Insights

Tom Koulopoulos on Human Behavior, Technology and the Changing Face of Making the Perfect Connection at TFUS19

Oct 16, 2019

Only at the 2019 Toll-Free User Summit can you stand at the intersection of technology and human behavior, as well as the intersection of flasks and socks!

And so kicked off the TFUS19 keynote presentation by Tom Koulopoulos, Author, Speaker and Futurist. Tom began his presentation by helping attendees understand the disconnect between technology and behavior, and how that disconnect impacts customer experience. Technology can be easy to predict, but human behavior is not quite as pervasive. In fact, Tom noted that it’s nearly impossible to predict!

One way we see this disconnect is with our devices. Data and analytics can tell us how many devices are on the planet currently and even predict how many will be in existence ten and twenty years from now; however, data cannot predict how we will USE these devices. Why is that? Because that’s not technological behavior, it’s HUMAN behavior. This is important as we shape our company narratives, and drive our business strategies away from being strictly device-centered and point them instead in the direction of the human self – emotion, feelings, mood, personality and more.

While this may sound simple enough, the hard part tends to be identifying and defining the behavioral future. According to Tom, one way we can do this is to not only analyze our data, but also build CONTEXT around it. When Making the Perfect Connection, we all too often forget to first make the connection between the data we’ve collected and the behavior surrounding it. When we are able to successfully make these associations, however, we better position ourselves to maneuver the behavioral shift.

One bottleneck in the pursuit of mastering the behavioral shift is our misunderstanding how AI factors into the equation. As AI makes our machines smarter, naturally position AI-powered technology in competition with its human counterparts. Tom noted, however, that it’s NOT humans versus AI, but rather AI is human intelligence, amplified. And with this amplified intelligence, we become better equipped to build better customer experience and create value and personalization.

Personalization is especially important to the customer experience as we shift not only from a technological to behavioral approach, but also from a culture of brand loyalty to a culture of being a Loyal Brand. As Tom noted, as datafication shapes user experience, customers expect us more than ever to know who they are and what they expect. When there is an absence of this connection, we run a high risk of losing our customers.

From AI to datafication to digitalization, the customer experience is rapidly evolving every day. As we identify ways to eliminate friction and become more in tune with human behavior, we become one step closer to ensure that we are always Making the Perfect Connection.