The client experience game is changing. Tech innovation has raised client expectations while lowering client tolerances for bad service and incomplete solutions with functionality blind spots. Real-time communication channels and powerful mobile apps connect clients and firms like never before. With just a few taps, firms can deliver near-instant support and fulfill requests in minutes, on the go. From messaging apps to email, electronic signatures to document sharing platforms, there are many solutions vying to improve customer experience. But, by using a fleet of apps to serve clients, we have to wonder — how many is too many, and is “best of breed” counterproductive? When it comes to providing an end-to-end, seamless experience for your clients, less is more.
More apps mean more busywork.
Let’s say you’re using email to communicate, Slack for time-sensitive issues, Google Drive for document sharing, and Basecamp for project management — just to name a few. With a fleet of service apps, you might have all your bases covered, but you (and your client) are left with a busy switchboard of platforms to manage. Without a centralized tool, you’re left swiping, thumbing, and tapping between a messy tangle of platforms. Not to mention updating each tool in real time. Keeping each platform on the same page will supply you with plenty of busywork — to say the least. 69% of people waste up to an hour of each day bouncing between work-related apps. That’s 32 days of the year simply spent juggling tools.
With email in the mix, you’ll flush even more time down the drain. A third of professionals admit they spend more than 20 minutes hunting down shared documents in their email every day. Because email isn’t work-exclusive, it’s all too easy to get sidetracked by the noise of your inbox. One flash travel deal can lead you down a rabbit hole of vacation research that swallows you (and your workday) up whole. It’s no wonder it can take someone up to 23 minutes to get back on track after checking an email notification. Bottom line: too many apps kill productivity with a whole lot of busywork.
Too many apps make you vulnerable.
More apps mean more passwords for bad actors to compromise. The more app logins it takes to get something done, the more likely your client will use the same password across the board. In fact, 83% of people use the same credentials for every tool they use. Including email apps in your process is even riskier business. Between phishing scams and social engineering, email puts both you and your clients at risk. In 2018 alone, over 482.5 million phishing emails were opened.
Too many apps are bad customer experience.
More platforms mean more windows hogging your screen, more apps draining your battery, more confusion, and ultimately more missed messages. Without a one-stop-shop for your client communication, your customer experience suffers. By using email to communicate, a drive to share files, and a separate tool to delegate tasks, you’re creating three isolated channels where your communication (and connection) can easily get lost in the shuffle. While you might think an array of apps makes you more accessible, too many channels can actually overwhelm your clients. 66% of professionals admit they prefer a single collaboration and communication tool.
One is better than many.
Thanks to mobile apps, it’s easier for brands to support customers, keep communication at an all-time high, and ultimately grow relationships. But, without a centralized tool, you’re wasting time while your client experience suffers. An all-in-one collaboration tool is your safest bet to cut down on busywork, bolster security, and make communication oh-so-convenient for your clients. Do-it-all platforms like Liscio, with secure messaging, file sharing, and assigned tasks, can help you deliver the top-notch experience your clients deserve.
Join Liscio CEO (and author of this article) Chris Farrell on October 8, 2019 at 2:00 p.m. Eastern Time, for a webinar called How Many Apps Does it Take to Serve a Client?, where he'll be discussing how juggling an array of mix and match solutions increases your exposure to cyberattacks and hurts your overall client experience. Register here.