Customers are always right… right? Well, most of the time they are. Customers are demanding and can make life difficult; however, they are also the lifeblood of every business. We can try and tell our customers what they want and what they need but when it comes to it, customers will interact with businesses exactly how they want to and depending on their choice this can make a difference to your business. The most useful thing we can say is that business is about listening to your customers and being able to adapt to gratify their needs.
The way that companies have interacted with customers has changed a lot in recent years. This is largely due to developments in technology and the adoption of such technologies by customers.
"Technology itself has given the customer more power and a ‘louder’ voice." - Digital Pigeon
"There is an expectation by younger, more tech savvy consumers and business people who have grown up using Facetime, Hangouts, WhatsApp and other instant messaging and calling apps that a face to face experience is possible and that you can see whom you're speaking with." - Andy Abramson, Comunicano
We have moved a long way from the days of face to face customer service and sales. The move to phone, then SMS, and now Whatsapp, social media messaging and even chat bots has certainly changed the process that customers go through and in turn altered their expectations. The point to take away form this is that now the customers want to interact with you easily and efficiently. Therefore, you need to be available for them to contact you in a way of their choosing, if you are not, then your competitor certainly will be.
Demand for video is increasing in all industries.
"Facebook is making huge efforts to become a video only platform by 2020 and it is already video dominated with an average of 8 billion daily video views." - I Heart New York
Alongside this...
"YouTube is now the second largest search engine signifying the growing demand for the medium." - Detail Central
We have noticed a growing demand for live video in sales and customer service. We can also see why, take for example high value complex sales such as booking luxury holidays.
"No matter how much you look at pictures of a hotel or holiday home online you cannot get a true representation of the location." - Showtime Digital
Reviews help but they are always varied and everyone has a different experience when they are on holiday. The ability to take a live tour around the complex by those at the hotel is a great benefit. With this option there is very little option to perfect and sugar coat the location and experience. Additionally, you want experts at the other end securing your sale, the more natural and intimate your relationship can be the more comfortable a customer feels.
Another example would be mortgage brokers who work for numerous banks in different areas. It is tricky for that one broker to travel and meet everyone that needs their services. With a live video chat system, that broker can remotely talk customers through their options. It is much the same case with pension plans and other investments. When it comes to these more complex services, customer reassurance is even more important. Nothing is quite as good as a face-to-face physical meet however a live video call is certainly the next best option.
It is not only the customers who are pushing for these technologies. Businesses know that if a live video platform can provide a more intimate experience, then this is likely to improve the close rate.
"It is important for customers to feel at ease and to feel that they can put total trust in the people who are making the big decisions for them." - Da Ricardo's
Platforms such as Talkative that offer live web chat, web calling, video calling and co-browsing are proving to be very successful. The more that these platforms are adopted the more likely that there will be a growing demand for in-house platforms. These platforms are likely to be the customer service and sales teams of the future. For most businesses we would say that live video currently isn’t necessary, however for the more complex and potentially high-risk industries live video is certainly a way for customers to feel far more secure and for businesses to capitalise on this.
With over 75 years of combined experience, the TelcoSolutions team has a wealth of knowledge in the telecom sector. We have seen drastic changes occur throughout this time, and have made it our priority to stay ahead of the curve to be able to offer our clients the right solutions at the best prices. We are able to do this by leveraging the 180 providers in our portfolio to find the correct solution for our individual clients. Customer satisfaction is of utmost importance to us. Through our dedicated account management team, we ensure that the installation, on-boarding, billing, and customer service are all accounted for and run as smoothly and efficiently as possible. Our experienced professionals and desire to maintain high levels of customer satisfaction are what set us apart from our competitors.
With over 75 years of combined experience, the TelcoSolutions team has a wealth of knowledge in the telecom sector.
We represent a vast range of providers that prove to be stable, affordable and trusted partners. We only acquire top quality service.
We are so happy with TelcoSolutions. Not only did they provide us with a service we can count on, they reduced our costs.
While initially focused on the United States, TelcoSolutions has expanded to being able to offer solutions around the world. Our relationships with 180 providers allows us unprecedented access to offer voice, data and cloud solutions globally.