Companies all over the world are realizing that working from home is not only more efficient, but more suitable for the wants and needs of today’s workers, writes Matt Klassen. He shares two big changes we can expect to see in the future:
- Businesses will embrace flexibility
- Automation will be increasingly essential
Source: Fast Company, August 16, 2020. Link. Company leadership teams are being forced to examine all their different internal processes and deeply question how they can produce the same results as before, but faster, more efficiently, and with a lower headcount.
Commentary
The focus on efficiencies has recently meant a focus on self-serve options. This means more time in telephone trees or searching through confusing websites to find an answer to a question that does not fit the drop-down default responses.
Spending more than 10 minutes in self-serve programs only to get no answer, be urged to call, then placed into a queue while listening to how important I am and redirected to the website from where I started is just not acceptable.” – Kirk Augustine
Automation development team members need to involve actual customers to test, break and validate beta versions. Without such challenges, customer experiences will continue to deteriorate.
Also see: 4 keys to making online learning work, SmartBrief, July 23, 2020. Link. Kim Spangenberg writes about online learning and the need for ample support. The first item listed is to give students a way to reach you for help.
Platform developers take note. Online students (i.e. platform customers) need easy access to a live person for support” – Kirk Augustine