The key to customer connection in 2023? Three experts agree: automation

Elevating the customer experience is more essential today than ever before. Combined with the vast swathes of customer data entrepreneurs can now access, there are exciting opportunities to improve efficiencies while maximising customer insights. But how exactly can you put that data to good use while juggling the challenges of business ownership?

In our latest webinar, Automation nation: Australian businesses driving productivity and customer connection, our panel of experts shared insights into why automation could be — and most likely is — the solution you’ve been searching for.

Wrangling data points

The reality of our data situation is staggering. Latest estimates place the amount of data being created daily at an unfathomable 328.77 million terabytes. If even a minuscule portion of that figure is customer data, how can time-poor business owners and entrepreneurs adequately leverage that information?

According to Keegan Bakker, CEO and Founder of Audata, a firm that helps leading media organisations connect with their audiences, the answer lies in automation tools and technologies, particularly those driven by artificial intelligence (AI). Indeed, Bakker’s company handles large media brands and tens of thousands of audience members — resulting in inexplicable amounts of data points.

“We deal with thousands and thousands of different types of data points,” he says. “The key is around AI, whether using Salesforce Customer 360 powered by Einstein, or any other technology. AI is critical to extracting meaningful insights from large amounts of data.”

While AI-powered automation tools are helping Audata parse vast swathes of data, Bakker says they also need to consider the human element. Namely, how can a consistent feedback loop help them improve their service offering?

“We build our features based on what our customers and users tell us,” he says. “They feel like they’re part of the process because we can update the feature request, and then all those customers who requested it get notifications immediately. They feel a real sense of ownership, which all comes down to taking lots of data and extracting its value.”

Enhancing customer service while freeing up staff

For operations that have expanded their offering nationwide or globally, automation can help eliminate time and cost inefficiencies while improving the customer experience, according to Ben Willis. As CTO of MadeComfy, a property-management system for short-term rentals, Willis understands better than most the need to deliver exceptional service while balancing technology and human staff.

“We use automation to triage issues as they arise,” he says. “For example, whenever we hear from a guest via an app message, we triage that message and either pass it onto someone who can help or automate a response. With the power of automation, we can see, for example, that a guest is checking in today, so it’s probably time-sensitive.

“These moments are so important — you can win or lose a customer. With automation, we can get a bit more information, then decide at what level it needs to be passed on or what needs to be actioned.”

The future of integrating automation with people-facing roles

As with any revolutionary technology there are inherent fears about the human factor. Will automation make people redundant? Will it lead to robots interacting with other robots? It’s a future we simply can’t predict. Still, for Shardae Mazzeo, Head of People & Culture at co-working leaders CreativeCubes, automation is less about needing less staff but freeing them from the tedium of legacy systems.

“Automation has allowed me to have more time to be present and work on growing the business,” Mazzeo says. “In the future, automation will help more businesses move quickly through the tedious tasks – compared to many startups that need actual people in seats to do those jobs.

“Once you automate those tasks to allow the customer a seamless approach, it gives your team time and effort to be present. Automation of the future will allow for more free space, more time and more innovation.”

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