These are hard times for many a company. The age-old definition of marketing (or should we say: customer relationship management), “finding and keeping customers”, cannot be more important today. What does mobile bring to the table to keep the customer? Five steps that you can take to mobilize your customer.
Enterprises once again care to deliver best value and good quality, servicing the customer in the best possible way.
This happens across all customer touch points. In sales, support, project management, marketing, and administration there is a renewed focus on the customer (and cash, undeniably).
Mobile technology is playing an important role in an enterprise’s service orientation. Netsize researched the aspect of mobile as a customer interaction channel in its Global Mobile Market Survey 2009, the results of which were published in the Netsize Guide 2009.
Enterprises are forecasting a growing importance of the mobile channel. According to the Netsize survey the current use of the mobile channel in customer services and contact center solutions is rated as very important by 23% of respondents.
For 2010 the number of people who are bullish on mobile for customer facing services is growing significantly: 35% and 30% respectively rate the mobile as a channel for customer services and contact centers as very important.
This also applies to touch points of a more technical nature, such as technical services and helpdesk, with 24% of respondents rating the mobile as a channel as very important, compared to 15% currently (source: Netsize Guide 2009).
The use of enterprise messaging is expected to grow significantly. According to market research company Informa Telecoms & Media, enterprises already sent some 81 billion application-to-person SMS messages globally last year. The volume is forecasted to grow by an average of 17.8% year-on-year (source: Informa Telecoms & Media) until 2013.
In many countries practically every consumer now has a mobile phone. This fact alone creates a new communications channel for companies, to reach their customers using a medium that is direct and convenient. It creates an opportunity for a company to fulfill a need, exceed an expectation, provide a differentiating service, and distinguish itself as a brand. Applications that can be considered include [fill in a couple of examples here].
The second opportunity is cost saving. SMS messaging may replace some outbound calls in a contact center to increase operational efficiency. The time saved by not having to leave a message at an answering machine for confirming an appointment could translate into many thousands of euro and more efficient use of contact center agent time. Likewise, an automatically processed inbound SMS reply to a suggested set of doctor appointment dates and times offloads staff and makes an efficient process for caller and booking agency.
How to start mobilizing the customer? The following step-by-step approach helps you discover the areas where messaging could benefit your organization and customers.
- Take a walk through your entire service delivery process and in it review every moment of direct contact between your customer and your organization. These so-called “moments of truth” are events that matter, and can make or break a relationship.
- Determine which of these currently demand too much time, money or effort from you or the customer. Perhaps because information is hard to obtain, or is stored in different places.
- For each identified point determine if mobile can provide a solution, or a part of it. Ask yourself how timely sending of specific information to the customer can improve satisfaction. What mobile interaction would be required to improve the process’ efficiency, quality or reliability at that point? What improvement would the customer value?
- From the resulting short list of potential improvements pick the ones that are desirable and achievable. Take into account aspects such as privacy and security, and applicable legal regulations.
- Last, but certainly not least, talk with your customer. Discuss the possibilities that you have identified and you might find that they have further ideas for improvement. You could even come to the conclusion that this five-step mobilization process should have started with the party that was the subject all along: the customer.
For more information on enterprise SMS and MMS messaging, please contact Netsize.
