Engage Magazine November 2014 | Page 34

feature “The IoT is here to stay, and as consumer technologies continue to develop, it is going to become a more relevant and influential concept. However this is not something that the customer service industry needs to fear, in fact it is something that should be welcomed with open arms” A different breed Today’s consumer is a different breed and now demands a lot more when it comes to how they interact with the companies that they buy from. New technologies and the busy lifestyles people now lead mean that they expect a satisfactory service that quickly and effectively resolves their query – whenever and wherever they are. All of this boils down to the changing role of the customer service department within the business. There are four areas of customer expectation that are placing pressure on the contact centre; they now expect you to: • Know them: Receive a personalised customer experience where your contact centre knows who they are, their details, and what their previous issues have been in the past • Show them you know them: Receive targeted, timely notifications to show that you are aware of their history with your business and can demonstrate that you’re aware of their previous interactions and how they went • Enable them: Be able to interact with your business over a variety of platforms, whenever and wherever they is • Value them: Make sure that they are receiving the best service possible These demands that are now facing the industry must be met by contact centres, because if your business cannot provide customers with what they need, they will simply move on to another provider who can. The rise of the IoT has only driven a greater need for omnichannel customer strategies, a