Outstanding customer service is often advertised as the magic formula for brand loyalty. "Delight your customers - every single time" is the new marketing ethos for companies across the globe. And why shouldn't it be? After all, Sam Walton already taught us that:
The goal as a company is to create customer service that is not the best, but legendary.
Sam Walton
He must know what he is talking about, right?
As much as we respect Mr. Walton and his multi-billion-dollar corporation, we beg to differ. Think about it this way: how many of us shop at Wal-Mart because of their "legendary" customer service? Sure, some may, but most of us just really enjoy everyday low prices, don't we? The same is true for mobile operators. Your customers usually don't upgrade their phones or buy accessories because you deliver jaw-dropping service. They stay with you and increase their spending because they like your brand, your products, and the value you offer.
Now, disloyalty on the other hand is a completely different story. It is proven that customers leave, more often than not, when you fail to deliver on customer service. And we are not talking about over-the-top, breath-taking, Sam-Walton-support here. We are referring to helping customers solve their problems quickly and effectively. In other words, you don't have to exceed customer expectations to mitigate disloyalty. Delivering on your basic promises and making your customers' lives as easy as possible will do the trick just fine.
So, what drives customer effort in your organization?
The simple answer is this: device complexity.
Each new device is more complex than the next. Each OS update introduces new features and functionalities. Even tech-savvy people have trouble keeping up with today's rapidly changing technology. On top of that, our parents and grandparents are jumping on the smartphone bandwagon now as well. Most of them have a hard time operating the new devices and turn to you for guidance. Providing that guidance and removing as many obstacles as possible is crucial to keeping your customers locked in and happy.
"That's all well and good, but how do I do it?"
We're glad you asked. Here are three strategies that our clients have found particularly successful:
- Reduce Repeat Contacts: Equip your service reps with tools that enhance their confidence and help them identify and troubleshoot device-related issues successfully. Effective call center tools are always up-to-date, easy to access, intuitive to use, and usable for training and onboarding purposes.
- Minimize Channel Switching: Implement tools that guarantee "channel stickiness." The most successful self-help tools are available on any device and at any time, are easy to find and navigate, and are continuously optimized based on call drivers and data analytics.
- Avoid Generic Service: Provide your customers with the right tools at the right time in their desired location. To play in the premier league of personalized service, you must thoroughly analyze customer data, identify your customer support types, and provide segment-specific, omni-channel support tools.
We know, this is a lot to take in. But, trust us, implementing mechanisms that resolve device-related issues effectively will be worth it. We hear it from our clients every day: low-effort device support increases satisfaction, lowers service cost, and reduces churn. Organizations that provide customers and reps with the right tools now will be the industry leaders in the years to come.
Find out more about Ozmo's device support platform can help you reduce customer effort. Contact us.
