Anyone who has had to contact the customer service of some companies knows well the difficulties of customer support. In addition to the numerous protocols and long waits, it is common for attendants to transfer the call from one department to another several times until they identify your request. In many cases, the client even needs to explain their request multiple times until they are understood. But providing quality support is crucial for the user's final assessment of their shopping experience. Therefore, companies are adopting new methods — such as platform integration and the end of service protocols, for example, now referring to them as conversations.

A survey conducted by NeoAssist, an omnichannel customer service company, identified that by integrating various support channels such as chat, email, social media, and phone, it is possible to reduce response time by up to 35%, increasing user satisfaction by up to 25%. With this in mind, NeoAssist developed a technology for the benefit of the consumer, eliminating the need for protocols and making the customer's life easier.

“In practice, customers can start the service through one channel and continue on another, without having to repeat their information or be redirected to other sectors. This allows for a unified experience and shows customers that your company is cohesive, has good internal communication and the ability to resolve all demands in question,” says William Dantas, director of data and artificial intelligence at NeoAssist.

With this approach, the company is able not only to increase customer satisfaction and improve its external image but also to optimize the time each service takes. Furthermore, it has the customer's overall perspective, not looking at an individual protocol but rather the entire interaction with your brand. Depending on the size of the company and the level of automation implemented, the reduction in the number of atendimentos can be between 20% and 25%. This is due to the ability of bots and (more recently) AI to automatically and proactively resolve simple issues without the need for human interaction, which – above all – promotes customer independence.

“The advantage of technology is that it focuses on the consumer. Through an omnichannel platform, we integrate different communication channels, automate processes and eliminate bureaucracy. The public realizes that we are in control of the situation and reinforces their trust in the brand,” he concludes.

Protection of sensitive data, prevention against cyberattacks, and ensuring the integrity of AI systems are fundamental pillars to face the growing digital threats in companies. The Global Cybersecurity Outlook 2024 study revealed that 54% of organizations are not prepared to handle vulnerabilities in their supply chains, increasing risks for their partners. In the last 12 months, 41% of companies that faced cyber incidents identified third parties as the source of the problem, ranging from simple attacks to sophisticated cyber espionage operations. And the impact is not limited to large corporations: in the first half of 2023 alone, Latin America suffered over 63 billion cyberattacks, with Brazil among the most affected countries, highlighting the urgent need for more robust data protection.

What do technology leaders say about the matter?
Recently, at the Aspen Security Forum, the Coalition for Safe AI (CoSAI) was launched, comprised of technology leaders including Google, Amazon, Intel, IBM, Microsoft, and NVIDIA, with the goal of establishing robust AI security standards.

In this regard, Srikrishna Shankavaram, chief cybersecurity architect of Zebra Technologies' Advanced Development and AI team, highlighted that one of the main focus areas of the Safe AI Coalition (CoSAI) will be the security of the software supply chain for Artificial Intelligence systems. "Given the complex and interconnected nature of AI ecosystems, any vulnerability at one stage can compromise the entire system," explained Shankavaram.

According to EY's Global Cybersecurity Leadership Insights Study, in terms of costs, during 2022, 37% of companies indicated that data breaches represented an expense of around 1.5 million dollars; and 35% commented that this figure reached between 1.5 and 3 million dollars for their companies.

And what security measures should be taken in the era of Artificial Intelligence?
In response to this problem, Zebra Technologies has developed a comprehensive portfolio of cybersecurity solutions to protect mobile devices and business data. Through technologies such as Zebra LifeGuard™, Mobility DNA, and biometric authentication solutions, Zebra ensures device security and data privacy.

Your advanced analytics platforms, powered by artificial intelligence, proactively detect threats, while identity management solutions control who has access to which information. These solutions not only strengthen defense against cyberattacks but also enhance the operational efficiency of companies. This is essential to preserve data integrity and ensure that artificial intelligence is used ethically and responsibly, bringing benefits to individuals, organizations, and society.

According to Manuel González, Regional Product Manager for Latin America at Zebra Technologies, “At Zebra, we understand that AI security is not just a technical priority, but a comprehensive commitment to our customers and partners. We support and are committed to initiatives that seek to establish higher security standards across the industry.”

González emphasizes that Zebra continues to enhance its AI portfolio, which includes machine learning for retail task management, intelligent vision applications, voice AI, and generative AI for wearable devices and self-checkout scanners. These innovations enable companies to create secure and scalable digital services, supported by the Zebra Savanna platform.

Engaging leaders as effective communicators is one of the biggest challenges faced by internal organizational communication. According to annual surveys by the Brazilian Association of Corporate Communication (Aberje) in partnership with the Integrated Action agency, this difficulty was identified by 64% of companies in 2024, 74% in 2023, and 70% in 2022. These data make the company's challenge clear: in a corporate world that produces and receives information constantly, more than being heard, leaders need to be understood by their followers.

The secret? For theTEDx Speaker and communications expert, Giovana Pedroso, is first to understand. "It is necessary to go beyond superficial conversations and initial exchanges of words. It is to listen to what was not said, which represents a huge challenge," highlights Giovana. "Often, the problem lies in the context, manifested through non-verbal signals. An employee who starts arriving late and, when questioned, blames the alarm clock may be dealing with more serious personal issues. Body language, such as looking at the ground or having closed posture, can reveal much more," she adds.

To decipher the subtext, Giovana points to trust and respect as fundamental attributes. "However, unlike respect, trust does not arise solely from formal authority. The relationship between leader and follower is built through daily exchanges, through good, clear, and frequent conversations, through small demonstrations of interest, and genuine concern for the other," lists the communication specialist.

Good practices for managers

According to the specialist, the benefits of clarity and humanity in a leader's communication go beyond healthier relationships in the professional environment. "It can be represented, in a final line, the increase in the company's results, considering that building healthy professional relationships reduces turnover and stimulates creativity," he emphasizes.

With this in mind, some practical contributions can help managers understand and be better understood:

● Clear objectives for meetings:Clearly define the purpose of the meeting and educate the team to do the same. The more specific the goal, the more productive the conversation will be;

●  Facts over opinions:decisions must be based on facts, avoiding personal biases that can distort reality;

● Objective and fast feedback:focus on the situation and not on personal judgments when giving feedback, but be direct and quick when providing feedback;

● Encourage team ideas:encourage participation and sharing of ideas, but do not focus on the authorship of the ideas, it is more a dialogue about the proposal than about who the author is;

● Think before speaking:Question your own thoughts before communicating. Cris Argyris, from Harvard Business School, suggests dividing a sheet in half: on one side, write what you think; on the other, what truly needs to be said. This helps to avoid biases and hasty judgments.