feature
media are growing in popularity. As a result, it is crucial that the
contact centre provides the customer with these choices.
Customers expect to be able to use a variety of methods and if
one or more of them isn’t available, that affects the whole
experience before it has even begun.
From an agent perspective, the contact centre technology should
ensure that these channels are effortlessly blended so that they are
presented with an overall view of the customer’s recent
interactions, regardless of the channel selected. This also ensures
that the customer isn’t required to repeat the same details time
and time again, which is something that adds an element of
frustration to any interaction.
Consistency
The key to delivering a great customer service experience is doing
it consistently. This is also one of the major challenges that any
organisation faces due to changes in staff, technology and
customer demands. When it comes to a multi-channel platform,
customers also expect symmetry. If a customer calls in to an
energy provider, for example, to get an account balance, the
answer received should be exactly the same as if the customer
had emailed the question, or even logged onto the website to
check the balance himself.
More so, responses must be personalised, relevant and in context.
This is especially true for responding to customers via social media
channels. The customer wants to be recognised and treated
empathetically, something that social media channels can also help
with as there is the expectation of receiving a more personalised
approach due to the nature of these networks.
Dave Paulding, regional sales
director UK, Middle East, at
Interactive Intelligence
@davepauld
www.inin.com
“In a world where product and price
differentiation are playing a lesser role, it is
the customer experience that is becoming
the shining star of competitive advantage
and can ultimately determine an
organisation’s success or failure”
Levels of engagement
From self-service options such as IVR menu or logging in to a
corporate website, to speaking to an agent on the other end of an
email, web chat or telephone, the customer experience must also
be seamless. The technology should reflect options that the
customer is looking for; for example IVR menus should offer
relevant options that can help resolve a customer query and not
merely be used to reduce operational costs.
Beyond that, if one channel doesn’t yield a resolution, the
customer should be effortlessly transferred to the next mode of
help where an agent has the customer’s details and knows what is
required of the interaction.
In a nutshell
Developing a great customer service strategy for the contact
centre that is relevant and consistent hinges on two factors:
Understanding the customer’s reaction during and after each
interaction and having the capacity to offer the channels that
different customers are using to carry out any number of
engagements.
There is no doubt that it is the customer experience that is key to
success, and it is down to the customer service strategy that is
supported by the right technology to ensure it is consistently good
across channels.
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ISSUE SEVENTEEN • NOVEMBER 2014