Evan Kirstel, a well-known speaker and thought leader in the field of customer experience (CX), recently hosted a SmartCom Summit discussion with four experts on the use of communications platform as a service (CPaaS) to create better CX. His guests included Enrico Karsten of Anywhere365, Iain Scholnick of Braidio, Shankar Krishnamurthy of Radisys, and Kevin Nethercott of the CPaaS Acceleration Alliance.
Takeaway #1: The Importance of CX
It’s no secret that providing excellent CX is crucial for businesses of all sizes, especially in the current macro economic climate. As Kevin Nethercott of the CPaaS Acceleration Alliance pointed out, the focus on CX is now more important than ever. In the past, telcos may have had a reputation for poor customer service, but the tides are turning. Evan Kirstel noted that telcos are now making significant improvements in this area.
Takeaway #2: The Power of CPaaS
One key theme that emerged during the panel was the power of CPaaS to transform and enhance CX. Iain Scholnick of Briadio discussed how his company is using CPaaS to “braid” together different services for specific verticals, leading to new revenue streams and growth.
Shankar Krishnamurthy of Radisys emphasized that in today’s world, basic communication services are no longer enough – for example things like noise suppression, transcription capabilities and virtual agents are now considered standard elements of communication processes. He also highlighted the potential of low-code/no-code platforms to enable the creation of advanced CX-enhancing applications, putting the power in the hands of non-developers.
Takeaway #3: The Future of Voice and Messaging
While the panelists agreed that the role of voice and messaging in CX is evolving, they also emphasized that both will remain important.
Enrico Karsten of Anywhere365 argued that although the traditional contact center as a barrier between the customer and the organization is a thing of the past, voice is definitely not dead, and that the key is to personalize communications and integrate them with various channels and data sources. Iain added that it’s not about choosing one technology over the other, but about finding the right use case for each.
Takeaway #4: The Challenges of CX
As with any new technology or approach, there are always challenges to be faced. Enrico noted that integrating various channels and data sources can still be complex, and that it’s important to ensure that CX efforts are not burdensome for the user. Shankar emphasized the need to consider regulation and service issues when implementing CX initiatives. The panelists agreed that the integration of voice and AI has the power to transform CX for businesses.
Enrico emphasized the value of building on top of the Microsoft stack, in order to integrate seamlessly with business processes and be able to offer experiences where the customer or user is. Iain talked about offering users not ingredients (APIs) but dinners (solutions).
Takeaway #5: The Key Role of Usecases and Going-to-Market
One of the key things discussed during the panel was the importance of developing real use cases and bringing those to market effectively. Iain revealed that Briadio is launching a major global project in the next few weeks, focused on SMEs in the restaurant, retail, and pet industries. Working with one of the largest CPaaS platform providers as well as one of the largest telcos in the world, this solution will roll out globally, bringing all the parts together in an easy to consume solution. More about this soon!
Shankar mentioned the possibility of using voice for authentication, as it provides instant gratification for the user and can be more efficient than typing out personal information. He also highlighted the potential of translation services and the need for strong network and bandwidth capabilities to support video communication. Enrico discussed the use of conversational AI to enhance CX, providing tips and tricks to users during dialogues to improve the overall experience.
Conclusion
In closing, Kevin mentioned the upcoming CPaaS Showcase event at Cloud Communications Alliance conference in Ft Lauderdale this month. CPaaSAA and CCA partners like Braidio, Radisys and Vonage will demonstrate some of their top use cases and compete for prizes. This Showcase will be repeated at different events later this year, and is open to all CPaaSAA members.
Overall, the panel provided valuable insights into the current and future state of CX in the CPaaS space. From the importance of CX to the potential of CPaaS to transform and enhance it, to the challenges and opportunities ahead, there is much to consider for businesses looking to improve the way they engage with their customers.
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