When I read an article about customer service in telecom, I approach it as a consumer first and as someone “in the industry” second. An interesting one, “Customer Care and Three Dog Night,” appeared in Tim McElligott’s Billing and OSS World blog and really hit the nail on the head. As amazing as we have been at developing new communications services and applications for handsets, as an industry we still struggle to effectively leverage technology in a way that successfully adapts the customer care experience for the Web.
As Mr. McElligott points out, “Technology’s biggest failure in the modern world of commerce is its inability to effectively answer the questions or solve the problems of most consumers.” The vast majority of consumers do try to avoid an actual call into customer service by going to the Web first. As consumers, we take pride in our ability to manage issues for ourselves. I’m that way. Aren’t most of us? Unfortunately, we still struggle with the tools provided in the Web world.
It is interesting to see that some large service providers are only now rolling out the self care functionality to their clients. Yet, we really should not be surprised. It’s far more complex than it appears at first glance and criticism can come fast and hard when a self care strategy fails. Streamlining self care functionality for our clients and their customers is a key initiative for Info Directions. As we continue along that path, both business process and technology must come together to deliver a Web-based care experience that actually understands my behavior patterns – and helps me solve problems for myself.