Telecom & Technology Consulting
Leaders across all industries understand the important role that frontline workers play in creating strong brands. Those workers greet customers, conduct transactions, and provide service – acts that inherently affect customer satisfaction and ultimately brand loyalty.
But creating happy customers and strong brands isn’t as easy as it was in the past. It’s no longer a matter of simply pointing out where to find an item, ringing up sales on a cash register, and helping with returns. Technology now dictates whether a customer is satisfied and if they’ll shop with you in the future.
For starters, since today’s consumers exist within the omni-channel universe, it’s normal for them to use either text, chat, email, or video for customer service. And not only do they want service the way they want it, they want it right now. Companies must adapt to this new consumer mindset.
This requires technology that eliminates long customer service interactions; technology that cuts out the frustration of customers having to repeat themselves from prior interactions; and technology that allows frontline workers to immediately adjust to each customer’s communication preference.
If your company can’t supply that type of technology, you might be in big trouble. This is especially relevant for the retail sector, where consumers can switch to a competitor in an instant when service doesn’t meet their requirements. That’s why organizations have to empower frontline workers with tools that integrate the entire employee/customer experience.
The good news is that these types of technical platforms are now available. Through any type of device, frontline workers can access complete customer histories, and resolve issues through their preferred channel. Issues get resolved quicker and more effectively. Workers are more fulfilled. Customers are more satisfied, giving them a positive impression of the brand – and that leads to increased loyalty.
Make no mistake – the entire premise of this technology is to enhance the employee experience. Sure, the platform may indirectly allow you to sell more product over the long run and get more favorable online reviews. But frontline workers are the backbone of the organization. When they’re more fulfilled, they work harder. When they see that you’ve provided a tool that they’ve only dreamed of, they’re more likely to remain with the company. That enthusiasm will come through in every customer interaction, which leads to more favorable impressions of the brand.
If you take a birds eye view, an employee experience platform essentially unlocks the full potential of the customer service ideal. Frontline workers want to be more effective; they want to deliver positive results. The problem is that technical barriers hinder them from that aspiration. An employee experience platform carves a new path, providing the tools for them to carry out their jobs with a new level of intelligence and precision.
Connectivity is another key concept that drives the employee experience platform. Individual frontline workers can only do so much on their own. But organizations are made up of many individuals, with a countless amount of moving parts within inventory, the supply chain, and databases.
The employee experience platform integrates everyone and all data into a cohesive team. They can instantly communicate, share information, and collaborate in real-time to close the loop on customer service requests. The connectivity extends from a single shift to all shifts, from one store to all stores. Everyone’s aligned.
With this new customer service paradigm, frontline workers transform into knowledge workers. No longer bound by technical restrictions, they can unleash their creativity and be more proactive in solving consumer concerns. And when you free up employees to be their best, you foster their success. In turn, management will naturally find it easier to recruit and retain valuable frontline workers.
Think about it: Your frontline workers are your most important brand ambassadors. How they serve customers represents every single aspect of the organization. It’s not your advertising, not your social media – it’s your people that tell customers who you are and what you stand for.
Wouldn’t it be nice if those frontline workers had technology that could maximize their potential? The employee experience platform does just that.
