It’s no secret that mobile devices and apps will soon take over the world. Study after study has shared estimates of billions of mobile devices being used, with the average person owning four digital devices. According to mobile analytics company Flurry, average US consumers spend 2 hours and 42 minutes a day on their mobile devices in 2014. That seems like a lot until you consider you probably have a smart phone, tablet, laptop and at least one work-related device…it adds up quickly! Consumers are more connected now than ever before and are in much more frequent and close communication with family, friends, work and brands they love (or hate).
What does all that mobile connectivity mean for the contact center? There are a few forces at work that impact the contact center and customer experience management.
- Proliferation of Mobile Devices—All of those billions of mobile devices are avenues for customers to contact brands. Some experts posit that the number of mobile devices will soon surpass the world’s population…and grow to more than 12 billion mobile devices between 2015 and 2017.
- Constant Connectivity—Billions of mobile devices, all connected to the Internet—mobile means customers can contact brands anytime and anywhere. Whether it’s a phone call, email, SMS, live chat or social media engagement, contact centers should be prepared to engage with customers in different ways.
- Variety—So much data is produced through mobile usage and engagement with a brand across multiple channels (phone, social media, email, etc.). There is so much data available, ready to be put to use, it can help brands create a 360-degree view of a customer and help the brand deliver an amazing customer experience from start to finish.
- Volume—The number of communications a brand has with a customer has increased as the ways to interact have increased. That makes it increasingly important for brands to provide a consistent experience, no matter the channel.
- Velocity—Customers today expect real-time answers to their questions—they are no longer satisfied with sending an email and waiting for a response. Brands must have a presence on different channels (Twitter, Facebook, etc.) and engage regularly with customers.
How have all of those forces impacted the contact center? In many and varied ways, including:
- Your job just got more difficult. Brands must provide customer service on mobile devices or risk losing customers.
- You have the chance to be a service hero. Each new opportunity to serve a customer in a different way gives you another chance to impress that customer with a memorable experience.
- You’ll need a new plan of attack. If you fail to plan, you plan to fail. Anticipate what you’ll need to do or change to provide outstanding mobile customer service.
- Legacy processes and technologies may prohibit innovation. As the contact center evolves to meet the needs of mobile customer service, look at your contact center processes and infrastructure technology to see what needs to be upgraded.
- Promoting small wins is key. Demonstrate your value, no matter how small the win seems. Winning begets winning and continues that success streak.
- Be flexible—measure and optimize. One size does not fit all. Develop and implement your plan, then evaluate and make adjustments.
What are the benefits from evolving your contact center to address the mobile revolution? They include higher customer retention, greater loyalty and many more. Read more in my ICMI article from earlier this year and let me know if you have other ideas!
Image courtesy of Ambro at FreeDigitalPhotos.net.
