Switch Hack

An article posted on Precision Marketing recently caught my attention.

Sadly, it’s an all too familiar scenario.  You are just about to finish your conversation and hang up, and then you think, wouldn’t it be really useful to have that information on file. So you make a simple request to the call centre agent – ‘Can you email me….” Apologetically and slightly sheepishly, “sorry we don’t have that facility…” comes the reply.
 
Technology is fundamental to enable agents to meet customer expectations, but recent research from Rostrvm Solutions claims that a lack of technology in call centres is jeopardising customer satisfaction so it seems the issue is far from resolved.

In this age of multi-channel communication, it is surprising and extremely worrying how many agents still don’t have multi-channel capability at their finger tips.  Consumers expect to be able to interact with a brand in the way they want - either on the phone, via email or through other digital channels, and surely this expectation must be met.
 
Of course, we mustn’t ignore the influence of the human dimension.  It is has been proved that 70% of our decision to buy is based on how we are treated as people.  But, when prices and products are often so similar, companies are guilty sometimes of forgetting the simple fact that customers are looking for quality service. 

So, agents need to be equipped with the right tools that allow them to seamlessly combine different communication channels on demand.  Providing our agents also with real-time access to all past interactions with a customer, including transcriptions of previous chats and emails, scanned copies of letters received and dispatched, as well as call recordings and comments allows a satisfactory outcome to be reached.                 
 
If we are honest, many companies are still wasting money on employing different channels in an isolated way; providing disjointed, blanket marketing messages which results in lacking a ‘single view’ of the customer.  If an organisation truly understands how to use the right message with the right communication channel at the right time, it can increase revenue, reduce operating costs and increase its word of mouth advocacy.  Agents need to be empowered now!