What is a Mobile Customer Experience when it comes to Contact Centre operations? Reducing queue time and average call handling time, serving customers faster, improving customer satisfaction,reducing costs . . . all key goals for Contact Centres. There’s no argument with that.
And as every Contact Centre Manager knows, Interactive Voice Response (IVR) and self-service options are well-proven methods of achieving these goals.
But here’s the thing. Providing IVR and self-service options for callers is no longer enough.
These days, and for the foreseeable future, improving customer experience hinges around delivering service in the way that users want it, ie: via the communication device they use more than any other – their smart phone.
The rise and rise of mobile users
In Australia 77% of people own a smart phone, the second highest smartphone penetration in the world after Korea. Smartphone users 18+ average 199 sessions per month – more than 4 times than that of people using PCs and tablets.
However, they don’t like running up mobile call charges by waiting on hold in a queue to get help. Millennials and Gen Xers in particular would much prefer to engage through apps, SMS or chat if possible.
The good news is that Premier Contact Point has made it easy for Contact Centres to deliver IVR and self-service options to mobile phone users.
7 ways to engage and improve the mobile customer experience
There are now many ways that Contact Centres can engage with mobile users pre-call, during calls and post call – to enhance their mobile customer experience.
1. Stimulate activity
Use outbound notifications to deliver actionable reminders that encourage customers to perform transactions like:
- Booking a service
- Confirming a scheduled appointment
- Paying an overdue bill
- Attending an event
Customers can easily complete the interaction on their mobile phone with interactive IVR, two way SMS or a mobile web application link; or continue with a live agent.
2. Offer help to callers in a queue
Send an SMS to mobile phone callers waiting in a queue, giving them access to a range of self service options including
- Request a call-back
- Place an order
- Schedule an appointment
- Link to a website self-help page to complete simple transactions
This initiative cuts queue waiting times and demonstrates your commitment to being helpful and proactive.
3. Speed up authentication
Provide mobile phone callers with a link where they can enter their authentication details so there’s no need to go through this again when they connect with the live agent.
With Premier Contact Point, the customer’s information is screen-popped when the agent answers, which can significantly improve both agent and customer satisfaction.
4. Get instant answers
Send an SMS with a link an FAQ page where they can get all your answers to common questions or perform self-service options whilst waiting for an agent to answer their call.
Even if their call can’t be resolved through an FAQ page or self-service, you’ve still demonstrated an ability to help customers resolve their query other than speaking with an agent.
5. Confirm arrangements
Respond to inbound SMS enquiries, or proactively issue a confirmation regarding the status of a customer order using conversational Self Service SMS messaging. Provide the option to escalate queries directly to an agent if required. Examples of use include:
- Product purchase and price
- Delivery arrangements
- Appointment confirmation
- Event registration
- Payment confirmation
6. Invite drop outs to reconnect
Send an SMS to your customer when a call drops out with an invitation to be connected directly with the agent they were speaking with if they call back.
When you clearly explain that they will be connected directly with the same agent, you’ll improve call back rate and customer satisfaction, because you’re removing the pain of having to start again and repeat everything to a different agent.
7. Request feedback
Post call, send a link via SMS or email asking your customer to complete a short survey or give you their Net Promoter Score rating.
With Premier Contact Point the responses are accessible through the Business Insights reporting module to aid monitoring against KPIs. This is very useful for identifying specific touchpoints or issues that need reviewing and improving. Delivering IVR and self-service options direct to mobile devices has the potential to be a game-changer.
By making it faster and easier for customers to achieve resolution using their preferred device, businesses are proving that they understand their customers’ preferences and are committed to providing better service.
With Millennials in particular – self help and mobile engagement is paramount. Millennials have grown up with internet, smartphones and access to responses in real-time. They’re fairly accustomed to discovering the information that they need on their own and prefer self-help, but when they want assistance – they want it fast. Studies have discovered that “71% of online shoppers claim that the most important thing a brand can do is to value the customer’s time.”
The beauty of this, is that delivering faster service through self-service options not only delivers what the customers really want, it actually reduces costs. A win-win for everyone.
Find out how to cater for Mobility in your Contact Centre
If you’d like to find out more about the Premier Contact Point Mobility Module, call us on 1300 85 11 11 or email us. We’ll show you behind the scenes so you can see how easy it is to improve the mobile customer experience delivered by your Contact Centre.