By Clifford Akumu
Freshworks, a leading provider of cloud-based business software, has today laid down strategies aimed at achieving customer-for-life experience.
Vishal Chopra, head of field marketing at Freshworks said technology and digitization of services have accorded SME’s the much-needed push to acquire customer experience.
Chopra explained how gaining top-notch customer experience incorporates a collaborative, anywhere, contextual and predictive engagements with the customers.
“Today’s customers are becoming more aware of their needs, hence the digital solutions we innovate should put you ahead of the competition,” said Chopra who was speaking on the sidelines of the Creating Customers for Life in the Digital World Conference held in Nairobi.
A recent study by Freshworks, “The New Rules of Customer Engagement,” revealed that globally over the last 12 months, 56% of consumers have stopped interacting with a brand because of a bad experience. Additionally, 39% of customers are using 5 or more channels to connect with a business, including instant messaging, phone calls, social media, and more.
Due to this rapid period of change in customers’ satisfaction, it’s important for a business to invest in the right set of tools.
The one-day event brought together over 100 Chief executives, decision-makers in the industry and thought leaders to discuss on ‘Creating Customers for Life in the Digital World’. The event comes on the backdrop of an ambitious expansion plan by the firm to penetrate the African market with strategic focus and committed investments in Kenya and Nigeria that took place mid last year.
Technology consumption in the two countries is expected to rise by 7% in the next five years according to data from the International Data Corporation (IDC), with South Africa following closely with a 5.7% growth.
The IDC report also indicates that African countries such as Kenya, Nigeria, South Africa, Ghana, Tanzania and Rwanda in collaboration with international development agencies, academia and ICT vendors have made considerable investments in ICT infrastructure. This will help local startups and SMEs that have had problems in sustaining and running successful businesses.
“Africa is a great market for us at Freshworks. It is an untapped market with a myriad of opportunities to provide better interactive experiences to the customers,” said Saurabh Prabhuzantye head of Business Development, Middle East and Africa.
“Technology is inevitable and in today’s digital era, it’s paramount for any successful company to embrace technology to be able to manage data and improve business sustainability and continuity,” he added.
Digital transformation in Africa is bringing advanced tools and technologies to empower businesses to innovate strategically and enhance customer experience. Freshworks has set sight on substantially increasing its commitment with specific investments in marketing, sales and partner resources to better serve its customers in the region.
“We aim to build a rich, meaningful engagement with enterprises of all sizes that are looking for new cutting-edge solutions to power their customer and employee experiences. This event offers a platform for African enterprises and industry experts to learn and exploit opportunities that are available in the industry, “added Chopra.
However, stakeholders in the customer relations sphere agree that human experience is still key amid penetration of disruptive technologies in servicing customers.
“We will not completely eliminate the human experience in customer relations,” said Tom Ogendo, head of Airport operations at Kenya Airways.
And on customer data security, added Prabhuzantye, “Data is a sensitive issue and the law on data protection has now taken a new dimension where us developers we make sure we innovate tools that handle data security at the highest level.”
