According to the CTIA, there are well over 300 million wireless subscribers in the United States alone. Society as we know it has gone mobile. And where society goes, the contact center is sure to follow.
Banks, airlines, credit card companies, and retailers are just a few of the places where mobile applications are becoming a standard way to self-serve. They’ve recognized the fact that their customers can’t always get to their desktops (or even laptops) to access web-based applications. But with their mobile devices in hand, customers can take care of business anywhere their wireless networks take them.
Mobile support goes beyond self-service. These early adopters also support texting (e.g., funds transfers and balance requests over cell phones) as well as customer alerting through texts (e.g., exceeding balance thresholds, flight delays, etc.) And since mobile users are prone to more frequent and immediate postings on Twitter and Facebook, social networking may play a bigger role in customer contact.
As customers who contact you routinely become used to service “on the go” from other companies or industries, they may want the smartphone to become their “go to” channel, further strengthening their expectation that you offer mobile service.
Of course, the contact center would like to be on the receiving end of the benefits that mobile communications can offer. Mobile presence increases the likelihood of connection with other workgroups or subject matters experts to help resolve issues during a customer call. In an ideal setting, IT would make contact handling applications accessible on mobile devices and contemplate use of mobile “soft clients” by contact center supervisors.
Someone in your organization is likely working on a mobile strategy. Find that person or group and start a conversation. Make sure that the contact center’s distinct requirements – both for customers and for staff – are factored into the overall plan. Get involved now to shape your mobile future.
Interested in reading more? Download Contact Centers Need to Go Mobile: Are You Ready to Move?