We recently launched our first online event in a new series, The Future of Service Forum, in which three industry experts explored the opportunities and barriers to increasing digital adoption in 2021.    

First to take the virtual stage was our very own Chris Hallmark, Managing Director, Transformation Design, discussing the reasons why digital adoption numbers are often lower than businesses hope, taking both an internal and an external view of the problem. Chris then went on to identify eight core competencies needed for customers to go digital and stay digital.

Next, we had the privilege of hearing from Brian Herron, Founder and Director at Each&Other. Brian shared his insight on how UX design can work to unlock innovation, drive meaningful results, and improve the overall customer experience, with a focus on two powerful accelerators of change: end-to-end user journeys, and staged implementation.

Following on, Richard Chataway, CEO at the BVA Nudge Unit UK, shared his expertise on how techniques derived from behavioural science - the discipline that helps us understand that customer behaviour is non-conscious and “predictably irrational” - canbetter optimise customer communications and ‘nudge’ customers towards digital adoption.

It was an incredibly insightful session, closing with Chris’ 3 main takeaways:
1) Digital adoption is not a technology problem, it's about people
2) There’s a lot of opportunity to make digital channels better for customers and drive adoption
3) It is our mindset and approach that determines the level of success, not the technology we deploy

One interesting question, directed to Chris, asked about acceptable waiting times in different channels.

The accepted industry standard wait times for phone is 80% of calls answered within 20 seconds, and when it comes to live chat 80% of chats answered within 40 seconds.

Over the past year, we have had to adapt to a new normal and embrace online as our main point of contact. A recent McKinsey study found that Covid has accelerated digital adoption by 3-4 years globally, with the average digital share of customer interactions soaring from 40% in 2019 to 60% by summer 2020. It is evident that consumers today are digitally impatient and seek answers instantly, resulting in mounting pressure on contact centres to reduce wait times.

If we look at the below graph from Statista on customer expectations, we can see that 64% expect an instant response via phone, and for online chat 77% of customers also expect an instant response.

If you’re interested in finding out more about the topic discussed in the webinar, check out our new paper, The Field of Dreams: fulfilling the promise of digital channel design from speaker Chris Hallmark.

At Gobeyond Partners, we can support you on your digital journey and help to solve complex customer journey challenges. By combining deep sector expertise with an award-winning approach to client service and value, we bring your transformation visions to life. Discover more about the work we do in our service portfolio.