Because today's customers are empowered to not only voice their frustrations but act on them, the days of denial are over.
Businesses can no longer downplay their customer service failures. They can no longer ignore the extent to which the experience they provide falls short of the one customers demand.
They must recognize, accept and close all gaps in their customer experiences.
Customers, however, will not simply wait for businesses to play catch-up. That businesses have failed to meet their demands in the past will not excuse their inability to do so as those demands evolve.
Today's customers expect to engage in their preferred channels. They expect to seamlessly move their conversations between channels. They expect new technologies to expedite and enhance the service experience. And they expect businesses to recognize them, understand them and customize interactions for them.
How businesses will manage to close pre-existing gaps while accounting for all the new shifts, challenges and burdens in the marketplace will be a fundamental question answered at next week's Future Call Center Summit.
To commence the brainstorming, CCIQ’s Shawn Siegel asked four of our featured speakers-- -- to share their pithy thoughts on how the call center must adapt.
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Ashutosh Anil, Best Buy Canada
Question: Do you think that the customer service industry is still living in the past or has it adapted to the new world?
Answer: I believe we are struggling to adapt to the feverish pace at which our customers are shaping their choices to communicate with us. Our KPIs and drivers that used to be considered "conventional wisdom" and drove most consumer behavior, are rapidly losing validity with the introduction of social media and emerging channels such as click to chat and twitter support. Plus the internet revolution has widened our consumer’s reach and endowed the power of choice. As price-points for products and services converge globally, customer service is fast becoming the single most impactful brand loyalty and relationship hub.
Eric McKirdy, Ask.com
Question:Can you discuss the overall customer service transformation you led since joining Ask.com in 2010?
Answer: As a top U.S. internet site, Ask was in need of an updated customer care program to bridge the gap between the company’s focus and commitment to its users and the lacking customer service platform that stood in the way of delivering the kind of service its users deserve. After analyzing the previous CRM technologies, processes and strategies with a critical eye, I implemented an "all hands on deck" approach that reshaped the attitude of the entire organization toward a unified customer service experience that not only includes a technology overhaul but also extends to every employee. Outdated and inefficient methods and technologies were replaced with modern, mobile, consumer-centric solutions and practices. The new methods and technologies successfully rebuilt Ask.com’s customer service department and reinvigorated the entire organization to the belief that customer experience is a company-wide responsibility. Additionally, we empowered our users with convenient self-service, complemented with responsive, personalized care.
Bob Simmonds, Disney Destinations
Question: How have new technologies such as social media and texting impacted your call center?
Answer: Social Media is just beginning to enter the picture and text messaging is on the horizon, but we are focusing more on supporting some of the new technologies being introduced in our Parks & Resorts called the New Generation Experience. We have added a new department with over 150 Cast Members in the contact center to support that initiative.
Chuck Sliker, Arby’s
Question: What are the benefits of using text analytics? Are there any other exciting new tools or analytics that you think will have great application for customer service?
Answer: We are now in the process of working with our vendor, Mindshare Technologies, to launch speech to text in order to capture voice mail verbatims and bucket them with the same ease we now have for written text. Additionally, we are testing the use of an enhanced comment report that can be shared with our restaurant teams to further signal what our customers are saying, both positive and negative.