“On the ninth day of Christmas my IT guy gave to me, 9 demanding customers”
Last week, I found myself at the grocery store staring at the choices of cereal laid before me. Among the choices included brands that promised high fiber, more fruit, less sugar, and health benefits confirmed by nutrition professionals. While I ended up choosing Cheerios, I was reminded by how many options stood before me even among other products like milk, granola bars, water bottles, and pasta.
Technology consumers are faced with a similar challenge especially with the arrival of cloud. For example, there are over 2 million applications available for download on the Apple iOS store alone with thousands existing in every category from fitness to entertainment to social networking. In short, technology providers need to not only develop quickly and innovate, but also create technologies that satisfy customer demands.
The Customer Challenge
As a marketing professional who interfaces with sales on a regular basis, I am aware of the numerous choices customers have. With the consumerization of IT combining with the lowered barriers to entry in technology, chief information and marketing executives are tasked with the challenge of coming together to make ensure that the lights stay on like never before.
Here are some ideas to ensure that your customers stay happy in the holiday season and beyond:
- Integrate Customer Service and DevOps: Though engineering and customer service seem to have nothing to do with each other, they are innately linked. With DevOps bringing continuous innovation and deployment, customer service needs to now be abreast of any new changes coming down the pipe. Make sure there is always an open line between these two parties.
- Shorten the SLA: You’ll still have problems regardless of the product. With that in mind, it’s critical that you shorten the service level agreements that your organization has because customers can change their mind about your product on a dime. Ensure that there are ways for problems to be solved both with people and through detailed online walkthroughs.
- Build the Appropriate Channels: When it comes to customer service request, more is merrier. Ensure that you have the appropriate individuals to manage customer communities, social media channels, and email inboxes so customers get their questions answered quickly and efficiently. When the conversation path is shorter, problems are resolved far quicker.
In our work with customers, we have developed centers of excellence to ensure that customer service and the business work right alongside with the technologies deployed.
Are you interested in seeing how DevOps and digital experience can impact your bottom line? We work on both areas and would be happy to have a conversation. Send us an email at sales@perficient.com to get started.
Learn more about our DevOps and digital experience partnerships here
