Convenience is one of the driving motivations behind consumer choice. The ability to purchase and seek support for purchases on the move, quickly, with 24/7 access is becoming an expectation. Indeed 55% of UK customers state that convenience is the most influential purchasing factor (PwC.com, 2019). How can you leverage your customer contact strategy to create convenience for your customers that delights and ultimately drives loyalty?
Consumers lifestyles are changing, lives are becoming busier, more stressful and connected. Any opportunity for convenience is highly sought after. Mobile technology is seen as key to our convenience as smartphones are always with us, always on and always connected. For this reason, M-Commerce is a huge opportunity for retail, so much so that by 2020, M-Commerce sales are likely to reach 2.05 billion[1].
Consumer perceptions of online shopping convenience are categorised into five areas:
• Access – Ease of product/ platform use
• Search – How easy it is to find
• Evaluation – Ease of researching a product
• Transaction – Ease of purchase
• Possession / post purchase convenience – Ease of aftercare
The customer contact centre can have a huge influence over post purchase aftercare and as such should be considered an important part of the contact strategy. The customer contact centre can offer convenience in the form of technology. Artificial Intelligence (AI), such as chatbots, allow 24/7 access to self-service options with straightforward queries being resolved and answered via a webchat.
When speaking to a customer service representative, consumers are less concerned over the length of time they are on the phone, more that their query is resolved by the first person they speak to. First contact resolution is the holy grail of the contact centre.
With simpler enquiries now being handled by chatbots and other forms of AI technology, the contact centre has a real opportunity to delight customers and drive loyalty. A contact centre needs to build a culture where agents are empowered with the skills, tools and processes to resolve each individual query. With this culture agents are genuinely curious, they are bought into the client’s vision and strategy, and they empathise with the customer using their initiative to solve the issue.
Mobile technology and M-Commerce is pivotal to customer convenience. Organisations that provide customers with convenience and a range of contact options are best placed to achieve satisfaction and loyalty. But when it comes to customer contact, one size does not fit all. The key is understanding the business and creating a tailored solution that is as personal as your customers. Outsourcing your customer contact strategy gives you a range of contact options for your customer to choose the most convenient, leaving you free to focus on your core business.
