Seventy-seven percent of Americans have a smartphone. Two-thirds of Americans access the Internet via smartphone at least as much as by computer. Of the three launch pads for customer interaction, landline use is declining, computer use is flat, and smartphone use is growing.
If you aren’t already on the smartphone bandwagon, those facts ought to motivate you to get on board. Here are a few considerations as you plan the full contact flow.
The Smartphone Customer Journey
Channel Selection: A high percentage of customers place calls using their smartphones. But it’s also the likely place for them to start self-service efforts, whether in a Mobile App or Mobile Web, or even just a Google search to find a phone number. If you offer it, text/SMS may be a great choice for making contact. If you build it, they will come!
Identification and Verification (ID&V): All mbile phones make better use of Automatic Number Identification (ANI) as they can uniquely identify an individual and avoid the issue of people calling from behind an office phone system. Smartphone biometrics like Touch ID, movement, and facial recognition have the added benefit of thwarting spoofing, fraud, and other security issues. Smartphones can also support other forms of authentication, such as sending a driver’s license photo in the moment. And login authentication can be used for subsequent smartphone activities.
Assisted Service: Anyone touting omnichannel as a goal needs to make border crossings simple. Applications should leverage caller-provided information, tasks accomplished (e.g., mobile web or mobile app, authentication in phone, login, etc.), what they were doing, and where they were doing it.
Routing: Customers aren’t wild about listening to and responding to menus, even when they are speech; at best, they tolerate them. A Visual IVR on a Smartphone can make navigation much easier while gathering additional information. With all the right information, the system can route the customer to a properly skilled agent over the channel of choice.
Contact Handling: Smartphones are a feast for the senses, and they make channel crossing easy within assisted service options (text/SMS, chat, or call). Moreover, agents can co-browse with customers, guiding them through their interactions. And they can push information, links, photos, videos, etc. They can request more information which customers can readily provide (e.g., photos, video).
Follow Up/Escalation: Proactive updates via text/SMS, a call, or Apps (including social media) are facilitated by smartphones. If there is a particularly sticky issue that needs some back and forth, the agent and customer can easily send other requests and information through text messages, links, photos, videos, etc. And the smartphone may even facilitate an easy survey for “voice of the customer” afterwards. Chances are they will rate their experience high.
Time to get moving! Transform your customers’ journeys with the potential of the smartphone.
