The role of the contact center is changing fast as organizations begin to focus on filtering customer queries and prioritizing at the initial interaction stage.
The new paradigm concentrates not just on the nature of the query but on information intelligently gleaned about the customer’s value to the business.
The ultimate aim is to create an effortless interaction, making it simple for the customer to get what they need from the engagement process at a price that is affordable and sustainable to the business. Here are the top five ways that organizations can achieve this.
First, deliver customer expectations - but don’t exceed them.Businesses should be careful not to waste resources and money on trying to exceed customer expectations which, according to research published by Harvard, results in virtually no loyalty gains. The best indication of increased spending and loyalty is the effort that the customer needs to put into the relationship.
Second, provide solutions to enable customers to self-serve and help each other. Different types of customers will be comfortable with different methods of engagement. The younger generation in the 16-24 age category will typically want to make contact via a smartphone or mobile device, and will often be looking for voiceless interaction.
Offering a one-time URL -- that enables customers to navigate their way into the system and solve their problem themselves -- is likely to resonate well with the customer and save the organization money.
These customers typically won’t want to talk to a business about their problems. And once they have their solution, they are much more likely than other generations to become actively involved in the conversation and help answer queries for other customers via online forums or social networking sites.