The proliferation of smart devices and mobile apps will give rise to a more sophisticated and interactive customer service experience over the next four years, according to a recent study by Ovum. With more than half of inbound customer service calls in key countries expected to be made from a mobile device by 2016, and 30% of these from smartphones, Ovum analysts warn enterprises to rethink their customer services strategies.
Ovum has published a groundbreaking study of enterprise readiness for mobile customer care, entitled “The Future of Customer Service in a Mobile World: Smart, Connected Interactions”, co-written by lead analyst Daniel Hong, principal analyst Keith Dawson, and ServeLab’s Mike Bergelson and Colin Schiller.
“The rise of smart devices and the incessant focus on customer loyalty has created the proverbial ‘perfect storm’ for enterprises that want to reinvent the customer experience around smartphones and tablets,” says Daniel Hong. “We expect a dramatic shift in customer engagement as more consumers use mobile apps as their primary gateway to customer service. When you take into account the multiple pathways supported via the smart device and combine those with context relay then you have a game changer in the industry. This is what we call smart, connected interactions (SCI).”
Although mobile is clearly a “hot initiative” in many organizations today, Ovum’s research* reveals that the biggest challenge to the rapid implementation of SCI is for customer care teams to collaborate effectively with other areas of the business, especially those that own the mobile strategy. “Successful mobile care demands that an enterprise be speedy, flexible, and adaptive. Companies that streamline their decision-making are already starting to gain edge in customer engagement as this transition continues,” explains Keith Dawson.
To help enterprises understand the key dimensions along which they should expect to progress their mobile strategy, as well as definitions, benefits, and costs that define each phase of development, Ovum has developed an SCI maturity model. Ovum believes investments that will allow enterprises to advance across the major domains of the SCI maturity model are driven by organizational priorities, budget availability, and technology and process-readiness.
“There’s no doubt that mobility will fundamentally change the way companies approach customer care. While many of its capabilities have yet to develop, the smart device is a powerful connected tool that enables multiple channels of communication, so the possibilities for thoughtful, informed customer engagement are boundless. This is a rich new area for innovation and we can’t wait to see the solutions that are sure to start rolling out over the next couple of years,” says Colin Schiller of ServeLab.
www.ovum.com
