In the race for digital transformation, automation is frequently touted as the pinnacle of efficiency.
We are told that AI interfaces are the future of seamless customer engagement. However, customer-facing technology is only an asset if it is rigorously tested and governed by empathy. Without this human oversight, these tools become liabilities – hollow echo chambers that erode customer trust and brand equity.
This is the standard of excellence we expect from legacy institutions. Yet, my cumulative experiences with The Times of India Group reveal a systemic failure in their Customer Relationship Management (CRM) architecture.
Beyond the seamless processing of payments, the customer journey is fraught with friction.
The disconnect between their sales and support functions is jarring. A past comment I left on the App Store was met not with support, but with a blind sales call: “You have shown an interest… How may I help you?”
Despite possessing my contact details and subscription history, their teams frequently fail to verify my subscription status, prioritizing aggressive, repetitive upselling over basic account care. They seem eager only to automate the transaction of acquisition, yet unwilling to invest in the experience of retention.
This apathy crystallized in a recent interaction with The Economic Times on their WhatsApp chatbot. As the attached screenshot demonstrates, a simple query regarding subscription was met with a recursive loop of generic auto-responses. The interface failed to parse context, ignored specific questions, and – most frustratingly – disregarded a direct plea to “reply like a human”.
For a media powerhouse built on the pillars of communication and clarity, such technical negligence sends a damaging message: “We value your wallet, not your voice.”
The strategic lesson is clear: Digital presence without digital empathy is not innovation. It is merely high-tech neglect.