More than just printing…

I walked down to a Customer Service Representative’s (CSR) cubicle today to ask him when he had time to meet today on a project. He was on the phone but saw me and  motioned to me to stay . While I was waiting I overhead part of the conversation . He was great on the phone. Why isn’t everyone I deal with across the board in every company I deal with as good as he is?

It struck me, having and training CSRs needs to be a central business imperative. In a customer centric market sales is only part of the mix for a customer. We all are really in sales. This particular CSR is well trained and embodies the brand culture at CRW Graphics but also understands the brand promise and how to deliver on it. (CRW Graphics is a B2B company whose core competency includes print, mail shop, variable data, integrated marketing and more.).

Customer service in most B2B companies can help solidify or help destroy customer  relationships once the initial sales interactions have passed . The most successful B2B companies that I dealt with when I was on the purchasing side of the fence  always seemed to have trained their personnel, all their personnel, in what the brand promise of the company was , how to deliver in it and gave them the tools and the autonomy to make that promise a reality.  Just as marketing and sales represents the company so does customer service.

In the same way that sales has input into marketing strategy so should the CSRs. Input from all the stakeholders, marketing, management, sales and CRSs could help refine the companies positioning by adding new dimensions to the understanding of their interaction with the marketplace, more insight into the customer profiles and even to marketing materials. CRW Graphics is a “high touch, high tech” company and with regular training sessions for sales and CSRs everyone participates in training exercises to keep up to speed.  But not everyone does that. I see it at some of my customers. The CSRs in one of my customer’s  call centers  can’t deliver a “great impression” or fulfill the brand promise because it seems that they all operate autonomously  and each CSR has their own spin on how to interact with the customer on the other end of the line. It seems no one ever listens to their calls to look for a better way to do what they do. Overseeing calls and customer interactions can also help find customer service issues and even provide insights into the branding that will help all involved in marketing and sales. It is just another stage in the customer retention process.

Make it easy for your CSRs to shine. A division of CRW did so by establishing a technology message board of sorts, a WIKI,  so that once a problem was solved the answer was posted so everyone could share in the solution. Simple, effective, leading to increased efficiency and better customer service. Technological tools don’t have to be expensive to have value.

With proper training and the right tools and authority CSRs can all be on the same page when responding to similar customer issues and learn from one another. After all we are all in sales.

In 2013 customer experience is undergoing radical changes from just a year or 2 ago. The digital, always connected consumer with access to information on a myriad of devices has become a reality. CRMs and big data have allowed marketers access to these consumers on an unprecedented scale.

Just last night I watched a commercial for a major phone and internet company,  Verizon, with a special offer to put 10 of your devices, for example, a computer, smart phone, tablet etc. all on one plan and sync them all for one low monthly fee. Xfinity (Comcast) now has Xfinity Home that allows consumers to manage their home security through  apps on their phone,  tablet or desktop. Several home security companies now have home automation programs that allow the user to manage their home security, heat , cooling,  lights and more from whatever screen their device has. Cross device connectivity has lead to always connected consumers.

The consumer who is always online in some way now has access to digital experiences that not only are content rich but also are in the moment and relevant to them. GPS capable smart phones deliver a users location, the time of day is easily monitored.  Today there are data bases, thanks to big data,  that can be leveraged by gleaning information from CRMs to  allow marketers to deliver information and offers that a consumer can respond to on the spot. Content delivery through websites can now not only respond to a click but can adapt to suit the device. The consumer no longer needs to read a lot of text since graphic treatments of information allow consumers access to information visualization programs.  Your bank might just have one, that allows a consumer at a glance to get real-time information about a subject that interests them , like what that last ATM withdrawal did to your bank balance. Or by using an app on your mobile device like Zipcar’s app, you can pinpoint where your car is located and unlock only your reserved vehicle.( If you aren’t a Philadelphia native, Zipcar is the world’s largest car sharing and car club service started and based in Philadelphia).

With the input of a good CRM and good data, marketers can now find the exact moment of opportunity in the customer journey as it relates to their businesses goals while offering a real service to their client base. Jacobs Music rents pianos. When contracts are coming due they have done direct mail promotions using personalization and variable data to make contract renewals, instrument upgrades, removal and or delivery of a new piano easy, cost effective and done with a single phone call done at the customers convenience. A phone, variable data and a solid marketing strategy with great timing has made the customers journey seamless and improved renewal rates for Jacobs.

Whether alone of in conjunction with another device, website , direct mail or another communication channel mobile devices, good data  and connectivity have become unifying elements that will increase customer benefits and profits for marketers in 2013.