As we noted last week, more and more companies are turning to technology-based consumer interactions. While doing so, these firms need to follow this advice. Do not lose the human touch. A careful balance of human and non-human interactions will work best.
Marketing Caveat: Do Not Lose the Human Touch
Recently, McKinsey’s Christopher Angevine, Candace Lun Plotkin, and Jennifer Stanley discussed this topic in some depth. Among their conclusions:
“The CEO of a large industrial company recently posed a question: ‘My face-to-face sales force thinks everything should be analog. For years, they’ve successfully driven sales relationships through face-to-face conversations. And they think they should carry on. Meanwhile, my E-commerce business unit thinks we should convert everything to digital because that’s where growth is. Who’s right?'”
“The short answer is, ‘Both.’ The realities on the ground, however, make it hard for sales leaders to understand what they actually need to do, especially when different parts of the organization have a vested interest in pushing different sides of the human-vs.-digital debate.”
“However, many sales organizations have trouble putting this human-digital program into practice. The truth is that there are no tried-and-true methods. Therefore, firms must create the human-digital blend most appropriate for them and their customers. An, this should not be a random process of trial-and-error testing. They require a systematic way to evaluate the optimal human-digital balance.”
The bottom line — “Customers want a great digital experience and a great human experience. Be careful, though. We asked customers “What annoys you most?” and gave them a large number of possible answers, including price. A third said “Too much contact”—by far the single biggest answer.”
What do YOU think about the factors in this chart?
Great post Joel. I’m a huge fan of AI, machine-learning, and data-driven CRM. But they are just tools in a much larger tool box. Nothing can ever replace human relations, especially when it comes the Brand customer service. Bill Crandall