New technology is revolutionising the ways we interact with each other. We can keep in touch over long distances, we can reach global businesses and we can communicate across a vast range of handy digital channels.
But technology is also removing the need for us to interact with each other at all. Today’s customers can, for the most part, get anything they need within a few quick clicks. So, while customer service has never been more accessible, it has also never been so often unneeded.
This begs the question: do we still need high-touch in a high-tech world? Howard Williams, marketing director at Parker Software, evaluates.
What is high-touch?
High-touch refers to the human, emotional sides of business interactions. It’s characterised by close relationships with customers. As a business model, high-touch requires above-average interaction with customers. It’s one that places the priority on human interaction and human relationships, not on efficiency or speed.
Think of it a bit like good, old-fashioned customer service — a time when shop owners knew you and your tastes. It was personal, friendly and promoted trust and loyalty. That’s a high-touch service.
Another good way to look at high-touch is by understanding its opposite: low-touch. A low-touch interaction is one with minimal conversation, contact or connection between the customer and a human team member. It’s transactional only — not unlike modern high-tech service.
The high-tech world
When something is ‘high-tech’, it means that it makes use of the most advanced technology out there. Translated into today’s market, high-tech service uses technology like artificial intelligence, chatbots, automation, etcetera.
High-tech service means that high-touch service isn’t always needed. Today, customers can onboard online and serve themselves. They can get answers from chatbots, complete transactions and manage their own accounts. All without the need for human interaction.
As these technologies continue to improve, the necessity of human interaction will continue to deplete. But does that mean that we don’t want to talk to the humans behind businesses?
High-tech vs high-touch
On the one hand, there’s the convenience of high-tech service. We live in an age where we expect instant gratification — and anything less can make for a bad experience.
High-tech offerings make our customer journeys happen exactly when we want them to. We log on, serve ourselves and we’re done. It doesn’t matter what time of day it is, what day of the week we’re on, or whether your account manager is on annual leave.
This level of convenience simply cannot be reached via high-touch service. When we aspire to a high-touch service, the experience is long-winded. It needs multiple personalised conversations to build a relationship in a high-touch service model.
High-tech service, meanwhile, also brings with it a kind of novelty — it’s exciting to use new technology. That said, novelty can soon wear off, and technology can fall short when we have tricky problems. That’s when we start to search for human interaction.
But there’s a difference between high-touch and human interaction. There needs to be conversation and connection for a high-touch service. So, even then, is high-touch necessary?
The case for high touch
On the other hand, there’s the quality of service and the increased loyalty that high-touch promotes.
Humans are driven by emotion. The way we feel influences the way we act, think and make choices. A purely high-tech, low-touch service doesn’t create an emotional connection with your business. As such, any interaction with you becomes a means to an end. Without the human connection to drive loyalty, what is there to make us stick around?
Consider also the rise in social media and in conversational marketing. People crave conversation. Plus, there’s an authenticity to human interaction. Even with technology use continuing to grow, the desire for personalisation and empathy seems to have grown alongside it.
Tech supporting touch
Leaning too much one way or the other in the high-tech vs high-touch debate brings different positives and negatives. But why not offer both? Technology has allowed us to reach a market far bigger than a single neighbourhood. It’s allowed us to meet new people and cater to different cultures. High-tech also comes with the ability to connect more effectively.
Take, for instance, live chat software, which allows you to have real-time conversations with anyone in the world. Customers can still shop from the convenience of their screens, but they have live service at their disposal.
Or consider high-tech translation tools. Translation technology enables high-touch service regardless of language differences – so customers can connect with you without communication barriers.
What about the use of data and CRM integration to deliver tailored experiences? Applied to your contact channels, you have a better view of the customer no matter if they’re one of 50 or one of 5000.
So, you can greet every customer by name and offer the opportunity for personalised conversations. You can use high-tech to create a high-touch experience.
One balances the other
This is all well and good, but what about AI and chatbots? These are core components of the contemporary high-tech offering. If they remove human representatives from the equation, however, they aren’t conducive to high-touch service.
This is where striking the balance becomes key. AI and chatbots are best used as an aide for answering simple queries. Sometimes, a long-winded human connection is neither needed nor wanted. AI and chatbots can provide service when a quick resolution is all that’s needed.
High-touch, powered by tech
The fact that we’re less reliant on human support as technology advances does not mean that friendly, personalised customer service is dead. Indeed, technology is only heightening our expectations for a personalised service experience – should we need it.
High-tech and high-touch are not the dichotomy that they’re painted to be. Instead, you can leverage your high-tech channels to make smarter connections with customers.
So, why not offer high-touch service through your high-tech channels, and strike a balance between personal and convenient?
