Digitalization Brings New Expectations

People quite literally have the internet in their hands these days – they live and do business in a digital world. This brings new expectations resulting in customer experience being more important than ever. There is no escaping this digital revolution, it’s everywhere and it’s vital to sustain competitive advantage in today’s changing world.

Digital Transformation

Technology has come a long way over recent years. Regardless of the industry you work within, it’s transforming the way we live. Of all the demographic groups, it’s safe to say that millennials rely on and use technology effortlessly. This brings a certain amount of expectations from this group. They have come to expect more choices in how they communicate and 24/7 access to information. This allows them to be more productive and efficient, both within their working environments, and also their personal lifestyles. Ideas and expectations around good customer experience have evolved in line with how their lives are evolving. Customers often seek the answer to what they are looking for online, be it information or a way to make contact. With over 80% of the US population having a social networking profile* consumers feel empowered by social media. They are conformable posting their opinions and experiences on social media meaning a negative customer experience story can go viral extremely quickly!

The Opportunity

A more traditional approach, established before the onset of digitization is costlier to run, unable to scale, and less efficient for its users. Newer services, such as Cloud services, storm through the traditional barriers. Embracing and using newer technologies will keep your business agile. This new flexibility allows you to deal with:

• Remote staff or staff working beyond the traditional 9-5 often need to have the ability to work from anywhere by accessing information.
• Customers have a way of communicating with your business in times of need by embracing the 24/7 availability culture
• Digitalization will help with disaster planning for your library – should the unexpected happen, you’ll still be ‘open for business’.

Key ingredients for effective digital customer experiences

• Quick response times: A digital customer expects this and doesn’t allow for delays. Speed, accuracy, and timeliness of the initial interaction are paramount.
• Empower your employees: enable them to work efficiently and in a flexible environment.