December 26, 2012
IVR Solutions for the Super-Empowered Customer
By Susan J. Campbell, TMCnet Contributing Editor
Customers today are not uninformed wall flowers who just accept the status quo. With all the resources available at their fingertips, they are armed with a wide range of knowledge, and this knowledge is empowering. Though, as knowledge increases, so do product and service expectations.
The emergence of today’s “super-empowered customer” is causing companies to work harder to create positive experiences through self-service IVR and personalized interactions that will aid in retaining their clients’ business.
The external environment has contributed to the development of the super-empowered customer. Factors including economic uncertainty, an unlimited supply of communication channels such as social media, blogs, e-mail, SMS and word of mouth, and the ability to quickly access any desired information about a company at the click of a button have all paved the way for the birth of a new class of consumers, and it’s forcing companies to re-evaluate the way they do business.
Not only are consumers savvier and more concerned about getting the biggest bang for their buck, but when interacting with customer service they are time-starved and want quick, effective solutions. They want the IVR in place to take them where they want, when they want, allowing for immediate resolution.
According to this DestinationCRM article, customers are reporting that they want to be able to communicate quickly through a variety of different mediums, know that their opinions are valued and taken seriously, and have any discrepancies quickly acknowledged and resolved. Seems simple enough, but unfortunately these needs aren’t always met.
Technologies such as interactive voice response (IVR) are helping to bridge the great divide. IVR allows customers to quickly access the information they need via self-service options without having to sit on hold for extended periods of time. It’s a win-win for both companies and the clients they serve.
Clients get the quick, efficient service they want, and companies save money because less live agents are needed in the call center. With IVR, clients get into the agent queue faster and their calls are likely to be shorter because they reach the best-suited agent for their inquiry.
Mobility and accompanying apps are a huge trend because they offer convenience. In fact, the IDC (News - Alert) reports that the sale of smartphones has surpassed that of computers, indicating that companies who want to keep up with the super-empowered customer are going to have to provide opportunity for interaction on the go.
Options like visual IVR deliver even greater convenience because customers can provide feedback without having the receiver glued to their ear or placing a call on speaker for everyone to hear.Because today’s super-empowered customer can quickly take to his or her Facebook or Twitter (News - Alert) account and alert 500 friends of a bad experience, it’s critical that feedback and customer sentiment be evaluated and addressed in real-time. It’s all about meeting your customers where they are. Your customer is speaking – are you listening?
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Edited by Jamie Epstein
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