Page 46 - Optus Future of Business Report 2013
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Closing the gap: Success lies in how organisations
blend mature and new channels
The Optus Future of Business research indicates that organisations need to
make strategic bets on their channel strategy to engage customers and meet their
ever-growing expectations for service. Organisations attempting to be all things
to all customers run the risk of not meeting their needs.
The findings suggest that organisations may be at risk of outpacing customer
expectations of future channel availability and falling short in matching their
customers’ channel preferences. Organisations may need to slow down and engage
in fewer ways but enrich those channels most favoured by their customers. This may
require organisations to re-evaluate their channel mix and priorities in the short to
medium term.
Contact centres could be worth closer investigation and investment by organisations
pursuing multi-channel strategies. Consumers value traditional channels and contact
centres could be a lynchpin for a broader digital strategy to provide a central point to
coordinate interaction with consumers across online, mobile and social media. This is
also where high-value services may be offered to consumers who prefer dealing with
a person or getting one-on-one service, support and advice.
Other considerations organisations may bear in mind when crafting their multi-channel
customer engagement strategies include:
Engage customers through a holistic channel experience:
Understand how
customers use your channels and be clear on the purpose of each channel and how
it supports your customer engagement strategy. Ensure that customers receive value
and a consistent experience from each channel.
Identify where traditional and digital channels complement each other:
Mature
channels such as contact centres may supplement emerging channels, while newer
digital channels may breathe fresh life into traditional channels. Find innovative
ways to remix established channels with new ones to improve customer experience,
such as the ability to call on experts through web chat while consumers are making
decisions online. For instance, organisations may also find that technology can enrich
bricks and mortar through high-touch and experiential showrooms that run demos
on tablet devices.
Look to your existing assets as you expand into newer channels:
How can
your existing people and processes support your new channels? There may also
be functionality in your existing technology to support these channels.
Show customers the value of new channels:
Consumers look to organisations to
show them how newer digital channels can improve their experience. For instance,
to encourage consumers to use a channel such as social media for customer care
and support, organisations need to demonstrate a clear benefit, such as faster
responses times over other channels.
Organisations that have a multi-channel strategy aligned to their customers’ needs,
including the ability to show value to customers, and a clear path to integrate
channels will be better placed to thrive in the customer-driven economy.
Conclusion
About Optus Business
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understanding the issues and
opportunities facing the Australian
business community and government
sector. We are committed to offering the
kind of expertise, advice and services
that allow businesses to succeed,
while taking care of the technology
that underpins our customers’ ability
to compete and thrive. If you want to
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