There is a great deal of industry excitement as to how the world of IT support and customer service is changing. Both the speed of communication and the type of technology being used has changed dramatically over the last five years, and we are now in an era where IT support and customer service are instant.
A. I.
Artificial intelligence will change the way IT and software support is provided for the foreseeable future. AI has been able to automate processes that were run by people and yet still keep a sense of real communication. The use of AI will enhance the customer experience as it can also be used to determine who best should speak to the customer based on their previous interactions and product choices. And all this in the time it takes to say hello.
Chatbots and how-to guides
The ability to access information in real-time and ask questions as you have a problem is key to preventing downtime. The use of chatbots will also allow various queries to be dealt with all at once. These ongoing chats have also been integrated with How to guides and frequently asked questions to streamline the process of providing interactive advice and support. A great example of this is the guide on Teams by ovatiotech.com, providing an interactive guide for a specific software function.
24/7
Good IT and software support must be available 24/7/365. If your business is online, it is likely to be active all the time, and as such, any issues that prevent sales and access to your product or service need to be solved immediately regardless of the time. IT support that is available constantly is a must in today’s fast-paced, interconnected business world. What you must look for, though, is a genuine system of support, not a watered-down set of FAQs’. Again, this is where artificial intelligence, as aforementioned, will allow for a professional interactive service to continue as long as there is connectivity.
Ongoing as part of the initial software purchase
Most of the current support is now available as part of the initial Software buy. Be aware of your needs before you purchase, and ensure that this support is part of your deal if it’s available.
IT support and customer services are undergoing immense changes, and these will all be underpinned by connectivity; modern business is always about connectivity. However, there is also a fear that these changes make the role less human and will take jobs away from those in the IT support sector. This is a misnomer in that the jobs being shifted to AI and Chatbots are those performed out of hours or for specific generic queries. There will always be a human side to support, and thus with all the tech improvements and changes, the businesses that will do best are those that can integrate the latest technology with a humanist component. Its support has indeed changed for the better, but it still needs to be delivered with a smile.
