HOTELMARKETING.COM

Will online tools change the face of customer service?

February 05, 2003 |

The trend to watch will be consumers who take advantage of multi-channel services, rather than simply making the switch from phone to online customer service.

Successfully handling customer inquiries is key to keeping customers satisfied and, in turn, deepening relationships, so it’s necessary to enable a positive dialogue at every customer touchpoint.

Enterprise-wide access to customer data is critical to achieving this goal, as consumers demand top-notch customer service from a variety of interaction channels. A recent survey by research firm The Dieringer Research Group finds that consumers now utilize a number of support features when contacting a company.

According to the American Interactive Consumer Survey, 64.3 million Americans phoned call centers in the first quarter of 2002, while 40.5 million contacted online customer service via email, Web sites or instant messaging, more than ever before. That’s a pretty even split. Will the proliferation of online tools change the face of customer service? The report says yes.

The trend to watch will be consumers who take advantage of multi-channel services, rather than simply making the switch from phone to online customer service. “It is tempting to suggest that online customer support might one day largely displace telephone support, but the more likely outcome is that savvy consumers will use different support channels for different purposes,” says Thomas E. Miller, senior consultant at The Dieringer Research Group.

Companies that make customer data accessible across the enterprise will gain competitive advantage by providing a consistent face to the customer wherever users might contact a company representative.

Source: Peppers & Rogers Group

Visit our sponsors: