Businesses that embrace technology will gain competitive edge – Vodafone Director

Director of Digital Transformation and Commercial Operations at Vodafone Ghana, Angela Mensah-Poku has urged businesses to embrace digital customer experience to enable them to gain a competitive edge According to her, businesses can only thrive over their competitors when they embrace technology in operations. “Digitisation is the current enabler for everything under the sun and the global pandemic has affirmed this. The world is so different now and consumer needs have suddenly become almost too many to count and it changes every day. Everybody now expects choice, control and convenience. However, new technologies including cloud computing, artificial intelligence and robotic process automation are enabling companies to connect with customers directly by proactively offering personalised solutions, while simplifying and automating operational processes”. Speaking under the theme, Reinventing the New Normal for Business Growth and Value Creation, at the 3rd edition of the Customer Experience Summit, Ms. Mensah-Poku said, the world is undergoing rapid changes in the way we work, live and even the way we interact with customers. Therefore, it is important for businesses to introduce digital solutions in serving their customers. Read also: Vodafone Foundation celebrates Teachers on World Teachers’ Day “Research continues to demonstrate that organisations that transform their customers experience with technology suffer less and rebound stronger from crises. A study by McKinsey and Company, also revealed that by digitizing services, customer satisfaction could increase by 33% and cost cut by 25 – 35%. This is value-creating and not only does it help your business to survive but to thrive and grow”, she said. Touching on how businesses can start their digital journey, Ms. Mensah-Poku noted that while technology will enable businesses to understand customers with precision, anticipate consumer needs, customize customer experience and increase customer satisfaction, businesses should also keep the traditional Customer service pillars. “Reinventing the New Normal for Business Growth and Value Creation isn’t just about the future technology, the traditional Customer service pillars still remain; build trust; demonstrate competence, listen actively, and convey warmth and empathy. Applying this and integrating digital tools in a small way into the customer experience journey is a beautiful balance between human and digital”. “While we recover from the pandemic, businesses should embrace digital customer experience to gain a competitive edge and those who will get it right will ensure customer loyalty”, she concluded.