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4 Ways The Cloud Is Impacting Your Customers – And They Don’t Even Know It

Cloud Impact

Few buzzwords have changed the mindset of entire industries and societies like “customer experience.” Whether you call it the “buying journey,” customer journey,” or any other creative term, the customer experience is putting the customer in charge. They can now interact with businesses through the channel of their choosing. They are experiencing more targeted and personalized marketing 24×7. They have more access to information. They can purchase almost anything they want – anytime and anywhere. And they have a global forum to air their opinions and concerns.

The customer experience has never been more empowering. At the same time, there’s another buzzword working behind the scenes to make all of this happen: the cloud. And most customers don’t even know it or understand it.

The cloud: Customers are impacted unknowingly – and why you should tell them

When people think of their experience with any brand, very rarely does the use of cloud technology come up. Instead, they focus on the quality of the interaction and whether the anticipated result was delivered as expected. Is it because the process is so seamless? Does it even matter?

At any given moment, an overwhelming majority of customers are using cloud services. Whether it’s for file sharing, storing music, or exchanging information between call centers separated by eight time zones, the cloud is quickly becoming the engine behind the customer experience. As customers become more knowledgeable about the risks associated with our digital world, a brand’s technology practices will factor heavily on their final buying decision.

By proactively educating customers, brands can quell common concerns (including cost, security, and privacy) and bring awareness to potential opportunities. Unfortunately, this can be a tall order when you consider that most of your customers may not have even the foggiest clue about what the cloud is and how it is used. By addressing four key areas, companies can get the conversation started and build customer awareness:

1. The cloud is the engine powering the experience customers want

One of the biggest challenges in creating the right experience is the growing number of employees involved in handling customer interactions that are geographically dispersed across a network of call centres.

By adding a cloud-based digital work stream that eases access to the right information at the time of need, barriers between the contact center and internal organisational silos are broken down. Not only does this mean faster resolution times and greater knowledge sharing, but it also delivers the outcomes customers want without unnecessary frustration.

2. The cloud creates and uses data – and a lot of it 

Any information a person releases – including tweets, product reviews, voter registration, health statistics, weather forecasts, or personal information given to a competing brand – is fair game in the cloud. All of this data is accessed and analyzed to predict buying behavior, proactively engage with customers, and manage the overall experience in every channel more effectively.

3. The cloud complements the digital-driven lifestyle of today’s customers

For the customer, that means an opportunity to experience the best-possible service and receive offers that make sense. Long gone are the days when customers receive a coupon for free ice cream on a Tuesday in the middle of a blizzard – especially if they typically buy it on a weekend during the height of the summer season.

4. The cloud is safe, and your brand has the right safeguards in place

Nothing is more important that reassuring customers that their information contained in your internal systems are safe. It protects your brand – and it builds customer relationships based on trust and transparency. What are your customers’ concerns, and how are you addressing them? Does your cloud bring any risks such as availability and data integrity? Are there security policies and monitoring in place? Is it compliant? And is it secure from the latest threat of hackers and malware?

Most companies with cloud-based customer experience initiatives and processes have been focused on unifying their internal organizations and business network. But as customers become savvier with digital technology, isn’t it time that they get a behind-the-scenes look?

To talk to someone about the cloud, get in touch.

 

By Shelly Dutton