The increasing use of technology has been a blessing for everyone and everything that has taken the time to learn how to use it to their advantage. For an example of that, just look at companies, creatives, and governments. But there have been advantages for people who did not intentionally aim to gain from technology. For that, just look at “the consumer.” Individual shoppers haven’t had a direct hand in improving their share of the bargaining power, yet that’s just what’s happened.
So what has caused technology to boost consumer empowerment? Let’s take a look.
Greater Options
The abundance of choice that technology offers consumers has been a blessing. A person is no longer limited to the products they can find in their local store. They have access to products from all over the world, just by typing a few words into Google. And because the internet brings greater competition among businesses, there are nearly always good deals to be found, from betting companies offering free bet deals to stores providing discount codes and free trials. All this works to create a spending landscape that favors the consumer.
Improved Customer Support
It has never been easier to get in touch with customer support than right now. The omnichannel service means that customers can speak to company representatives via the medium that works best for them, be it the telephone, email, live chat support, or on one of the social media platforms. This gives customers free rein to talk to a company regardless of the magnitude of their issue. A customer can learn something as basic as how to store their product or demand a refund with just a few clicks of their button. And with the rise of AI assistance, that’s something we’ll see even more of in the coming years.
A More Personalized Experience
In nearly all cases, a customer is just a customer when they go into a traditional brick and mortar store. Unless they’re a celebrity, there’s nothing to differentiate them from the person who came in before or after they did. But in the digital world, the individual consumer is the star. With a detailed record of their browsing and purchase history, as well as their saved preferences, online stores can offer a personalized experience to every customer just by asking them to log in or accept their cookies. The result? It is an online experience that has more of what the consumer wants and less of what they don’t.
