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Choosing the Right Channel for Communicating with Customers
By: Daniel Szuc and Whitney Quesenbery
Published - October 2005

Summary:

Technology continues to change the customer service equation. Making the right decisions about which channels to use for marketing, communications and customer service requires an understanding of tasks, users and optimizing the use of each channel. Comparing user needs and channel strengths will help you make the right decision for your business and your customers.


Communicating with Customers

As technology continues to develop, there are ever more channels for communication. They can be used for marketing, customer service, information alerts and technical support. Used well, technology can make it possible for a business to reduce costs, service user requests faster, and build stronger relationships with customers. But, if you try to force customers in to using channels that don’t suit their needs, or don’t choose the right service options for each channel, the results can be self-defeating.

Creating a Win-Win

The benefits of a good channel match and task are obvious: a business can service user requests faster, and do so in a channel that their customers prefer.

For example, migrating some tasks to web makes sense for business, because it takes burden off support and potentially allows service reps to focus on richer dialogues with customers. It can also save business money. For example, having airfare receipts online makes it easy for a business traveler to submit expense reimbursements, while saving the costs of either having staff to service requests for duplicates, or the costs of printing and mailing paper.

Other information might be provided in more than one channel. For example, a mobile customer might want to keep track of hours of calls used through the phone and on the web, depending on which was more convenient at the moment.

Understanding Customers, Understanding Tasks

Evaluating the user of technology in relation to whether it can truly empower customers requires a deeper understanding of the task, the users and the dialogue required with the company. To make the right choice, we need a deep understanding of three different elements: the user, the task and the business goals:

Users

Who are your customers and how do they interact with you now? What kinds of support to they need to be satisfied customers?

  1. Where, how and why do customers use our products or services?

  2. What channels do they use most often to communicate with us?

  3. What information do users need, and when?

  4. How do they interact with us now, and how would they prefer to interact with us?

Customer Service Tasks

Each task is unique. What does it take to complete each task effectively and efficiently, and promoting customer satisfaction?

  1. How often do customers need to complete this task?

  2. How urgent is this task? Does it require immediate attention? Does it stop the customer from continuing to use our product?

  3. Does this task require product knowledge?

  4. Would a customer need help from an expert?

  5. Does this task have a high value in building a relationship?

Business Goals

  1. What are your business goals for customer service and how can better use of online channels help you meet them?

  2. When, and how, do we want direct communication with the customers?

  3. Which tasks is a priority for the business?

  4. Which tasks offer opportunities for cross-selling or better customer relationships?

Technical Requirements

The last consideration is technical. Have the right business processes and technical data structures been put in place to support the customer service tasks? If they haven’t, the resulting mis-information or criss-crossed orders can damage – not support – your customer relationships.

Right task for right channel …

Let’s look at a few examples of how the answers to these questions can help us make the right decisions about what channel to use. We’ll consider three channels: the web site and phone support and IVR system.

Task: Retrieve lost password

When

As needed, random frequency

Urgency

High. Customer needs password to be able to access account

Value to Business

Low. Maintains existing functions, but with no opportunity to build relationship except through efficient service

Web

Good – this process can be easily automated and allow customers to complete this task whenever they need

IVR

Possible – allow customers to request new password to be mailed to their address

Phone

Backup – Reps should be able to reset a password for a frustrated customer

Task: Review monthly bill

When

Regular monthly event, and at random frequency to solve billing problems

Urgency

High: bills must be paid on time, or are needed to solve a billing dispute

Value to Business

High. Billing enquiries are time-consuming to handle over the phone compared with allowing customers to read the entire bill

Web

Good – be sure online bill is not only very readable online, but prints well. Offer email service to notify customers when a new bill is available.

IVR

Poor – use IVR primarily as a way to allow customers to hear their account balance and pay the bill. To see a full bill, direct them to the web or allow them to request a new bill to be faxed to them.

Phone

Backup – Focus reps on problem solving, not on reading bills.

By better understanding your task, user need you can work to optimize the use of each customer service channel to better meet customer needs and increase satisfaction. Make it easier to use the web than to pick up a phone, and your customers might just surprise you and do just that. But be sure that they can reach a real person for support when they need one.

“Now it all happens immediately on the web. They actively engage with us as individuals, and go from marketing imagery to transaction in the same session. Functionality matters and our approach to service shows.” Ian Roddis, Web Site Coordinator, Open University, UK

References:

  1. Customer service on the web - http://www.apogeehk.com/articles/customer_support_on_web.html - Gaffney & Szuc

  2. Steering Customers to the Right Channel - http://www.mckinseyquarterly.com/article_abstract.aspx?ar=1504&L2=16&L3=18 – The McKinsey Quarterly

  3. Using Ajax for Creating Web Applications - http://www.uie.com/articles/ajax/

  4. The Cost of Frustration - http://www.webpronews.com/webdevelopment/sitedesign/wpn-26-20040920TheCostofFrustration.html - Jared Spool

  5. Get ROI From Design - T H E F O R R E S T E R R E P O R T – June 2001

  6. ROI Is Not a Silver Bullet: Five Actionable Steps for Valuing User Experience Design - http://www.adaptivepath.com/publications/essays/archives/000338.php - Scott Hirsch