As customer expectations evolve and technology advances, the warnings of industry experts grow increasingly urgent.
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South African businesses that cling to traditional customer contact methods — such as SMS, email, and call centres — find themselves precariously close to obsolescence.
As customer expectations evolve and technology advances, the warnings of industry experts grow increasingly urgent.
Jonathan Elcock, co-founder and CEO of rather.chat, draws a poignant parallel between today’s businesses and Kodak's infamous failure to innovate.
“Businesses today are mirroring Kodak’s greatest mistake: clinging to old methods while the world moves on,” he states.
“Technology evolves. Customer expectations evolve. If businesses don’t evolve, too, they risk irrelevance.”
Despite the emergence of AI-powered smartbots integrated into ubiquitous messaging platforms like WhatsApp, many companies remain resistant to change, often under the false impression that traditional contact methods are more cost-effective. This outdated thinking can be detrimental; studies reveal that businesses fail to reach 30% to 40% of customers using phone calls alone, significantly inflating acquisition costs and eroding profit margins.
Conversely, the integration of WhatsApp smartbots represents a transformative shift in customer engagement. These AI-driven assistants can provide instant responses, capture richer behavioural data, and facilitate pre-qualification of leads before they are handed over to human agents. This level of efficiency marks a stark contrast to the frustrations often spawned by traditional channels.
Elcock emphasises the crucial nature of response time in establishing customer trust in the digital age. “Today’s innovation is tomorrow’s commoditisation. Trust is now measured in response time. If you delay, you lose. Customers want instant answers. Smartbots deliver them—traditional channels don’t.”
Moreover, while email or SMS campaigns typically provide basic click-through rates, smartbots go a step further by revealing the underlying reasons for customer disengagement. For instance, e-commerce platforms often grapple with abandoned carts, unaware that a substantial 60% of customers simply had unanswered questions. Smartbots can identify these critical points of friction, thereby enabling businesses to make informed adjustments to their strategies.
The necessity of smartbot technology extends beyond mere convenience; it has become an essential tool for business survival. Companies embracing this innovation report reduced wastage, faster lead qualification, elevated conversion rates, and a stronger return on investment. As Elcock succinctly puts it, “The lesson from Kodak is clear: innovation waits for no one. Businesses must choose whether to adapt or get left behind.”
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