Myth: GigCX is about throwing more people at customer queries, not great people

First and foremost, if you've not heard of GigCX before, click here for a short and snappy definition. And a reminder that if you want to check out last week's blog, where we discussed how GigCX is perfect for a long-term CX strategy, read it here.

This week the focus is on quality, challenging the view that GigCX is about throwing more people versus great people at customer service queries. It's simply not the case.

Of course, a gig crowd can grow quickly, scaling to meet increased demand in your customer service department. However, just because a crowd grows quickly, doesn't mean it's not capable of delivering high quality customer service. The reason for this is firmly rooted in the nature of GigCX and its Experts, as by default, Experts are brand ambassadors who are well-versed, big fans of the products and services they provide customer service for. In fact, in our own research 2020 Gig Customer Service Report, 96% of respondents indicated that customer experience is actually improved when you receive service from someone who also uses the same products or services that you do.

These Experts tend to have actively sought out the GigCX opportunity and choose when and where they log into the app - so they're a highly motivated pool of people often with experiences of your service or product that is unique to customers. Experts aren't able just to register and get going either. They're put through a learning process which is as stringent as you want it to be - so only those most knowledgeable can make it through.

Beyond this, Experts also deliver a better, more authentic experience for customers and prospects compared to what they'd likely receive from a bot or virtual assistant. Not to say that there isn't a time and place for bots and VA's: they're great for answering simple, straightforward questions. But we find that particularly during the time of COVID-19, people really want to talk to other people. This was further demonstrated in our research, where many Experts indicated that people were reaching out more to human customer service agents (vs bots) during lockdown in an effort to feel a human connection.

Perhaps Aileen Allkins, former CVP of Customer Service and Support for Microsoft, explains it best:

Many people ask me when to automate and when to leverage GigCX. My response is that the big difference with the GigCX model is the excitement and enthusiasm for the products which the Experts are supporting. In using various models and channels for customer service, you also provide your customers with the one thing we hear about time and time again in top CX priorities: choice.

That's a wrap for the sixth in the series, showing that once again that GigCX is defying the myths and delivering excellent customer service for brands that people love!