When directors and executives of financial institutions think about improving customer experience, it’s easy to want to “throw technology” at customers. The concept of new and improved tech features sounds appealing, and decision-makers are constantly told about new ways they need to keep up with innovative new technology.
However, tech alone isn’t the answer.
Instead, decision-makers should focus on the human element of their technology, finding ways to take the inherent convenience of technology, and make it feel personal and meaningful to their brand promise and the individual they’re serving.
Consider the following ideas as a starting point for bringing a human touch to your services:
Let Customers Know When Content Is Personalized
When you communicate a special loan or offer to a customer, let them know you’ve taken the time to personalize it for them. Your efforts won’t go unnoticed:
- Customer will pay more attention to something they know is specifically for them, whether it’s a loan, a budget calculator, or even an ad.
- Show you care by explaining why a personalized offer makes sense for them. Giving them context for something that is personalized shows how it applies to their life, and will help engage their attention.
- Educate your customers. Show them why your personalized offer is special. In particular, if there is something they’ve done well (e.g., getting a good rate due to a high credit score), teach them about how their positive actions can be leveraged and will benefit them through your offer.
Personalize Chatbots
Chatbot technology has improved over time, and now chatbots have a much more multifaceted ability to assist customers. These chatbots are inhuman by nature, but there are various ways to make them seem more personal.
- Give your chatbot an identify. Even if it’s not an actual person, giving your chatbot a personality, name, and even appearance will help promote your brand and give your customer a recognizable being that they’ll come back to time and again.
- Call your customer by name. Customers will likely know if they’re dealing with a robot, but the reality is that they’ll be more receptive if they feel their unique needs are being met. Calling your customer by name is just the tip of the iceberg — proactively communicating pertinent information, such as account balances and transaction details, will help your customer know their experience is personalized.
- Allow for seamless human/chatbot handoffs. The reality is that some questions can’t be answered by artificial intelligence, and will need a human standing by to assist. Helping your chatbots seamlessly transition to a human being to answer specific or complex questions can raise your customer’s overall experience and show them their time is valued.
Eliminate Repetition
Examine your customer journey and find ways to eliminate repetition, especially in instances where it requires your customer to “work” by providing your organization with information.
A classic example of this is transferring customers from one department to the next. Asking for a customer’s information (account number, social security number, etc.), only to be transferred and have the same information asked feels highly impersonal, and can turn customers off, making them look elsewhere for support. Take a close look at different customer journeys and conversation strings, and find ways to streamline the experience in order to impress your customers.
