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CX Evolve Summit: Tech cannot replace human touch in customer service, say experts
The 4th edition of Khaleej Times CX Evolve Summit discussed how brands could anticipate consumer demands, control customer experiences, and drive brand loyalty
Attendees at the Khaleej Times CX EVOLVE 2024, held at the JW Marriott Hotel Marina in Dubai, on Thursday: Photos: Muhammad Sajjad
Despite all the technological advances, nothing can match the experience of a human touch in customer service. This was the view that experts underlined while speaking at the Khaleej Times CX Evolve Summit in Dubai.
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“I believe the value of human interaction in undeniable.,” said Ahmed Khedr, Vice President Retail Digital Transformation at e&. “Even with very advanced levels of technology, we cannot ignore the touch of human interaction and the emotional bond it creates. We should marry technology with human interaction to keep our customers coming back to us.”
The fourth edition of the CX Evolve Summit, which took place on Thursday, brought together industry leaders to discuss how brands could anticipate consumer demands, control customer experiences, and drive brand loyalty.
Michael Jabri-Pickett, Editor-in-Chief of Khaleej Times, delivering his welcome remarks at KTCX EVOLVE 2024.
Ahmed Khedr's comments come as e& prepares to open its first autonomous store in Dubai Mall next week. Completely unmanned, the store will use artificial intelligence to make it a seamless experience for its customers. People will be granted entry into the store solely using facial recognition.
He shared the story of a 'thank you' letter he received from a senior manager who praised the company’s human touch. “He had gone into one of our stores in Abu Dhabi to buy one line, but he came away from it buying three lines and two devices,” he said. “He wrote that the customer care representative gave him a ‘wow’ experience that went over and beyond the technology we have.”
Charles Bennet, President and Co-Founder of CXSA Middle East, making his presentation.
Gagandeep Gadri, Managing Director of Frog, part of Capgemini Invent, delivering his opening keynote, 'The CX Decade: Trends and Future Outlook'.
Sindhu Sreenath, Managing Director of QuestionPro MEA, delivering her presentation on 'Leveraging Technology for Enhanced Customer Experiences'.
Hyper-personalisation
According to Gagandeep Gadri, Managing Director, frog, part of Capgemini Invent, every brand is moving towards hyper-personalisation — a process of customising and targeting experiences through data, analytics, artificial intelligence, and automation
“Today we have so many different choices, so how do we maintain their attention and keep them coming back,” he said. “Technology and AI is making hyper-personalisation really doable.”
Karthik Akula, MENA regional head of Freshworks, likened hyper-personalisation to the neighbourhood grocery store or baqala. “In the olden days, the neighbourhood storekeeper knew you and what you wanted,” he said. “It was a very small community and he would stock what you needed. However, a lot of modernisation happened and we began addressing customer with a number of name.”
He clarified that with the advent of AI, the world is going back to the olden levels of personalisation. “By using it, we can go back to that level of hyper-personalisation where it could be about learning your profile, your preferences, buying patterns, what associations they have and so on,” he said.
From left: Andreas Markdalen, Global Chief Creative Officer at Frog, part of Capgemini Invent; Dr. Hassa Saif Al Mazrouei, Medical Director of Patient Experience at Sheikh Shakhbout Medical City (SSMC); Ankesh Agarwal, Director of Customer Experience at Majid Al Futtaim; and Moderator Jihane Srour-Tehini, Co-Founder of Human2Outcome, during the panel discussion, "Delivering Seamless Customer Journeys Across Industries: Bridging Technology and Human Touch", at KTCX EVOLVE 2024.
From left: Humaid Hassan Salem Alshamsi, Expert in CX and Government Excellence; Himanshu Malhotra, Advisor to the Chairman, Department of Municipalities and Transport, Abu Dhabi; Ahmed Khedr, Vice President of Retail - Digital Transformation at e& UAE; Karthik Akula, Regional Head - MENA at Freshworks; and Moderator Charles Bennet, President and Co-Founder of CXSA Middle East, during the opening panel, 'Pioneers Crafting CX Evolution through Public-Private Innovations Across Sectors'.
From left: Suryaveer Singh, Head of Loyalty CRM and Data at ENOC; Gagandeep Gadri, Managing Director at frog, part of Capgemini Invent; Julia De Souza, Vice-President of Customer Experience & Operations at American Express Middle East; and Moderator Stoyan Petrov, Middle East Lead at frog, part of Capgemini Invent, during the panel discussion, Navigating Customer Loyalty in a VUCA World - Gen Z Leads the Charge, at KTCX EVOLVE 2024.
Dual transition
Gadri further explained that the world is going through a “dual transition” where people want a more digital but sustainable future — what he termed as the eco-digital era. As digitalisation, technology, AI, and sustainability drive transformative change, it is essential to integrate and evolve with these shifts,” he said.
“By embracing diverse, integrated systems and maintaining a human-centric approach, we can craft superior and delightful customer experiences that resonate with this new age.”
Citing a report done by his company, he said the eco-digital economy is expected to double in size over the next five years. “Value is not just economic value,” he said. “It also includes economic and societal value. We need to tread more carefully on our planet.”
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