How do you customers want to communicate to you, and what channels do you offer?
Do you use voice, email, chat, SMS, mobile applications and social media?
any video?
Which one gets the fastest response? why?
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Jan 2, 2014
Primary means of communication are e-mail, voice, text and social media. A text will often get a reply when you've can't get a timely reply to a voice mail or e-mail. Also, use LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter more and more to connect with clients that have been difficult to get in touch with. This works very well with new clients that you are just beginning to work with you. In the more professional membership culture of a LinkedIn, people get the opportunity to actually know something about you and your professional credentials, before responding to your e-mail message on LinkedIn or an invitation to LinkedIn.
Twitter, is also a great place to cultivate key relationships with potential new clients by following specific companies and specific key people in these companies. There are real opportunities here to get your name in front of some very key people in many organizations.
Dec 31, 2013
1. Depend on the types of customer you have
2. Depend on the result you like to achieve from the communicate
3. Depend on costs of communication
... really differs from different trades.
I had been in many industries ... they are all different ... but some common trends like:
1. email become more acceptable as legal evident than past
2. using sms to close sales and advertising become popular in some trades
3. more mobile applications going for commercial benefits
I mean, technology does creates convenience and productivity, whatever communication techniques can help in boosting economic benefits and taking care of environment at the same time for the particular trade, they are consider good.
Dec 31, 2013
Every form of communication is important and should be offered if possible. Calls are direct so would be the fastest response but not everyone wants to use it. Some customers prefer e-mail or social media so it should be available. I have noticed that many customers are moving towards mobile communication so mobile websites, texts, and calls are probably on the increase.
Jan 2, 2014
Joseph,
Yes everyform of communication should be offered but if you have baby boomers as customer the voice (phone) and e-mail may suffice. Gen X may prefer those as well and maybe a mobile app or SMS (text) but Millinenials want social media, sms and maybe even video.
Quick question would you prefer to call a call center and go through the can answers of a phone or cable company or what if you posted sitting on hold for 20 minutes and no response for problem on twitter, You might be amazed how quickly the twitter response would come back quicker than the call center. AT&T has learned this and now have over 175 people monitoring social media alone to end problems.
Jan 2, 2014
The new, modern call centers don't have a wait time. They have a system that hangs up but they still have you in a queue system and it calls back. It depends on what the call or tweet is about personally. I don't like tweeting back and forth continuously so calls are better with more complicated situations. It sometimes goes beyond generational barriers. Generation is just one of several variables in figuring out communication.
Jan 3, 2014
Yes modern call centers do have some modern twist to their IVR, CTI, but would you rather talk to India or Philippines on the phone or tweet something and get someone near-shore or from the US calling you directly.
We may never get away from the call centers because they provide all size companies with channels of communication because we all need acquisition of customers and retention of customers to grow.
Jan 1, 2014
Hi Bruce
I guess all these options that you have added up here will meet the requirements for most of the businesses in either ways. I could be telling this for sure since I got to experience a better reputation for my business. Initially, I tried communicating with the customers via email and chat support. While, the number started to raise (both, the customers as well the inquiries), I wished to have a separate channels in social media and the videos (that helped me to answer simpler).
And, of course a separate team to answer the calls. Obviously, this has groomed my business by receiving thousands of trusted customers.
* Yet to be particular, I'd tell that calls would help the business as well the customers to better understand in acquiring the solution sooner.
Thanks for putting up such a question here Bruce :)
Jan 2, 2014
Sarah,
Thank you for your response. I see by viewing your web site you seem to grasp that communication channels need to be open for your customers to communicate with you.
Do to your comments I was wondering do you have a separate team to answer calls, provide social media response and query's? or Do you currently use IVR Interactive voice response or a call center?
If so is this all done in-house or would an outside near shore solution be a more cost effective?
I would like the opportunity to discuss;)
Bruce
Jan 2, 2014
Yup! We do have the social channels being incorporated in the website (that you might have seen in the portal). Besides, we do have a separate team to respond the calls and queries of the customers via mail and chat options. However, it's all been productive with the in-house solution :) This has even proved a lot for us to experience several customers than anticipated time.
Jan 2, 2014
Hi Bruce,
I believe that Email, Skype, Phone and Whatsapp cover all potential scenario bot with national and international customers!
Take care,
Rocco
Jan 2, 2014
But would your customer prefer to communicate with you another way, what is going to make them a completely satisfied customer? or if your competitor offer another solution they like more are they going to change?
Jan 2, 2014
Hi Bruce,
I believe that it is not about how you communicate but how well you communicate. I agree with customers how they prefer to communicate but it is easy to realize that they like when you turn promises into fact. Summarizing, as long as you communicate promptly they'll be happy and I am sure that following this basic principles competitors could only learn from you.
In my field 2 things count the most: results and good communication. The first is objective, the second one can be adapted to customers' needs to guarantee success.
Hope it helps!
Rocco
Jan 4, 2014
http://bluestarstrategic.com/2013/02/13/you-only-get-one-chance-usually/
Hi Bruce
I don't feel businesses must communicate on every channel they can. But the ones they choose they have to be present and responsive. So many fail at this.
Also being a huge customer service expert and advocate it often leads to more brand and product loyalty. As we developed less personal channels people were more likely to contact businesses. It is more pain vs effort. For someone to go to a business and complain it meant they really had an issue. Most would stay quiet and tell people by word of mouth what you did wrong. Now they will tweet less important issues but they do expect a response. I have a client who gets complaints on Yelp with a poor review and we even respond there for them. Some of them we flipped to be major brand advocates.
Thanks Larry this is what I trying to get people to understand. Yes, we still use voice, and e-mail more and more people are turning to social media as a form of communication and then this needs to be managed so that the same information going out on voice, e-mail is the same as what is going out on Twitter and FB. Constant clear communication on all channels driving customer acquisition and customer retention and making raving fans about your company.