Pushing the Right Buttons: How the Internet of Things Simplifies the Customer Journey

Abstract

Even in the age of online shopping and digital touch points a customer journey has many detours. These complexities in the purchasing process result that customers are ill-supported in their decision process. This can lead to an exclusion of retailers, the purchase of substitute products or churn. On top of this, consumers prefer to purchase products which can be customized or adapted to their individual needs exclusively. This creates even more complexities to the customer journey. In order to accomplish a compelling customer experience, interaction of both consumers and manufactures needs to be taken to a next level. The Internet of Things (IoT) opens for consumers many options to “leapfrog” the customer journey in order to meet before mentioned requirements. It enables to constantly learn from the customer. Thereby it offers potential to improve interaction, innovation, selling, supporting or simplification along a customer’s journey. Powered by artificial intelligence customer experience is able to adapt to the individual customer and its actual behavior or situation. This development could potentially lead Customer Experience Management on a new journey to its next paramount. Also a Telco can benefit by adopting IoT enabling an improved customer experience. But further steps have to be taken to seize these new opportunities for a Telco’s advantage.