I have spent countless hours in meeting rooms surrounded by brilliant people who are all trying to identify ways to stand out from the crowd. “How are we different?” “Why does that matter?” Who will care?” If you’re leading an organization, I bet you have done the same.
Businesses are in constant search of differentiation—that magical intersection of customer relevance and profit margin.
Be better in a meaningful way and watch market share grow by leaps and bounds. It sounds great. And it’s nearly impossible. Right? Maybe not. Standing out may be as straightforward as standing up to say hello.
Have you ever walked into a store and approached the counter for assistance only to find no one there? Did you call out for help? Ring the bell? Ever had a time when nobody showed up at all? I remember this happening once. You know how the story ends. I walked out never to return.
Communication choices abound. Expand your view of the customer counter to include the digital realm. According to a report by Maritz Research, those that do will separate themselves from the pack.
While half of respondents expect a business to respond to tweets, fewer than 30% of such tweets receive as response.
Sadly, I am unsurprised. People are adopting new technologies and shifting their expectations faster than businesses are responding. I get it. Businesses invest time and money designing great processes dependent upon complex technology that cannot easily adapt. Or can it?
Contact center technologies have changed just as dramatically as consumer expectations. Need to expand coverage beyond voice calls to email, web chat—even social media and mobile messaging? No problem. Want to quickly add self-service choices or increase access to service staff? Just do it. What about influencing customer behavior? Would it be useful for customers to reach out by mobile messaging when phone lines are busy? Sure, let’s make that happen.
You may be thinking it sounds great but putting your customer experience into the hands of a startup is scary. But startups aren’t the only ones who can handle these new capabilities. Mitel, yes 40+ year-old Mitel, can do all this for you and more.
And surprisingly, maturity is something we have in common with your most demanding customers. Of those surveyed, it’s not youth that most expect businesses to respond. The more mature demographics may not be most known for tweeting but they are most demanding. Make that your advantage. Meet their demand and stand out from the crowd. Unsure where to start? Let us help.
