Making technology work for your business

    “Just Google it.”
    That phrase has become the standard answer for just about anyone seeking information these days. As a business, when people routinely use a company’s name as a verb it’s likely a good sign that company is doing something right.     So what’s Google’s secret? It’s simple, really. Google has figured out a way to serve up technology without the complexity. Need tips on keeping workers happy? Simply type “employee retention” and, voila, plenty of solid advice is just a few clicks away.
    Google’s runaway success offers a model for any business trying to use technology as a tool to enhance customer service and satisfaction. Whether for the corner hardware store or a large manufacturer, the formula is the same – hide the complexity and highlight the results.
    I thought I’d share some valuable lessons and useful guidelines I’ve learned through my work. Some of the insights might be useful for other businesses.
Start with trust
    It’s human nature to be wary of technology. Anyone who has spent a frustrating afternoon wrangling with the wires behind a computer can attest to that.
    Smart businesses introducing new technology learn it inside out before customers get close to it. And if customers will be using the technology, make sure to provide knowledgeable and friendly help. Best Buy, for example, famously filled that need by enlisting the efforts of the “Geek Squad,” a team of good-natured techies who arrive at a customer’s home or business to troubleshoot problems.
    In the banking business, trust has always been the foundation of any technological advancement. The fact that, in the United States, nearly half of all adult Internet users – 63 million people – bank online demonstrates that trust. Online banking has become a way for millions of businesses to obtain the information they need to manage their finances – and their businesses – more easily. Companies of all sizes are using it to simplify cash flow, streamline daily processes, stop fraud in its tracks and handle bad checks more quickly and efficiently.
Stress ease and efficiency
    Humorist Andy Rooney once observed that “computers make it easier to do a lot of things, but most of the things they make it easier to do don’t need to be done.”
    His trademark crankiness aside, Rooney makes a valid point. Technology that is all flash or novelty will ultimately frustrate customers. Add complexity to the mix, and it’s easy to drive them away. Adam Greenfield, an expert in computing culture at New York University, recently tested a new cell phone and found that 13 clicks were required to change the ring tone. That’s about 10 clicks too many.
    The best technology should elicit Staples’ now familiar “that was easy” refrain. Technology should be a tool that helps customers conduct business simply and seamlessly.
    A good example of how technology can improve things from my world of banking is “remote capture technology,” which allows business people to electronically deposit checks without going to the bank. From their desks, they simply slide the checks into a machine resembling a high-tech toaster. The information on the checks is electronically communicated to the bank, and the deposits are in their account in no time.
    Recently, a CFO for a manufacturing company who had initially resisted the idea of remote capture technology, saw a demo and said, “Why haven’t we been using this all along?”
    If a company can implement technology that prompts customers to say “that was easy” or “why haven’t we been using this all along,” it’s on track to strengthening customer relationships.
Put people first
    Technology often gets a bad reputation for taking the humanity out of business. Anyone who has been caught in an endless automated telephone menu of choices knows the feeling. But businesses that know the value of customer relationships don’t rely on technology as a substitute for people. Rather, it’s a complement to people.
    For technology to work for a business, it should be integrated into a strategy to build and enhance relationships between employees and customers. When this works well, technology saves time and frees employees to provide value-added service and assistance to customers.
    For example, most bank branch transactions use to require tellers to type 85 keystrokes, but newer systems based on technology dramatically reduce that through automatically pre-filled screens as well as the scanning of checks and deposits. The result is that tellers now have more time to mention a great CD rate, share tips on guarding against identity theft or simply ask how the new granddaughter is doing.
    When considering investments in technology, any type of business can focus on tools that will get staff closer to clients, not push them farther away. And for more fresh ideas about how technology can help business, well … just Google it.
    Steven Gagnon is a senior vice president and oversees KeyBank’s Business Banking division for the northern part of Maine. His office is at 480 Main Street in Presque Isle, and he may be reached at Steven_L_Gagnon@KeyBank.com or 764-9419.