Tag: customer service

Despite AI’s incredible advances, human connection rooted in empathy and proficiency to address and exceed customers’ needs is irreplaceable. No matter where you look, someone, somewhere is discussing artificial intelligence (AI) right now.

It’s time for Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) to recognise that using data and analytics is not as scary or expensive as they may think - and that the benefits can be significant.

Understanding trends in any given field helps businesses understand what conversations are happening in the industry broadly and likely strategic topics for their competitors. In other words, if everyone else is talking about a new technology and how it impacts business operations, why aren’t we?

South African retailers have successfully driven positive consumer perceptions through special offers and affordable product promotions, but their customer service capabilities are leaving much to be desired. This is according to the South African Retail Sentiment Index, conducted by DataEQ in collaboration with us.

Load shedding – a measure implemented by Eskom to address mounting pressures on the national electricity grid, has been a South African reality since 2007. The past few years have, however, seen a dramatic upsurge in the severity of scheduled blackouts as Eskom attempts to deal with multiple infrastructural problems as well as theft and vandalism.

Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) software has seen rapid growth in recent years following the COVID-19 pandemic. Even though it can be deployed quickly, ERP systems are complex and require significant computing resources, which can be expensive to acquire and maintain in-house.

Technology is moving so quickly that many business owners might feel overwhelmed with all the sudden hype around artificial intelligence (AI), ChatGPT and other trends. We’re still coming to terms with what this technology means and how we can use AI in any meaningful way.

Businesses of all sizes can agree that customers no longer buy just a product or service. More than ever, the modern customer journey reflects the need for and investment in a positive experience. Today’s customers have higher expectations and no longer see online and offline shopping as distinct experiences. So, if businesses are largely geared towards customer satisfaction and retention, connecting with them in ways that matter is paramount.

South African businesses need to be efficient, nimble and resilient to thrive in a landscape characterised by economic uncertainty, rising costs, fierce competition and low growth. Automating business processes is one of the most effective tactics they can use to increase productivity, become more competitive and reduce costs.

Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) play a significant role in the global economy and offer an untapped opportunity for Communications Service Providers (CSPs). As they emerge from the pandemic, SMEs have been spending more across a range of technologies, with spending on IT and digital services set to increase by 7.6% CAGR to reach $1.7 trillion by 2026.