Technology can make a business more efficient. However, it can’t replace excellent human communication.

Technology is changing the way we work, and in lots of ways that's a really good thing.

It can automate repetitive tasks, make businesses more efficient, speed up processes and free people from doing things that don't really need a human being involved.

But there is a balance to be found.

I was on a Contact Centre & Customer Experience Expo webinar this week and one of the discussions was about businesses that had invested heavily in AI and automation, reducing the number of people involved in their customer service.

Klarna was one of the examples discussed.

Its AI customer service assistant delivered significant efficiency gains and was reported to be doing the equivalent work of around 700 full-time customer service agents.

But Klarna subsequently changed direction.

Its CEO acknowledged that focusing too heavily on cost and efficiency had affected the quality of customer service, and the business began recruiting people back into customer-facing roles.

And I think there's an important point in there for businesses of every size.

Efficiency and customer experience aren't the same thing.

When the system works, but the communication doesn't

I've seen a much smaller example of this in my own work recently.

I've been working with a business on its sales process, specifically looking at what happens after somebody makes an enquiry.

From a process point of view, things were happening.

The emails were going out.

The texts were being sent.

There was a follow-up process in place.

The technology was doing what it had been asked to do.

But when I looked at the actual communication being sent to potential customers, there was a problem.

One of the follow-up messages simply opened with:

"Not heard back from you."

Technically, there's nothing wrong with it.

They hadn't heard back from the customer.

But that's not really the point.

Think about how it feels to receive it.

There's no recognition that the person might be busy. No acknowledgement that something else might have taken priority. No softening of the communication and no real attempt to make it easy for them to come back into the conversation.

So we rewrote the communication and the wider follow-up cadence.

The technology didn't need changing.

The human communication did.

Automating communication doesn't automatically make it good communication

This is where I think businesses need to be careful.

Technology can send an email at exactly the right time.

It can remind somebody to follow up.

It can trigger a text message.

It can record a customer interaction and tell us what needs to happen next.

What it can't decide for us is whether the communication we've created is actually any good.

Does it sound human?

Does it recognise the person at the other end?

Is it clear?

Does it make it easy for somebody to respond?

How might it land?

And ultimately, does it represent how you actually want your business to communicate with its customers?

Those questions still require human thought.

We invest in technology. We need to continually invest in people too.

Businesses will happily spend thousands on technology, systems and automation.

Often, rightly so.

But sometimes we forget that the human beings in a company are its lifeblood.

They're what makes it breathe.

They're the heartbeat.

It's people who have the conversations, make the decisions, solve the unusual problems, lead the teams and build the relationships that affect customer experience, sales and ultimately the commercial performance of a business.

So investing in people isn't wasted money.

That might mean investing in the skills and development of your team.

It might mean giving your leaders the support they need to lead more effectively.

And it might mean investing in yourself.

Training, coaching and development aren't the opposite of investing in technology.

Businesses need both.

The technology should make it easier for good people to do good work.

Good communication needs some thought

We all have times where our communication is off.

We're busy. We're under pressure. We're trying to get something done.

We can make assumptions, say too much, say too little, react rather than respond or simply forget to think about how something might land with the person at the other end.

Often, we don't even realise we're doing it.

A few minutes spent thinking before an important communication can make a significant difference.

What am I actually trying to achieve?

What might be happening for the person at the other end?

How am I showing up in this conversation?

Am I being clear about what happens next?

How might what I'm about to say actually land?

Those questions don't require another piece of technology.

Sometimes they just require us to stop for ten minutes and think.

The 10-Minute Communication Check

That's why I've created the 10-Minute Communication Check as the first download from

'The Toolbox'

The Toolbox is my growing collection of practical tools for better conversations, stronger leadership and business growth.

Some will be about communication. Others will cover leadership, sales, personal development, business growth and some of the common challenges I see in my coaching and training work.

The 10-Minute Communication Check is designed to be used before an important email, phone call, meeting or conversation.

It's simple, practical and free for you.

If you'd like a copy, complete the short form through The Toolbox and I'll send it straight over.

Use it yourself. Share it with your team, or pass it on to somebody who might find it useful.

Because technology can make a business more efficient.

However, it can't replace excellent human communication

Go Well.

Anna