Wireless Informatics: From problem
management to problem prevention
As mobile devices and services continue to develop in both form and function,
the mobile industry is facing new and unprecedented challenges in the
provision of customer service and the management of the user experience.
New mobile technologies are undoubtedly able to generate new end-user revenue streams, however the downside of this trend can be observed in the wake of customer service issues that inevitably follow the launch of any new product or service. Factors such as increased device complexity and complicated service configuration have led to a rise in service abandonment and a growth in support requirements. Both have a negative impact on end-user profitability and ultimately customer loyalty and churn. So as many mobile subscribers struggle to scale the technological learning curve the mobile industry struggles to balance innovation with profitability. Unfortunately it is often the mobile user experience that is left tarnished in
the process.
Wireless Informatics provides a refreshing approach to this paradigm, enabling mobile organizations to harness the power of knowledge to deliver a rich mobile experience to the customer. However, unlike other customer service enhancing methodologies, Wireless Informatics delivers on this promise while reducing customer support costs and driving new revenues through service adoption.
Wireless Informatics is the practice of collating, validating and disseminating knowledge, best practices and experiences throughout the mobile value chain to deliver the ultimate mobile user experience. It’s about identifying key points of end-user dissatisfaction, understanding the root cause and applying a fix ‘upstream’ in order to mitigate recurrent issues and cost.
That spike in service calls after a new handset launch, or that the decrease in service usage following a change to access settings; most problems can be eliminated by applying the right information, at the right time, in the right place. Sounds simple? Yet the analysis and sharing of support data is too often contained within silos where it adds little value to the continuous improvement of the mobile user experience. In these instances, costs continue to rise and brands continue to be damaged. The practice of Wireless Informatics requires co-ordination, commitment and focus from a variety of key internal and external specialist resources. In essence, any organization that touches on the development, launch, sale, and support of mobile devices and services has a role to play.
A robust Wireless Informatics ecosystem will comprise a rich combination of people, processes and technologies, combining to deliver upon the common goal of enhancing the user experience. From contact centre audits, device testing, self serve and retail analysis to end-user satisfaction surveys, there exists many methods for identifying potential issues. However, even at this first stage in the process many mobile organizations currently lack the systems or call logging disciplines to deliver this fundamental data mining intelligence. Every potential customer service issue, whether handled prior to, or following, the launch of a product or service should be matched with a corresponding piece of specialist knowledge that can help eliminate its recurrence.
Wireless Informatics provides the basis for seamlessly bringing
these two elements together; examples include:
Pre-launch problem mitigation
In some instances the root cause behind a widespread usability,design floor or bug may be attributable to a product design impairment or oversight. In this instance knowledge should be fed to R&D and Product Management teams for factoring into future designs and development.
Channel empowerment
In other instances, root causes may point to deficiencies in the supply channel. Retailers who are not furnished with adequate knowledge of technologies, products and services will inevitably generate a backlash in post-sale customer care. Critical specialist knowledge is often possessed within subject matter experts residing with Product Management, customer services or channel partners, but rarely does it find its way to the point of sale.
Out-of-box experience
Other issues may tie back to the ‘Out-of-box experience’. The first hour of device ownership will often determine the lifelong customer perception of the product and the associated vendor / operator brand. It is the window of opportunity through which to impress or conversely disappoint the customer. It is also the last opportunity for customer service issues to be pre-empted and support calls to be avoided. All known or anticipated support intelligence should be packaged for presentation to the customer at this juncture. Similarly, automation of popular support issues such as device configuration should be introduced seamlessly at this stage.
Self-Service
Many users will still encounter individual issues for which customer service assistance will be sought. Self-service web and on-device mechanisms provide a versatile mechanism for serving customer support issues without incurring costly contact center engagements. The knowledge and solutions available within selfservice environments should mirror the customer service issues faced within the contact center and self-service content should be authored based on the most prevalent issues faced in the support center.
The cycle of continuous improvement
With these few examples it is possible to see how Wireless Informatics can unlock both customer satisfaction and improved operational productivity. Wireless Informatics is not a revolution; it is simply a refinement in practices that can be built upon the people, processes and technologies readily available to the mobile business today.
The principles of Wireless Informatics can be deployed at a wholesale level, or simply on a departmental basis, in either situation immediate benefits can be quickly realized, often within weeks of implementation. The shift in practices to accommodate Wireless Informatics does not have to come at the expense of increased operational expenditure. The mature Wireless Informatics ecosystem will witness a drop in customer service costs as problems are either mitigated, deferred effectively to self-service or handled in an efficient and proficient manner.
Within the Wireless Informatics ecosystem the perception of the customer service department is transformed from that of an OPEX headache to that of a critical customer interface for harvesting market and product intelligence. Only once this intelligence is continuously factored into the subsequent design and development of future mobile products and services will the user experience truly flourish.
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