With more than a billion smartphones expected to be in use by 2013, businesses need to change the way they engage with customers. More than ever before, companies need to familiarize themselves with the latest trends and technologies in order to stay in the game and earn customers’ trust. In addition to providing exemplary service, businesses must be actively involved with the mobile lifestyle and social networking. Simply put, mobile channels are where they are today because the opportunity for businesses to reach and satisfy customers is unprecedented. When it comes to customer service and mobile—if you snooze, you lose.
Mobile Channels Satisfy Needs Quickly and Efficiently
Smartphones revolutionize the way things are handled in today’s society. They are easy to use, readily available, and provide up-to-date information through texts, emails, status updates, and applications. Companies find it beneficial to utilize mobile channels because the platform puts the business in direct contact with the customer satisfying their needs faster and increasing overall satisfaction.
Mobile Services Lift Consumer Satisfaction, Loyalty, and Brand Perception
Rather than wait long periods of time on the phone only to learn that their call was routed to the wrong department, customers are contacted through the mode of communication that best meets their needs, whether it be a text message or social interaction websites like Facebook and Twitter. And, when executed properly, the right channel strategy can lift consumer satisfaction, loyalty, and brand perception.
Customer Satisfaction is Determined by Business’ Response Time
Customer satisfaction depends largely on how quickly and efficiently an issue is resolved, especially if the customer has taken time from his or her day to address the question or concern. The average customer works to resolve their problems through a variety of resources, resorting to contacting a call center only if and when they need to speak to a live agent. The true challenge that businesses face is how to close the gap between self-service and live service.
On-the-Go Callers Expect Faster Resolutions
A recent Consumer Reports® survey found that 71% of respondents were extremely irritated when they couldn’t reach a human on the phone; 67% said they hung up without getting their issue resolved. This raises concerns because the mobile customer has different expectations of the companies they do business with. Call centers are pressured to solve the customer’s problem with the first call, because on-the-go callers feel like they’ve already spent too much time trying to resolve the issue on their own. Enter the business solution of choice: the mobile app.
In my next blog, I will explain the importance of apps, the problems customers face when needing live service, and ways to avoid customer dissatisfaction. I will also discuss the importance of strategy. Businesses need a clearly defined plan of attack to properly utilize, market to, and appeal to their targeted demographic through the use of mobile services.
Mary Cook is Call Center Practice Manager for the Varolii Corporation.
mary.cook@varolii.com. www.varolii.com. @callcenterdr. Read Mary's blog.
