Comms Dealer Magazine asked Oliver Hennem to comment on how customer experience has changed since the COVID-19 pandemic.
Author: Oliver Hennem, Managed Service Director at Cloud Business
Joining Cloud Business in 2016 as a Service Desk Lead, and latterly as Head of Managed Service, Oliver has in depth experience of service delivery, user experience and leading an exceptional Managed Services team.
Oliver’s specialisms include Microsoft 365, Service Management, Service Delivery, Service Desk, ITIL, Modern Desktop, Microsoft Endpoint Manager, Iaas, Pass, Saas, Microsoft Exchange.
In your opinion, what effects did the pandemic have on customer experience overall?
CX is all about people and therefore, human interaction is essential. That’s never been more apparent than during the early days of the pandemic.
Expectations changed in an instant, as people were jolted into remote working. The habits we learned during this period shape what customer service looks like today.
What changes have you made to your processes to ensure customers feel positive and comfortable in their engagement with you?
Data demonstrated that customers were choosing to self-serve through a portal, rather than picking up the phone.
This led us to rethink our phone system, which now integrates with the portal and our CRM. It gives customers new channels like WhatsApp, Facebook, SMS and Twitter. That integration equips our team to provide the same level of service but with the customer using the channel they prefer.
Is AI and the automation of the customer journey increasing or decreasing the demand for human touchpoints and what effect is this having on CX?
Our strategy is to build more automation, to improve how quickly we can route customers to the right person. In our line of work, customers will almost always need human interaction. Automation doesn’t take away the importance for human touchpoints, but it can help to get them there faster.
Is there a happy medium between digital response solutions and human interaction to create a truly great customer experience?
Customers demand efficiency and automation can help with that. The goal is to route them to a human who can help them straight away – ideally someone who they have a relationship with, who can deliver the service they need, and fast. A blend between digital response solutions and human interactions is essential.
Why Cloud Business?
Our breadth of experience helps to reshape the lens through which we see the world, so we can focus on the things that others will miss. From our origins in 1997, hundreds of organisations have already found better ways of working, by engaging with us.
Our lengthy heritage with Microsoft, including selection as their Office 365 Partner of the Year in 2012, is central to how we can help your business to be more collaborative and productive.
We have complemented our Microsoft portfolio with our own workplace solutions, including, Boost, our Intranet-in-a-Box solution.
Through strategic acquisitions, we offer the complete range of Managed IT Services, IT consultancy and cyber security services.
Our business is thriving and in terrific shape to support you for the foreseeable future.
In addition to Microsoft, we work with some carefully selected technology partners, so you don’t have to engage with multiple providers to get things done.
If you’d like to find out more about how Cloud Business can support your business, get in touch.
