Engage Magazine November 2014 | Page 33

feature Essentially, building the optimum omnichannel experience within your customer service department has to start by putting the customer at the heart of the operation, and then build the technology around this. For many years, it was entirely the opposite GET READY FOR THE INTERNET OF THINGS WITH AN OMNICHANNEL STRATEGY The Internet of Things (IoT) is still a fledgling concept says Dave Ogden, but it is one that could make all previous customer service initiatives redundant worldwide Although some vertical markets, such as utilities, media and automotive, have had a head start in IoT – that is, the mass of individual objects or devices connected via the internet – we are 33 just at the beginning of its role in our everyday lives. Analyst Gartner indicates that the IoT (excluding PCs, tablets and smartphones) will grow to 26 billion installed units globally by 2020. Since the overarching premise behind IoT is that everyday objects, from refrigerators to watches, have network connectivity, enabling individuals and organisations to send and receive data through a variety of platforms. This has an impact on many industries, and none more so than in customer service. M To make sure that this doesn’t happen, the question that contact centres need to ask themselves is, “how do we embrace the Internet of Things in order to make sure we are providing customers with a complete and satisfactory customer experience?” ISSUE SEVENTEEN • NOVEMBER 2014