Yet many businesses are still struggling to meet these expectations. After two decades of rapid communication evolution, from SMS to omnichannel and conversational AI, customer expectations have surged far beyond what traditional automation can deliver.

Consumers now expect interactions that are instant, personal, and deeply contextual, yet most legacy systems are still stuck in a slower, simpler era.

Agentic Artificial Intelligence (AI) is the breakthrough that closes this gap, enabling technology to reason, decide, and act with autonomy while preserving brand intent, regulatory compliance, and human‑level empathy at scale.

At Infobip, we see this shift first‑hand as South African brands start using AI‑driven orchestration to connect channels, data and decision‑making in real time.

In simple terms, agentic AI does not just automate tasks; it understands context, determines the best next step, and then acts on it. These agents operate on a central orchestration layer, essentially an AI ‘control centre’, that connects channels, data, and business rules, giving them a full view of the customer before deciding what to do next.

Instead of each bot or system acting alone, the orchestration layer routes tasks to the right AI agent or human, coordinates their actions, and ensures every step aligns with brand, compliance, and business goals.

Traditional chatbots and rule‑based automation can only follow predefined flows; for instance, “if X happens, do Y”.

Agentic AI moves beyond that limitation by making informed decisions rather than merely executing instructions.

Delivering a better customer experience

In daily life, most people will not even think of this as “AI” but simply feel that the Customer Experience (CX) is getting better. For example, banks will flag suspicious activity faster and more helpfully, mobile providers will warn about outages before complaints arise, and online stores will stop sending irrelevant offers and start anticipating real needs.

The result is less frustration, fewer repeated steps and customer communication that finally feels timely, relevant, and human.

Concerns that this kind of AI will take over human jobs are largely unfounded. In reality, agentic AI is not about replacing people but about automating repetitive, low‑value tasks so humans can focus on conversations that require empathy, judgement, and real problem‑solving.

In the realm of CX, AI manages routine tasks and workflows, allowing people to focus on escalations and building trust.

Organisations are already investing equally in both AI and human roles. In South Africa, an effective CX model combines AI for speed and scale with human empathy and accountability. AI should enhance, not replace, human capability.

Beyond generic messaging

The real opportunity that agentic AI presents is moving beyond generic, poorly timed communication. Many organisations still send messages without considering customer context, leading to noise rather than value. Agentic AI changes this by assessing context first, who the customer is, what has just happened, and what outcome you’re aiming for, and then deciding whether a message should be sent at all.

For example, instead of blasting the same data‑bundle promotion to every prepaid customer, an AI agent can hold back offers for those who have just recharged and instead prioritise a helpful usage alert or roaming reminder when it matters most.

This is where forward-thinking, AI-driven CX strategies play a defining role. Rather than layering AI onto fragmented systems, these businesses introduce a unified orchestration layer that brings together AI agents, customer data, communication channels, and real-time intent into a single, intelligent decision-making environment.

For example, in a banking scenario, a customer making an unusual transaction could trigger multiple coordinated actions through the orchestration layer.

One AI agent detects the anomaly, another verifies the customer’s identity via their preferred channel, while a third prepares a contextual alert or temporarily pauses the transaction.

Instead of disjointed alerts or delays, the customer experiences one real-time interaction that resolves the issue quickly and securely.

Behind the scenes, an orchestration platform, like the AI‑native layers emerging from providers such as Infobip, sequences these agents, shares context between them and keeps the entire interaction feeling like one seamless conversation for the customer.

This ability to coordinate specialised agents in real time is what differentiates agentic AI from traditional automation.

Agentic AI enables businesses to move away from disconnected campaigns and reactive workflows toward autonomous, goal‑driven ‘next best action’ decisions that adapt continuously to customer behaviour and intent.

The latest AI platforms enable businesses to deploy autonomous AI agents capable of managing entire customer interactions end-to-end, across every channel, without requiring human intervention at each step.

Importantly, they do not run on a single AI model, but on a network of specialised agents, each with a defined role, orchestrated to work together seamlessly.

While the customer experiences a single conversation, multiple agents operate behind the scenes, sharing context and progressing the interaction in real time.

In the next 18 to 24 months, South Africans are likely to experience more proactive and conversational customer service across the brands they interact with most.

Expect smarter fraud alerts, clearer notifications, better delivery updates, and stronger self-service options. Organisations will move from blanket campaigns to intelligent next best action engagement using AI-first CX platforms that integrate data, channels, and AI agents.

For customers, the shift will be simple: service will feel less like navigating a system and more like dealing with a brand that already understands the situation. As AI matures, the organisations that stand out will be those focused on real outcomes and trust, not hype.

In a mobile‑first market like South Africa, these improvements will become visible quickly. For South African business leaders, the real differentiator will be how quickly they can connect fragmented data, channels, and AI projects into one coherent, orchestrated customer experience strategy.

The conference brought together customer experience leaders from Kuda Bank, Unity Bank, Cenoa, and Raenest to discuss how people, empathy, and innovation are driving the sustainability of financial services in Africa.

In his comments, Babs Ogundeyi, CEO and co-founder of Kuda, stressed the importance of continuous learning and the dynamic role of customer experience in an AI-driven world.

“When we started the company, I felt there would be no dedicated CX centre. That was the beginning, at least that was the thought. But of course, we learned very quickly that you cannot do without CX. It cannot be without people.”

Ogundeyi explained that while AI brings exciting possibilities, human connection remains irreplaceable in customer experience.

“AI is a tool that’s going to help create. But again, experiences, with anything we do in life or in the world we live in, belong to people, to humans. CX is no different,” he said.

Ovie Adasen, Kuda’s vice president of Operations, spoke on the human-centric nature of CX. “What are we in the business of?” he asked. His answer reframed the company’s purpose.

“We’re in the business of enabling lifestyles, we help people live. When you pick up a phone and you do a transfer, that is life. Understanding that behind every transaction, every interaction, is a human being trying to live a life, is the bedrock and foundation of creating great customer experience,” Adasen said.

He illustrated the shift from traditional banking to modern CX-driven models, noting that today’s customers compare experiences across industries, not just banks. “Today’s customers, they are lazy, they are busy, and they are crazy. Know this, factor this in the experience design, and you will thrive,” he said.

Adasen further noted the importance of empathy, personalisation, and seamless digital interactions. “Everything we do in life, from a service perspective, is targeted at a human being. I use empathy. I basically strive to understand the human being and the problem. Without it, we can’t thrive. I leverage problems, ideas, and technology to then create solutions that provide value to the customer and to our shareholders,” he said.

He also revealed the operational results of Kuda’s CX initiatives, pointing to efficiency profits and measurable impact. “As a result of more empathetic engagement with people, we have generated close to 1 billion in recovered deposits. 92% of loans were now done digitally. Low processing time from 52 days to one minute. That is what great CX is all about.”

Panel Session

The Kuda Customer Experience (CX) Conference featured a panel discussion on the evolving role of customer experience in an AI-driven environment. Moderated by Anietie Victor, the session examined how fintechs are blending technology and empathy to enhance customer interactions. 

“AI is coming for your job, but not to replace you. It’s here to partner with you,” Judith Azi, country operations manager, Cenoa, said, stressing that human skills in empathy and data interpretation are highly essential. “If you don’t know how to interpret the data, AI makes you redundant, but when used properly, it empowers you to be more empathetic and effective.”

On operationalising AI to improve efficiency, Oluwanifesimi Obisesan, unit head, Service Innovation and Total Quality Assurance, Unity Bank, said, “With AI, we can analyse transactional behaviour, create customer personas, and manage complaints more effectively. It allows us to respond proactively rather than reactively,” 

Product Manager, Kuda, Glory Olamigoke added, “AI helps with everything from writing product requirement documents to error detection in account setups, tasks that previously took hours can now be done in seconds.”

Maintaining the human touch was an important theme of the session. “Customers don’t care if it’s AI, they care that their issue is resolved. If AI gives repetitive responses, the conversation should escalate to a live agent before the customer gets frustrated. Speed is important, but so is empathy,” Obisesan said.

On the most impactful investment an organisation can make in its employees to directly and measurably enhance the connection between employee experience and customer experience, panellists at the Kuda Customer Experience Conference (CX) pointed out these important areas:

• Autonomy: Allowing employees to understand the shared vision and giving them authority to take action builds confidence and a sense of ownership.
• Open-door policy: Ensuring management is accessible and staff can freely express themselves strengthens trust and engagement.
• Staff welfare/additional pay: Prioritising employee well-being directly impacts satisfaction, which in turn improves customer experience.
• Empathy from leadership: Recognising that employees are human, with challenges, responsibilities, and limits, and providing understanding, support, and care..

AI is a powerful tool, but the human element is indispensable. “We build the AI, but humans are the main factor. Empathy, understanding, and support are what truly make the difference.” AI can elevate customer experience, but only when paired with skilled, empathetic humans.

In that moment, the beautifully designed posters on the wall about “Excellence in Service” didn’t matter. The glossy brochures didn’t matter. The organization’s brand promise didn’t matter. What mattered was how I felt, and your guess is as good as mine.

That single encounter captured a truth many organizations overlook: customer experience begins at the first point of human interaction. It’s not in the logo, the website, or the mission statement, it’s in the people. And this is where personal branding meets customer service.

Too often, personal branding is reduced to LinkedIn profiles, social media presence, or polished résumés. But at its core, your personal brand is the promise of the experience people consistently have with you. When employees understand this, their interactions stop being transactional and start becoming transformational.

Think of two staff in the same office. One sees their role as “just doing the job.” The other sees themselves as a brand ambassador, someone who leaves behind professionalism, empathy, and trust in every encounter. Both may carry the same title, but only one is building both their personal brand and the organization’s brand at the same time.

This year’s Customer Service Week theme, “Mission Possible,” captures this perfectly. Exceptional customer experience is not a far-fetched dream; it is possible when employees embrace personal branding as part of their mission at work.

When staff begin to see themselves as brands within the brand, remarkable shifts happen:

• They become intentional with their tone of voice.
• They treat empathy and listening as part of their professional identity.
• They stop waiting for supervision, because their personal reputation is always on the line.

I once coached a mid-level officer in a multinational who struggled with constant complaints. Every encounter left her stressed and defensive. Through personal branding coaching, we worked on three things:

1. Clarity of value – defining the service promise she wanted people to associate with her.
2. Consistency of behavior – aligning her tone, body language, and responses with that promise.
3. Confidence in communication – learning to respond to difficult customers with empathy instead of defensiveness.

Within months, she became known as the “go-to person” for resolving concerns. She went on to win both national and international awards, because she reframed her role as part of her personal brand journey. Her personal growth directly elevated her company’s customer experience.

Research backs this up. A Gallup study shows that 70% of employee engagement is tied to how employees perceive their role. PwC reports that 86% of customers are willing to pay more for a better experience. And organizations with empowered employees consistently deliver higher customer satisfaction.

The lesson is clear: when organizations invest in personal branding coaching, they’re not just developing employees, they’re building loyalty, trust, and long-term growth.

As we celebrate Customer Service Week 2025, let’s remember:

• Customer service is not just about scripts and systems.
• It is about people, real humans, whose personal brands shape the corporate brand every single day.

So, to every organization:
Invest in your people. Coach them in personal branding. Help them see themselves not as placeholders, but as ambassadors of trust and excellence.

Because when your people shine as brands, your organization shines brighter, and your customers feel it. That is the mission. And yes, it is possible.

In the end, logos may attract, but it is people, their personal brands, that keep customers coming back.

[Featured Image Credit]

Companies are increasingly turning to artificial intelligence technologies to personalise interactions and provide seamless self-service options for customers. 

During Infobip’s recent Exclusive Business Dinner, Orediretse Molebaloa, head of Solution Engineering at Infobip discussed how generative AI is being leveraged to hyper-personalise the customer journey. 

He highlighted the importance of AI integration and collaboration with major tech players. “We are partnering with service providers like Microsoft to power our AI technologies and current use cases that are essential for our customers,” he said while further noting two methodologies involved, the rise of generative AI and the concept of Super Apps. 

“WhatsApp for Business, for example, has significantly improved customer experience by enabling businesses to create self-service options through chatbots,” he explained.

Ingesting company-specific data, generative models can gain insights into individual preferences and needs. This allows businesses to preemptively address issues and provide tailored recommendations at each touchpoint.

Using real-world examples, Molebaloa illustrated the applications of AI in customer interactions. “In South Africa, I’ve seen WhatsApp being used by the traffic department to send invoices directly to my house. Another example is DSTV, which sends notifications for subscription payments via WhatsApp, offering self-service options even for routine tasks.”

Addressing the issue of app updates, he noted, “Restaurants often face the challenge of app versions being outdated when customers want to place orders. With Super Apps, all user experiences from the traditional app are made available seamlessly, enhancing customer satisfaction.”

Molebaloa also delved into the role of AI in improving productivity and user experience. “Generative AI can significantly enhance productivity by automating repetitive tasks, allowing employees to focus on more complex work,” he stated. “For example, AI can scan, understand, and categorise documents, transforming handwritten notes into digital files efficiently.”

Expect More AI’s Impact on Mobile, Customer Experience and Workflows, says Taiwo Bashorun at Infobip’s Business Dinner

In discussing AI-driven customer service, he pointed out, “AI-driven chatbots and virtual assistants provide 24/7 support, resolving issues efficiently and enhancing the overall customer experience. This is especially essential in industries like financial services, where AI helps in fraud detection and financial planning.”

Sharing insights on the integration of AI into existing systems, Molebaloa explained the need for businesses to adopt a personalized approach. “By leveraging generative AI, businesses can ingest company-specific data to create tailored experiences for customers,” he said.

“For instance, banks can use AI to provide personalised financial advice based on the customer’s transaction history.”

He also highlighted the importance of omnichannel strategies in customer engagement, stating that “It’s vital to ensure that customers can access services through their preferred channels, whether it’s WhatsApp, web, or mobile apps. This omnichannel approach enhances the overall user experience,” he added.

To illustrate the impact of generative AI, Molebaloa shared an example from his personal experience. “I once had to send money using USSD, and the switch to WhatsApp for the same transaction was seamless and efficient,” he recounted.

“This transition improved the user experience and also reduced the pressure of session-based interactions.”

Molebaloa conclusively explained the importance of understanding and adopting AI technologies. “It’s essential to educate customers about the technology behind AI solutions to ensure they fully benefit from it. We must hold their hands through this journey, combining technology and empathy to create the best user experiences. 

“It’s about the journey, it’s about the user experience, it’s about leveraging generative AI and other technologies to ensure that the user experience of your customers is at its best,” he said.

Bashorun reiterated the inevitable integration of AI into various sectors, saying, “AI is going to stay whether we are prepared for it or not. For organisations that have been slow to adopt, it’s essential to accelerate this journey, or risk being left behind.”

He expatiated the current state of AI, noting how its application goes beyond personal computing and data maximisation to revolutionising mobile transactions and interactions. 

“We are in an era where besides personal computing data, you need to maximise the internet as much as possible. Mobile is now the medium for every transaction and interaction,” Bashorun highlighted.

“The investment in managing our data centres has dropped significantly because now we can access our data from anywhere. This is a direct benefit of maximising cloud technology,” Bashorun said, discussing the practical benefits of AI in cloud technology.

Infobip Highlights Power of AI for Customer Experience at Exclusive Business Dinner in Lagos

He went further to explain the role of natural language processing (NLP) in AI, noting that today, this innovation is used across various applications, whether as a developer or a user. “Microsoft’s investment in identifying and understanding natural language helps us tailor solutions to meet specific needs.”

The importance of AI in optimising employee productivity and customer engagement is currently at the fore. “We need to maximise technology to improve education and various industries. This includes using AI to automate repetitive back-office tasks, enhancing efficiency and allowing human resources to focus on more complex work,” he explained.

He illustrated the application of AI in practical scenarios, such as document processing and workflow management. “Today, AI can scan, understand, and categorise documents, transforming handwritten notes into digital files efficiently.”

In discussing AI’s impact on customer service, Bashorun pointed out, “AI-driven chatbots and virtual assistants are enhancing customer interactions by providing 24/7 support and resolving issues efficiently. This greatly enhances the overall customer experience.”

Taiwo Bashorun also touched on the importance of AI in financial services, particularly in fraud detection and financial planning.

“Advanced AI tools help us monitor transactions in real-time, detect anomalies, and prevent potential fraud. Additionally, AI-driven financial planning tools enable customers to manage their finances more effectively and make informed investment decisions,” he noted.

The disruptive potential of AI in various industries was one major highlight of Bashorun’s presentation. He shared that Generative AI is boosting how we approach data and automation. 

“From creating detailed documents to generating insightful PowerPoint presentations, AI is making processes more efficient and streamlined.”

Bashorun concluded with an encouragement for businesses to embrace AI and leverage it to the fullest. “Let us embrace AI to optimise our business operations, drive employee productivity and transform our products and services.”

Spotlighting the disruptive prospects of digital adoption, customer experience, and generative AI for businesses, the event kicked off with a welcome address by Olatayo Ladipo-Ajai, regional manager of Infobip. 

Ladipo-Ajai expatiated on Infobip’s global footprint and its tailored solutions for the African market, emphasising the strategic importance of the company’s presence in numerous African countries. These offices enable the company to deliver localised services and solutions seamlessly.

“Infobip is a global brand with over 100 offices worldwide. Our physical presence in numerous African countries allows us to offer localised services and solutions, particularly for Nigerian banks, fintechs, and e-commerce businesses,” said L-Ajai.

He pointed to the challenges and opportunities within the Nigerian market, noting that Infobip’s platform has been indispensable in addressing specific local needs.

He elaborated on Infobip’s diverse range of services and its focus on innovation in the cloud communications space.

“We pride ourselves on being the number one global cloud communications platform, offering a single interface for various communication channels, including emails, SMS, and voice,” he added.

The keynote speech by Adebayo Olarewaju, head of Cards and Messaging Business, First Bank, centred on the far-reaching impact of AI and digital technologies on the banking sector. Drawing from his experience at First Bank Nigeria, Olarewaju shared insights on how AI is bolstering customer experiences and operational efficiencies.

“AI has become a very essential part of our operations, enabling us to enhance customer interactions and simplify processes,” said Olarewaju. He provided examples of AI-driven solutions, such as personalised interactions and virtual assistants, that are enhancing the banking experience. 

“Through analysing customer data, we are able to predict behaviours, tailor communications, and provide financial services which are customised to meet user needs,” he explained.

This allows banks to provide a more personal touch, ensuring customers feel valued and understood. Additionally, virtual assistants powered by AI are becoming increasingly useful. These chatbots can answer customer queries, resolve issues efficiently, and provide 24/7 support, greatly enhancing the overall customer experience.

Another important aspect, as explained by Olarewaju, is repetitive back-office tasks like document processing and workflow management can be automated using AI, leading to increased efficiency and freeing up human resources for more complex work.

The importance of AI in fraud detection and financial planning is undoubtable.

“Advanced AI tools help us monitor transactions in real-time, detect anomalies, and prevent potential fraud,” he noted. 

He further stressed the role of AI in providing financial guidance and investment insights, noting that AI-driven financial planning tools enable First Bank’s customers to manage their finances more effectively and make informed investment decisions.

Financial planning, a very important area that affects everyone, is now powered by AI. Olarewaju discussed how AI-powered tools can analyse financial data to provide personalised investment recommendations and guidance. 

Customers can benefit from data-driven insights that help them make careful financial choices and finally, financial management by offering tools to track spending, set budgets, and achieve financial goals is another important aspect enhanced by this innovation.

Jumia implemented Sprinklr’s unified customer experience management (Unified-CXM) platform to streamline support for millions of customers, sellers, and employees across 11 African countries.

“Sprinklr’s solution is a perfect fit for our diverse customer base and vast geographical reach. This partnership allows us to deliver exceptional service while empowering us to grow together. The team customizes the solution based on what our customers really need and contributes to our platform in a way that helps both of us grow,” Hanan El Matarawy, Group Vice President of Business Products, Jumia.

The Sprinklr platform offers Jumia a single, omnichannel solution to manage interactions on social media, live chat, email, WhatsApp, and more. 

This enables Jumia to provide seamless support regardless of the customer’s preferred communication channel. 

Additionally, Sprinklr supports multiple languages, with plans to expand further, ensuring effortless communication for Jumia’s pan-African audience.

Jumia has witnessed significant improvements in key CX metrics since implementing Sprinklr. First-response rates reached 94.46%, case resolution rates improved, and customer satisfaction scores climbed to over 76%. 

Jumia plans to further enhance self-service capabilities by integrating Sprinklr’s Conversational AI bots.

Read the case study here.

]]> https://techeconomy.ng/jumia-transforms-customer-experience-with-sprinklr-ai-powered-platform/feed/ 0 https://techeconomy.ng/zingly-launches-a-bold-ai-driven-future-of-customer-experience/ https://techeconomy.ng/zingly-launches-a-bold-ai-driven-future-of-customer-experience/#respond Thu, 06 Jun 2024 12:55:35 +0000 https://techeconomy.ng/?p=133344 Ex-Avaya, Five9, Glia, and Talkdesk industry leaders join forces to revolutionize customer experience (CX) with the launch of Zingly, a Collaborative Customer Experience (CCX) Platform. 

The patented customer-facing technology combines GenAI, digital interactions, and telephony, providing infinite scale to enterprises, and hyper personalization to consumers, resulting in revenue acceleration and lasting customer relationships. 

With this launch, Zingly is today announcing it has raised a $10m seed funding round from Dell Technologies Capital, WestWave Capital, Scribble Ventures, Formus Capital, Geekdom Fund, Array Ventures, Firebolt Ventures, Burst Capital, and from leaders in the CX industry. 

Today, customers are still primarily required to call 800numbers and punch numbers into an interactive voice response (IVR) whenever they need to communicate with businesses. 

For customers, phone calls are an outdated and frustrating experience, and for businesses, they’re an expensive and unscalable method of communication. Meanwhile, businesses are seeing 10x traffic on their website and apps while experiencing declining call center traffic. 

Technology advancements in CX have typically focused on operational savings driven by cloud migration and agent support tools, but have often neglected the end customer. 

Zingly rectifies this imbalance by providing customers with Zingly-Rooms—a patented, always-on space where customers can instantly connect and collaborate with businesses, eliminating the need for calls. 

This is driven by the company’s Generative AI product technologies, including Relationship-AI and Zingly-Buddy. Zingly focuses on eliminating friction and accelerating engagement use cases like customer acquisition, onboarding, customer service and success, and many more. 

This is done through a modern no-code-low-code platform that integrates into any tech stack (CRM, existing contact center technologies, customer support systems, and core operations) and intelligently combines cutting-edge Generative AI, humans, and data. 

The end result is an innovative collaborative space that can scale to support service and sales operations for businesses of all sizes, while providing hyper-personalization for customers. 

Founded in 2021 by Gaurav Passi, a former executive at Avaya and Five9, Zingly was born out of a recognition that traditional contact center solutions were becoming obsolete. 

With global inflationary pressures driving up the cost per call and limiting scalability due to the finite number of agents, the need for industry disruption was clear. Passi teamed up with seasoned CX, CRM, and CCaaS leaders from Five9, Talkdesk, and Glia to launch Zingly. 

“Traditional contact center solutions are out of date and simply not personable for customers, or scalable for businesses. The math is clear, there are approximately 16.5 million call center agents globally handling potentially billions of customers. 

More importantly, the frustration and long wait times associated with traditional calling and rigid workflow-driven chatbots have created what we call a fear of reaching out (FORO) among customers. Our vision with Zingly is to destroy FORO and make it collaborative for customers and businesses to come together,” said Gaurav Passi, CEO and founder of Zingly.

“Zingly represents a significant leap forward from the traditional trade-off between personalization and scalability in CX. While traditional calls are unscalable and conversational chatbots can feel too robotic, Zingly offers a new CX paradigm that is faster, cheaper, and more secure than both 1-800 numbers and conversational AI chatbots” added Gaurav Passi. 

Currently focusing on high-value industries such as financial services, healthcare, and product companies, Zingly is able to help organizations modernize their customer experience seamlessly by integrating with their existing technology stacks. 

As an example, Zingly is working with a Fortune 500 provider to engage with 5x more customers than traditional 1:1 phone conversations, while also reducing typical conversion time from 60 to 18 days, resulting in tens of millions of dollars of revenue uplift. Most importantly, it allowed them to innovate on top of their core infrastructure like Salesforce and Avaya without any disruption.

“To truly revolutionize CX, it needed top industry leaders like those from Zingly to step back and fundamentally reimagine a new approach. Incremental improvements to CX were not enough. A deep technology solution intelligently combining data, GenAI, and humans, as well as a dedicated team of CX experts together with forward looking Fortune 500 design partners was required for such a revolution,” said Zeus Kerravala, Principal Analyst, ZK Research. 

“The vision presented by Zingly happens once in a decade. We are excited to partner with the team right from its inception”, said Gaurav Manglik of WestWave Capital. 

While Gokul Rajaram, Board Member at Coinbase and Pinterest, and former executive at DoorDash and Squareadded: “What I respect about Gaurav Passi as a leader and Zingly as a company is that they have had the same mission from day 1. They work closely with large complex enterprises to solve deep challenges, and as a result, have built the best platform to disrupt the much needed CX industry with clear ROI. This clarity of mission and singular focus has been a big reason for their continued success.” 

Looking ahead, Zingly is rapidly expanding its teams in data science and engineering, sales, and marketing with plans to double its headcount by the end of next year. 

On track to be driving millions of quality customer interactions this year, Zingly is accelerating its mission to help companies collaborate with their customers and build relationships bigger than business.

The study further reveals that AI is driving faster and more accurate decisions, personalised offers, and instant access to support.

Francois Grobler, the chief of Decision Analytics at Experian Africa, has this to say;

“Today’s consumers have more options and less patience than ever before. In this highly competitive landscape, we believe that high-quality digital customer experience provides a competitive advantage and our latest research explores how AI is turbocharging this process.”

The research shows that AI and Machine Learning (ML) can significantly improve the accuracy of models used to assess creditworthiness and affordability.

This improvement leads to more inclusive lending and more personalised terms based on a better understanding of behavioural insight into financial circumstances.

Grobler adds,

“Our AI-powered solutions are not only helping businesses make faster and more accurate decisions but also enhancing fraud detection. We’re seeing great strides in identity verification, virtual assistance, automated onboarding, and early warning systems for vulnerable customers.”

Experian’s research indicates that the top two customer onboarding priorities for 75% of senior leaders are investing in new data sources to better understand risk and affordability, and implementing a fully digital customer experience.

“Access to data alone is not enough to improve creditworthiness and risk assessment. Having the right AI tools to analyse this data and turn it into actionable insight is a critical next step,” he adds.

The crucial role of cloud technology in unlocking AI potential

As many Financial Services and Telcos look to improve the accuracy of their credit risk and fraud models through the adoption of AI, cloud has become an essential enabler of this process.

The performance uplift provided by AI is dependent on the ability to link and collate data from multiple sources in a fast and secure way.

Cloud makes it easier to connect data feeds, allowing different internal departments to safely work with data from a variety of sources.

Grobler explains that cloud provides the computing capacity required to ingest and manage the high volume of data that is needed for AI and ML.

It provides the flexibility and scalability to enable the software capabilities needed to develop, deploy, and operate models, which ultimately integrates AI into the credit decisioning process.

According to the research, investing in Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) and cloud technology is a top priority for nearly 4 out of 5 senior decision-makers (79%).

This is unsurprising in light of the benefits that cloud provides – such as improved security, faster processing power, reduced maintenance costs and the elastic flexibility to scale as required.

AI is undoubtedly enhancing our ability to assess creditworthiness and prevent fraud. But taking advantage of the improved accuracy that AI models deliver requires a solid cloud foundation from both an infrastructure and software viewpoint.

“As the race to reduce risk and provide faster digital decisions is turbocharged by AI, the adoption of cloud becomes an essential stepping-stone in realising AI’s potential”, concludes Grobler.

In recent years, retail and eCommerce businesses have adapted to the increasing influence of digitalisation.

Customers now demand user-friendly digital interactions, with little tolerance for inconveniences. Surprisingly, 86% of customers are willing to abandon a brand after just two negative experiences.

Regardless of your product’s success, the quality of customer interactions takes precedence. Each interaction contributes to a customer’s perception of your brand and their overall shopping experience. Every touchpoint holds significance.

The key is to identify and optimise them to meet digital era expectations, ultimately boosting conversions and improving your bottom line.

Defining customer touchpoints

A customer touchpoint is any interaction between a customer and your brand that shapes their perception of you. This could be seeing an advertisement, engaging with customer support, or downloading your app.

These touchpoints are strategically placed throughout the customer journey, offering insights into how customers engage with your business. Each touchpoint presents an opportunity to impress and satisfy customers, enhancing their overall shopping experience.

Examples of retail touchpoints

Touchpoints exist at every stage of the customer journey, from pre-purchase to post-purchase. It’s essential to map out all interaction’s customers have with your brand to determine their value or if they’ve turned into pain points.

Here are some typical retail touchpoints:

Identifying touchpoints involves putting yourself in the customer’s shoes and pinpointing every point of contact with your brand. Utilising feedback surveys and reviews can help determine the emotions associated with each touchpoint and reveal hidden pain points.

Case Study: Petpetgo

Consider Petpetgo, an eCommerce retailer that discovered that Facebook ads and general email campaigns yielded a low return on advertising spend (ROAS).

These touchpoints were detrimental to customer relationships, impacting their bottom line. By identifying these ineffective touchpoints, Petpetgo reduced advertising spending by 10% and doubled their purchasing frequency.

How did they achieve this transformation? They adopted a combination of personalisation and omnichannel solutions, delivering relevant content and promotions to the right customers at the right time.

Five essential messaging techniques Effective messaging is pivotal in turning touchpoints into seamless experiences, as demonstrated by Petpetgo’s success. Here are five essential messaging techniques to maximise the impact of every interaction:

1. Focus on omnichannel and timely communication: Customers expect smooth, connected communication across various channels. Use customer data to determine optimal timing and channels for messages, ensuring convenience.
2. Make your communication contextual and behaviour-based: Tailor messages based on individual customer behavior, offering personalised incentives and content to re-engage customers.
3. Be conversational: Incorporate chatbots, CRM systems, and messaging apps for instant, interactive interactions, enhancing customer satisfaction.
4. Match the channel’s style: Align communication with platform norms, avoiding intrusiveness and using clickable buttons for easy responses.
5. Always add value: Provide helpful, tailored content aligned with customer interests and preferences.

Optimising Retail Touchpoints

Understanding where and how to apply these messaging essentials can significantly impact touchpoint optimisation. While some touchpoints, like word of mouth and customer reviews, may not be directly controllable, improving overall customer satisfaction can indirectly enhance these aspects.

• Pre-purchase touchpoints:

Harness the fact that 87% of online shoppers actively use social media for product research. Ensure your social pages offer up-to-date, accessible information. Analyse metrics to identify posts driving conversions and craft a customer-centric strategy to leave a positive impression.

• During purchase touchpoints:

Prioritise improving the user-friendliness of your website and app. Streamline the download process and enhance product browsing, offering a smoother experience and boosting conversion rates.

• Post-purchase touchpoints:

Give priority to promptly delivering billing receipts. This not only ensures customers receive documentation swiftly but also fosters trust in your brand, contributing to a positive online shopping experience.

Creating Customer-Centric Retail Touchpoints

Touchpoints are scattered throughout the entire customer journey. By identifying and understanding customer expectations, you can optimise interactions and create exceptional experiences. Implement proactive outreach and follow the messaging tips outlined here to build painless touchpoints and strong customer relationships that encourage repeat business.

Optimising retail touchpoints is not just a strategy; it is essential for businesses in the digital age. Each interaction, from pre-purchase to post-purchase, shapes customer perceptions and influences loyalty.

Identifying, refining, and personalising these touchpoints will be pivotal in ensuring long-lasting customer relationships and sustainable success in the competitive retail landscape.