It is a common but not consistently recognized issue. While technology that works poorly often frustrates users, too much technology can be just as harmful. It can be tempting to think that consumers might want a lot of high-tech to speed up interactions with your business; technological overload it can be a customer relationship killer. Based on my experience, it is essential to consider ways you can avoid this pitfall.

1. Humans still do a better job at many things

We leverage technology heavily at my jewelry insurance company through a comprehensive strategy. However, there are areas where we find technology not doing the best work and where people can do better work, which is true in many businesses today. People are the best and central to many interactions in an organization.

Everyone is trying to use technology to do everything, especially with the exploding interest in AI and GenAI. However, AI and GenAI cannot necessarily simplify or automate everything. For example, many things require empathy and experience that only humans can provide to each other. The human touch is a real and powerful force. For example, we use some technology to manage an insurance claim, but people mostly control it. Why? Because we need to ensure that our interactions with customers have real empathy. Computers don't have that ability. They are not good at the subtle nuances required when you – and your client – want human help and understanding.

Resist the temptation to overload your processes and company with technology. Even when your intentions are good, when you're trying to create a better user experience with it, the result can backfire. Technology can be great, but user experience it fails because the way it responds is not what people want or how they want. Innovate in small steps to test and learn before making decisions or expanding your use of high-tech—especially with your prospects and customers.

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2. The path of least resistance is not always high-tech

It can be easy to gravitate toward complicated technology-driven paths that seem more efficient. Too many leaders in love with really complex solutions. Or, they feel market pressure to have ultra-feature-heavy technology. They are ashamed that their NEW it may seem to lack sophistication.

But often the path of least resistance is not always optimized by maximizing high technology. Your first iteration of process automation is likely to be ugly. Don't assume your technology has to be elaborate or deep out of the gate. Instead, start small, win FEEDBACK, learn and repeat. Use technology to create feedback loops and control how people use your product, down to every detail and nuance. It can tell you which buttons users click, which colors perform best, how often they click, etc.

If you're using the right tools, you can monitor interactions and gain great quantitative insights. Then, combine those insights with qualitative (read human) insights. customer feedback. Ninety-nine percent of the time, simplicity is best.

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3. Catching the latest trend cannot always be trusted

Too many leaders get fixated on trends and lose sight of first-principle thinking. You need to be able to take a step back and determine if you think something makes sense for your business. It doesn't matter what your consultants are telling you or what your competitors are doing. You can count on adopting current technology. I certainly do. But you also need to know when you risk overwhelming your staff and customers.

Too afraid to lose (FOMO) and pressure CEOs and executives to embrace the latest technologies. Stories about AI and GenAI are great examples. Companies are scrambling and asking how to use AI/GenAI, how to get there first, etc. But it doesn't make sense for companies to use AI and GenAI. We've found good ways to use it in initial customer and customer interactions, but it's in a small capacity. Above all, it's about how well it works for you and your customers.

Many big tech companies release solutions and features that people don't use at the cost of millions of dollars – and that shouldn't happen. Innovation can come at a cost. Test and learn, experiment and ask questions when considering innovations. Don't assume you miss or miss out. Instead, evaluate it with human conversations and judgments.

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A lesson learned the hard way

Technology overload was something I noticed in the early era of insurtechs. Many in the industry believed that consumers would prefer to buy their home, car and other insurance policies directly from insurance companies online. Build sleek technology and they will come. But it didn't quite work out that way. only OTHER USEFUL consumers preferred that online experience, while many did not. S

Some consumers want to work with a trusted broker or agent, which is why they've been buying insurance for decades. Ignoring the power of the human component in the buying process has caused some high-profile high-tech startups to struggle.

There are many other examples, from e-commerce shopping carts to smartphones. When using technology, take your time, create feedback loops and (above all) look at your customers' expectations.