Moderated by: Elaine Cascio, Vanguard Communications
Despite all the talk about customer experience, it surprises me that so many companies are still not looking across channels to understand where they can be delivering the best experience to their customers. Most of the time, this is a result of internal silos where the IVR team doesn’t talk with the web team, or the contact center isn’t included in conversations that directly affect customers. Communication is a whole other issue that I’ll think about for a future post.
In the meantime, here’s a simple exercise that can help everyone better understand how we’re dealing with our customers across channels and what are the most effective channels for customer interaction. Come to think of it, it may create an opportunity to break down silos and get everyone talking, too.
Look at the channels you’ve made available to your customers. Create a grid that lists the channels in which you offer services. Are you making the best use of all possible channels? For example, are you using your IVR for simple inquiries? Are you looking at opportunities for assisted service, using the web or IVR to have customers begin to set up utility service, and then having an agent step in to complete the request? If you have the same apps on multiple channels, is the flow and customer experience similar? Here’s an example of a grid for a bank that seems to have all the right apps on the right channels.
How does your company stack up? Are you right channeling your applications, or are you focusing too much on one channel to do it all for you? Do you see areas where you are underutilizing channels and opportunities for more customer self service? I hope this simple exercise will get you thinking about ways to improve your customer’s experience across all channels – let me know!
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