"Creating a consistent message across disparate media"
In a world run amok with data, it’s the rare company that doesn’t know something about their customers. If a customer has done business with a company in the past, that company can retain pertinent information about them for years to come.
The question is, what exactly does a 21st century business do with all that information?
Savvy companies are starting to realize that using that data for “personalization” needs to be taken to a higher level. Consumers aren’t impressed if your personalization efforts stop at putting their name on a document. If you want to engage your customers, highly personalized communications with a consistent message are key.
Not just document automation
Let’s tackle a few industry terms first. “Personalized customer communications” does not mean just “document automation”. A document automation system consists of pre-defined models with standard information about your customers. They are capable of sending out mass mailings, but only mass mailings of the same information to thousands of customers. Above all, a document automation system is focused on saving your company money.
On the other hand, a personalized customer communications system is focused on your customer. The goal of such a system is to provide timely, relevant and concise information to your customer. This information can be communicated via email, fax, a website, written documentation or even a real-time phone conversation. It uses your existing data to provide information that is relevant and targeted only to that customer.
Here’s an example. At a health care company, a document management system could send out mass mailings of the same welcome packets of information to each new member. The packets contain dozens of forms that new members need to sign and return. But only certain members need to fill out certain forms. The other forms – at best – will be discarded. At worst, they will frustrate and annoy your new customer.
A personalized customer communications system handles the mailing very differently. It sends the same welcome packets, but includes just the forms that each individual member needs to complete. Based upon pre-existing data, the system knows which member needs what form and can even increase font size for older customers. There’s no waste and no frustrated customers.
It all boils down to the three cycles of customer care – acquisition, retention and extension. You may acquire that new customer, but if they have a bad experience in the next two phases, you stand a good chance of losing them. A personalized customer communications system helps you to engage your customer through each of the three phases.
The bottom line? A personalized customer care system is built upon the radical idea that you shouldn’t just collect data on your customers, you should use that data to continue to engage them.
New system, new efficiencies
Engaging the customer sounds like a lofty goal. It also sounds like a goal that costs a lot of money. What are some the internal efficiencies and cost-savings that a personalized customer care system can bring?
The flexibility of a personalized customer communications system brings the most efficiency. Standard language and a consistent message are crafted and implemented by functional line of business areas, such as sales and marketing teams, without the need for a heavy-handed IT presence. If you can edit a Word document, you can make changes to your company’s correspondence and message in various forms of customer communications.
Further flexibility is found in the medium itself. A personalized customer care system can help your company create a consistent message across various forms of media, including email, faxes, web sites and written correspondence. A fully-utilized system can also interface with your telephone support system. Customer care reps can have access to real-time data about your customers. They can make decisions and immediately create correspondence based upon known and live feedback from that particular customer.
Another efficiency of a personalized customer communications system is found in scalability. The best thing that can happen to your business is more customers, right? Not necessarily. If your call volumes are going up, but you don’t have the staff or systems to handle the resulting documents that need to be produced, your service levels may falter. That lack of top-notch service could drive current or potential customers away.
Cost center to profit center
While increased efficiency, flexibility and scalability will save your company money, forward thinking companies are also using their personalized customer communication systems to generate income. It moves your customer response center from a cost center to a profit center.
Consider something as mundane as an invoice. A company that sells limited edition ceramic figurines sends an invoice with every purchase. It’s something the customer will review to make sure they received the correct item at the correct price. Why not take advantage of this time with your customer to expose them to new products?
On the invoice, you could include ad copy and photos of new lines of figurines. Based upon the customer’s purchase history, you could suggest a high-priced purchase or a medium-priced item. If you know they purchase gifts for others from your company, you could suggest the item as a gift.
The insurance industry provides another example. Insurance is basically selling a promise. The customer purchases a promise of payment under certain circumstances. That promise is summarized in a document, a piece of paper. Since you are required to send the customer that piece of paper, why not make the most of out it? Why not put everything you’ve got into that document?
Instead of sending out a massive amount of information, tailor the document to just the information that consumer needs to know. Send a two page summary instead of a two pound packet of information. Personalize that summary based upon that customer’s purchase – and what you have learned is important to them.
That customer will recognize – and appreciate – the extra personalization that went into that document. But don’t stop there. While you have them engaged and impressed with your company, include targeted information about the insurance’s company’s other products that might appeal to them. This targeted new information would be based upon what you already know about the customer’s current situation and probable upcoming life events. The information you send would pertain only to them.
It seems like a simple idea – and a personalized customer communications system makes it possible. While that customer is already holding your required communications in their hand and is thinking about your company, why not engage them further and work on extending your relationship with them?
A consistent message above the fray
In a consumer culture where customers can Tivo through commercials and purchase software to block pop-up Internet ads, it can be difficult to get your message heard. By providing a consistent and targeted message across any form of media, your company can get its message directly to the consumers it needs to reach.
A personalized customer communications systems provides concise and relevant information to existing and prospective customers. By fully utilizing the system, your company can establish itself as responsive, knowledgeable, and truly customer-focused. By integrating a personalize customer communication system into your customer care strategy, you are utilize the data you already have on your customers to build an even stronger customer relationship.
By Troy Gross at Cincom Systems
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