Technology has altered the way we communicate, interact and do business. Large scale adoption of main stream technology has given rise to a number of vendors who make digital devices that fill up our homes and which connect up with the other devices at our homes and offices. The end result is an elevated experience and an always-on connection. Though this has had a positive effect on lifestyles, a growing concern among all vendors is providing pain free support, as this is one major piece that customers look for in any deal. The consumer electronic market is crowded with millions of devices and it will only increase as technological changes rule the day.
The consumer's journey with a brand starts much before the product is bought. It all starts with the experience of that product or brand and that has to captivate him. The invisible, intangible component here is the support experience that the product or brand wields - and that translates to whether he becomes a prospect, lead, customer or a statistic! It is imperative for all support providers to 'wow' customers with every interaction. This is possible only when support providers know all about their customers well, interact with them, understand their trends and pain points etc. Customers are also very learned today as they don't need to go out looking for information, information is available at their fingertips. This is what gives them the power to make instantaneous decisions. It all lies in the first very experience of a customer with a brand. That interaction forever alters his approach (whether positive or negative) to the brand. This is where support providers need to innovate and innovate constantly.
The Internet has boomed and changed the way we work and function. Social media has turned out to be the biggest and most cost effective platform for connections, opinions, reviews. Where are the vendors homing in? If they are still looking at traditional models, then they've lost focus. There needs to be a concerted effort to tie in all the communication channels, listen and pick out from the digital trail consumers are leaving to understand where their brand presence is going. There needs to be a singular view of the customer to find out where he started from, trace his journey with the brand, run the data gathered through an analytical engines and plot trends to further gauge what customers are thinking about your brand, what are they tweeting, what experiences their products are creating and most importantly whether your customers are still sticking to your brand or, are they running away.
An able support vendor with a rich analytical experience should be the ideal go-to partner to bring out hidden meanings in customer conversations that would propel customer stickiness and loyalty.
