part of people’s everyday lives and it won’t be long before customers expect brands to offer a voice-command customer service option, too.
But it seems that restaurant software provider SevenRooms is one step ahead of the curve, and is set to add voice-enabled tech to its menu of services after receiving a financial boost from the Amazon Alexa Fund.
The firm, which offers front of house technology to America’s largest hospitality brands, plans to add an Alexa-type feature to its software platform to help restaurant staff remember customer preferences, such as information about allergies or dietary preferences.
It’s thought that removing hospitality staff members’ reliance on screens will enable them to shift their attention back to what matters the most – providing excellent customer service.
Click on the link to read the article “Amazon Alexa Fund makes its first investment in restaurant tech” on Fortune.
Enjoy Facebook in 3D
We’ve been able to enjoy 3D technology on our television and cinema screens for a while, but now Facebook has launched a new tool that lets you view 3D images on your social media feed for the first time.
While the ability to see everyone’s vacation snaps in 3D might get slightly trying after a while, the new technology presents a huge opportunity for brands and businesses that are looking for new ways to connect with and support customers.
Travel firms and lifestyle brands could benefit the most, giving them the opportunity to show off their destinations and products with more realistic and appealing photos. But other brands could also use it for more functional purposes, using the images to provide specific product information and instructions to consumers.
With the average person now spending 30 per cent of their day on social media, brands need to make sure that they’re offering engaging and insightful content that makes them stand out from the crowd – and the new 3D photo tool might help them to do just that.
Use the link provided to read the article “Facebook rolls out amazing 3D photos feature” on Social Barrel.
Is Lara Croft the future of customer service?
Today’s consumers not only expect round the clock customer support, but they also want service with a smile – and one that they believe is real.
While Intelligent Virtual Assistants (IVA) have long been able to hold a conversation with customers, they lack a certain human touch. But, speech technology firm Speech Graphics is trying to change that.
The firm behind Lara Croft’s 20,000 lip sync animations in the bestselling Shadow of the Tomb Raider video game is now targeting the customer service sector to create emotionally-responsive avatars that can have real-time conversations with customers.
With Warner Brothers, Microsoft and Sony topping their client portfolio, this is definitely one to watch.
Want to read the full article? Follow the link to read “Speech Graphics secures £2m investment boost” on Insider.
Can you repeat that in English please?
When you’re searching for a response to a complex question, it can be incredibly frustrating if you can’t get an answer simply because you don’t speak technical jargon.
But now enterprise cloud service management platform ServiceNow is looking to solve this by acquiring Natural Language Search Interface provider FriendlyData. The business hopes to add the start-up’s natural language query tool (NLA) to its platform – allowing its customers to ask questions in plain English, with responses then being translated into simple text or data visualizations.
Targeted at enterprise customers, working in sectors including IT, human resources, security and customer service management, this new tool could prove to make their everyday lives just a bit easier.
Click on the link to read the article “ServiceNow to acquire FriendlyData for its natural language search technology” on TechCrunch.
Are you ready for a robo-colleague?
Our research found that the volume of customer service interactions is set to hit three trillion in the next decade, and their complexity will increase, too. But, no matter how big the workload, customers expect businesses to keep up with demand and provide quick and helpful replies to their queries.
With this in mind, firms are turning to new technologies, with the latest Deloitte Global Robotics Survey finding that staff are now getting used to the idea of having a robo-colleague to make their lives easier. But don’t worry, robots aren’t here to replace humans but instead are set to help them to meet the ever-increasing demands of customers.
In fact, the report found that installing new Robotic Process Automation (RPA) technology to improve customer service was the second most important factor in companies’ automation strategies, as it takes pressure off staff by handling repetitive tasks freeing up their time to deal with more complex queries.
Technology can transform the way we interact with customers, enabling them to provide a more efficient and high-standard of service. The challenge now will be for firms to successfully install this new technology at scale, while providing the training that representatives need to deal with more challenging customer questions.
The full article, titled “Robotic roll-outs reap results: 95% of organisations using RPA say the technology has improved productivity”, can be found on Information Age.
Author: Editorial team Future. Customer.
