Interactive Intelligence Article Sample

The proliferation of mobile and broadband services, Internet-based information, sophisticated search tools and ever-changing cultural expectations have created a better informed, more empowered and more savvy customer base. As consultant Gordon MacPherson put it a decade ago, “A new breed of technology-sophisticated consumers is demanding a choice of how they will be served. They often know what the choices could be, and they will become increasingly critical if you do not offer the choices they think you should offer.” It’s up to you to open up and develop the alternatives as technologies and expectations evolve.

All channels have a place. A call center agent won’t suffice when the customers needs to download software. Speech recognition doesn’t illustrate a graph of movement in a financial market. Web based services don’t come close to matching the proficiency of an experienced technical support representative, nor can they cross-sell and upsell in the personalized manner of a seasoned sales representative. Your customers and their specific situations will dictate the best channels to use in each case.