Where Do You Want To Go Today? We Thank You Microsoft For That Gem.

As slogans go, Microsoft’s 1994 “Where do you want to go today?” must be one of the most powerful. The implied limitless capabilities, provides the reader with equally limitless options. Freedom of choice in the extreme. Microsoft’s marketing machine has moved things on since then with several subsequent slogans having emerged but that is the one which has left an indelible mark.

Twenty one years later and advances in technology have fuelled customers’ needs to not only want to go to different places but the options regarding ‘how’ they get there has increased. For many, it was a struggle to accommodate the ‘wheres?’ but now, having to handle all the different ‘hows?’ is even more problematic. Wanting to satisfy customer requirements is paramount, hence the need to offer customers multiple ways to communicate with you. But reneging on the implied promise of receiving a smooth outcome only results in poor customer service.

Today, the ‘hows?’ include not only voice but chat, email, sms messaging and various social media streams. Furthermore, the customer wants to be able to see your online information clearly on their; laptop, p.c., smart phone, tablet and any other suitable device they have to hand. If that isn’t demanding enough, the customer may choose a mixture of communication methods depending on where they are, what mood they are in or any other influencing factor at the time.

Are you able to cope with this mixture of communications and provide your customers with the same great experience they expect but also keep your agents happy? Handling a mixture of communication types effectively and efficiently means being able to multi-skill your agents and proactively change their focus as volumes and SLAs dictate. Understanding how you want to handle the incoming mixture of media communications is one of the most important steps to make. Next, is the software you employ to put it in to action. However, make sure you can change your decision rules quickly so you can stay one step ahead of your customers and their changeable moods.