The last remaining serious opposition to digital customer service finally succumbed in 2020. Branch-dependent bank customers transitioned to mobile apps; technophobic Medicare beneficiaries flocked to telehealth; and slow-to-adopt auto insurance customers finally started using virtual claims tools. A McKinsey report found that 75% of people who used these digital channels for the first time during the Covid-19 pandemic said they will continue to use them when things go back to “normal”.

The digital-first company – where the underlying assumption is that the first approach to any opportunity or problem should be digital – is no longer special. It is now the standard business model. Yet it comes with a new set of challenges. When consumers can easily switch from one provider to another in a few clicks, they can be lost as rapidly as they are acquired.

Companies must therefore work harder to preserve their brand identities and maintain loyalty. They must focus on empathy-driven relationships if they are to maximise customer engagement and achieve commercial success in a digital world. 

This live webinar, hosted by the Financial Times in partnership with EXL, will bring together senior executives to discuss the digital-first business in healthcare, insurance and other industries and how to maximise the opportunities and minimise the threats. It will be available to view on-demand immediately after the live show ends.

KEY TALKING POINTS

What exciting new opportunities are available to digital-first businesses? Are they making the most of them, and if not why not?

How can businesses minimise the risks of digitalisation and maintain customer relationships? 

Digital services are only as good as their underlying digital platforms – so how do you configure and manage the interfaces between the two to ensure maximum operational efficiency?

Why is it so difficult to collect, manage and analyse data to unlock the insights needed to drive sales and profitability? Why isn’t the use of artificial intelligence in predictive analytics living up to its potential?

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