Tech Trends That Will Disrupt the Way Businesses Engage With Customers

Social Media Week wrapped up recently in Chicago. The organizers of the event wrote an interesting blog post on 10 technology trends that will “radically changeâ€ the way businesses engage with customers in the new year. The trends come courtesy of Howard Tullman, CEO of 1871, who was a speaker at Social Media Week Chicago.

Some of the most interesting trends, in a nutshell, are:

Time Matters
In the Digital Age, customers do not want to wait. They want to quickly pay for groceries, clothes, and other items with the same “no-touchâ€ interaction they experience when ordering an Uber car. The same applies to customer service. Tullman said that it’s no longer acceptable to tell customers you will get back to them “in 1—2 days.â€ He mentioned advancements companies such as Mastercard, Amazon, and Starbucks are making in significantly decreasing the wait time for customers to receive products and services.

Customers Want Full Control
Tullman used the great example of the current trend of Netflix binge-watching to illustrate that customers want to access, download, stream, and use their products when they want at their discretion. This desire for control extends to pricing; customers want to set their own pricing for goods and services.

Constant Connectivity
The average smartphone user checks their phone over 160 times each day! It’s an increasingly 24/7 connected world and Tullman used Disney to drive home his point. Disney issues its park attendees Magic Bands that are used to make purchases, access your hotel room, etc. Additionally, these bands can do much more, including telling the Disney costumed characters your kids’ names and where your family is from before you even ask for an autograph.

Email is Dead, Messaging Lives
Messaging continues to emerge as the preferred method of digital communication over email. Customers want immediate communication and immediate answers. Messaging also is a much simpler means to communicate versus email, yet users do not have to sacrifice features such as sending attachments and sharing content.

For the full list of the tech trends that will alter how businesses engage with customers, check out the Social Media Week organizers’ full post.