Why IT support from humans is better
IT has long been a critical aspect of running any business, but this importance has further increased recently, as many companies go partly or fully remote in the face of COVID-19. This makes choosing the right managed IT service more important than ever as employees rely on IT support to troubleshoot problems while working from home.
When it comes to modern IT solutions, businesses and organizations have a great deal of choice. There are various aspects of IT support that can be automated, such as interactive computer systems that direct calls to the right department. IT support itself can even be entirely conducted by a computer system, with human support reps only getting involved in particularly difficult cases.
However, there are a number of reasons why IT support by humans, rather than computers, is simply better.
Personalized responses
Human-driven IT solutions offer more personalized responses compared to support that is automated or AI-driven. Even though this technology has developed greatly in recent years, it simply cannot generate a genuine, personalized response from a human being.
Computers are not able to be creative, engage in critical thinking, or be funny: all things that make human responses unique and improve IT support. Without these human skills, computers cannot properly assess the user’s problem and give the perfect response for them.
Customers prefer to talk to a real person
When people call IT support, they generally want to talk to a real person. This is part of human nature: when we have a problem or an issue, we want to be able to talk it over with someone. Telling a computer about our problem is simply not the same. On the contrary, dealing with automated systems makes people more irritated.
A 2019 Harvard study showed that human contact helps to ease customer anxiety. This is more important than ever in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. At this time, many people are suffering from increased levels of anxiety, so dealing with human IT support is preferable.
Computers can’t consider feelings
Another problem with computer-based IT support is that computers cannot consider the user’s feelings. Computers cannot read between the lines, pick up on tone, or anticipate how the situation will make the person feel. A human operator, however, can genuinely appreciate how the user is feeling and tailor their response accordingly.
The level of support offered is crucial. A 2018 report stated that 75 percent of US customers would change providers if they received poor service. The truth is, computers simply cannot offer the same level of service as human beings.
Human operators can establish trust
It is critical that when a user is dealing with IT support, they can trust the person they are dealing with. Dealing with a human support rep means they can establish trust and built a relationship. On the other hand, it is impossible to develop this kind of relationship with a computer or automated system. People inherently mistrust machines, which means they will not have confidence in the information provided. This is linked to the way robots make decisions. Computers make decisions by making calculations, rather than based on morality, and therefore people find this untrustworthy.
Humans let people talk through their issues
Dealing with an IT problem can be frustrating, especially when trying to meet a deadline or finish an important project. A big part of IT support is not only to resolve the issue, but the very act of talking it over can be important for the user. Talking with another human makes a person feel heard and lets them get things off their chest. Simply by having someone listen to them, they will feel reassured that their problem will be taken care of. This is only possible with human-based IT solutions. Contact us to learn more about how our managed IT services can benefit your employees and your business.
