New techniques for a new era
Duncan Graham, customer services director at Callcredit Marketing Solutions, on the importance of using the best tools available to communicate with consumers.
As news reports continue to give us conflicting information on whether we are coming out of the recession or not, the issue remains that there is still a long way for businesses to go before they can feel financially secure. With brands counting more than ever on customer support, what should marketers do to protect themselves and maintain loyalty?
Marketing has undergone nothing short of a renaissance since the last recession. The transformation of traditional marketing techniques and the development of digital technologies has had a profound effect on what marketers can achieve. For example, email is a low cost method of interacting with customers. It can be a highly effective way of supporting retention and building customer value, but only if its use is coordinated with other customer touchpoints.
To achieve the optimum result, all customer touch points must be viewed as part of a continuum. Inconsistency of experience for the customer can be detrimental for a brand, and making sure that the customer journey is simple, joined up and relevant is essential.
Organisations that make sure their priority is to bolster the customer experience and not focus purely on cost-cutting should see their businesses make it through to the next phase of economic growth.
The call centre is for many customers their only point of contact with a company, and so their experience in dealing with agents is integral to their relationship with the brand as a whole. UK consumers are becoming increasingly frustrated with firms which are seemingly unable to provide a satisfactory service over the phone and many people would like to see telephone communication of this sort abolished altogether and replaced by email.
It is vital to use a number of combined methods to provide good customer service. There is no doubt that unsolicited, irrelevant phone calls when in a restaurant or in a meeting are extremely frustrating, especially if the call is regarding a service or matter that has no relevance or interest to us whatsoever.
However, there are times when we all do need to speak to a customer service department, and there is nothing worse than a not being able to find an email, or a phone number when you really need one. Why should it be up to the company to pre-determine which method suits the customer best? There should always be an option, and the decision maker should always be the customer’s. We shouldn’t forget that contact centres perform a genuinely needed function to customers, to answer questions and provide a service. And when customers do contact a firm, by whatever means, it’s essential that they receive a timely, polite and informative response, either on email, by phone, or, if necessary, both.
The online revolution has certainly made it more of a minefield for marketers to establish which channel is best for each consumer, but we mustn’t forget that because of the vast array of options available, nothing is set in stone. Just because I use my mobile all day at work does not necessarily mean I even look at it when I’m at home, and the same can be said for many people with email. Time of day, circumstance and surroundings all play a part in choosing the right media through which to communicate with consumers.
The surge in online has also meant that consumers are more discerning and fickle than ever. They now hold all the cards – how fantastic that we can now walk into a high street store to sample the latest LCD TV, digital camera or iPhone before returning home and searching for the best price online. People still buy during a recession, but they will spend more time researching the best offer, and become more discerning about their choice and provider.
However, the online channel is more cluttered and confusing than ever. There is an opportunity for retailers to be more savvy in terms of maximising the relationship they create with consumers in the store, right through to online purchase on the same retailer’s website, either in the store itself or back in the comfort of the home. If this relationship is nurtured and maintained then there is every likelihood that the consumer will make a purchase.
If customers trust and feel comfortable with the retailer, and enjoy the journey they are taking, then they will not necessarily just go with the cheapest option. It’s key for retailers to ensure their customers experience a smooth, joined up process in which they are reassured, communicated with and kept updated at all times. It is this kind of interaction which will lead to conversion, instead of just browsing. Data often holds the key in establishing this relationship and along with other traditional sales promotion techniques it can be used to ensure that the connection continues outside of the physical contact in store.