Although the internet has given people all over the world access to incredible amounts of information, it has also created a data vacuum. It’s all too easy to lie on the internet, and people commonly remind each other that they can’t trust everything they read online. While there are endless articles, blogs, and reports available, few organizations make their data public. Data interaction allows customers to view data directly rather than the boiled down summaries provided through reports.
Organizations are starting to take advantage of customer data interaction to establish a better rapport with their customers. Customers are using data interaction to answer specific questions and get the most out of their relationship with organizations. It’s a system that benefits both sides of the trade.
Data interaction provides customers with the Business Intelligence tools they need to sort through raw data independently. Unlike reports, which provide a limited range of information selected to answer a specific question, data interaction allows customers to look at the exact data they need without the fog of summarizing. Reports cannot present all data, and can only explain trends and present limited examples. Reports usually serve a specific purpose, such as updating customers about performance standards or outlining quarterly profit margins for investors.
Customers have questions reports cannot answer. Even casual inquiries for information can take time for organizations to answer. Data interaction gives customers the ability to answer nearly any question at any time. This unique freedom gives customers the power to get the most out the organization’s services.
As stated above, not all customers have their questions answered by an organization’s reports. In order to promote trust and operate transparently, an organization has to take these questions seriously. By allowing customers to interact with data directly, organizations save precious labor hours replying to specific requests for information and compiling unique reports to answer valid concerns.
School systems have been among the first organizations to make use of data interaction. They allow students, teachers, and concerned citizens to look up information about collective performance and results from the student body. Obviously, they cannot reveal individual student data, but by granting access to the big picture, they allow anyone to run their own searches and compile their own reports. It takes the guesswork out of published information, and it’s easy to verify articles or rumors about the school’s performance. Since government funding is now tied to student performance, this information is especially valuable to taxpayers. This builds incredible customer trust and loyalty.
Data interaction is about open communication. Customers want access to data, and it’s in every organization’s best interests to grant that access. It allows customers to become more involved with these organizations, and involvement inspires loyalty. The fact that this process also cuts back on the organizations’ labor hours also helps save funds. There are few ways to inspire customer loyalty that simultaneously saves money, but data interaction is one of them.