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Communications Enabling Business Processes
2007-06-07 05:03:00
Alexander Graham Bell. Some of you might recall the name. He unleashed a revolution, making all of us take communications for granted. We cannot imagine a world without a telephone of some sorts - be it your desk phone, home phone, mobile phone, a soft phone on your laptop, or even Skype.We cannot imagine how business would have been conducted, or at what speed would it have been conducted, but for the phenomenal device known as the telephone that made its advent on this human inhabited space in 1876.For most of us, this profound 'enablement' of business by the communications technology has been both phenomenal and sufficient. But not any more. With innovations happening all round us in the field of communications, there is yet another phenomenon we all must now witness.Welcome Comm unications Enabled Business Processes (CEBP). Originally attributed to Gartner, and subsequently developed into meaningful Business solutions by AvayaThe human factor has been, and will continue to rema...
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Business of Customer Responsiveness
2007-03-14 04:31:00
Theme: Organizations boast of being responsive to their Custom er , but does every part of their organization engage in Customer Responsiveness?I am aware that I am broaching a sensitive topic here. No CEO would ever admit that his/her organization is not customer responsive. Yet, when I scan the market; across industry verticals, across geographies, and even across varying business types; I find that the Contact Center is the only department in most organizations, that measures this responsiveness.There is no trend yet where organizations as a whole are being responsive to their customers. Metrics like Average Speed of Answer (ASA), Service Level (SL), First Time Right (FTR), Abandon rate, get measured and discussed only on the Contact Center floor.Why don't I see a trend where the entire organization answers to the customers?When it comes to the Enterprise communications infrastructure, I see two types of organizational communications strategies being initiated.The "Cost Focused" b...
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Customer: A Victim of poor Business Processes
2007-01-04 09:32:01
I intend this to be a sequel to my previous article CRM (Re) Defined. Therein I had urged the CEOs around the world to think about the customer as a key to success.Now I turn your attention to some specific personal experiences, which I have translated into Business Problem statements that should hopefully become ?big rock? items for CEOs to mull over.These personal experiences are being repeated millions of times daily; to all the customers like me across the globe. The experiences below do not mean that A PARTICULAR issue exists with a particular Bank or a Telco or any other Service Provider.My guess is that these issues are common to all; across horizontals / verticals; whichever applies (softer issues across horizontals; specific process issues applicable in all similar verticals).I sincerely hope that Business Leaders do appreciate how are these issues affecting their customers and their brand image as a consequence. I also hope that the Business Leaders do something worthwhile...
More About: Customer , Business Process , Esse , Ness

Computer Telephony Integration for the Business
2007-01-04 09:32:01
If you are a Business Leader, and the last one to get embroiled in complex technical terms like Comp uter Telephony Integration (CTI), then you better read the rest of this article to get your EUREKA!! (or A-HA, whichever you prefer)The three words in CTI look so formidable - reeking of techical aspects. What have you got to do with Computers, Telephony or Integration (of the two)? You have the task cut out for you - run a successful business, which is profitable, and keep it growing - isn't it?Till I was a mere technologist, I too believed that CTI is a reserved domain for technology people - out of bounds for you business folks. What would you understand anyway?But as my outlook matured, I started getting involved in Call Center Operations discussions; and through those, eventually tried to understand your business needs. I started thinking like a Technocrat.The first revelation that came to me - as I moved up the maturity curve - was the eternal untruth contained in the popular n...

Advent of the "Service Game"
2007-01-04 09:32:01
How frequently have you been a "Guest"?I don't expect to hear very many responses of the "What's that?" variety. When you are traveling, staying in a hotel, occupying a "guest" house, visiting friends & relatives, or just relaxing in a beach-side resort - you are experiencing what I'm trying to drive at.Which really is - you assume the "guest" status when you are not likely to be permanently "there".That in other words means that there is a "Host" taking care of your needs. You are being "Managed" well, if you return satisfied wearing your "guest" mantle.Now further stretch your imagination to apply this unique and fulfilling personal experience to a business situation. Why would you not want your business to be taken care of thus?Especially when it is not "permanently there", it's being set-up, or simply because you want a perfect "Host" to take care of those aspects of your business that you would not rather handle yourself?Enter "Managed" Service s a.k.a. "Hosted" Services. Th...
More About: Game , Vice , Vent , Advent

Customer Interaction Center: Business Context
2007-01-04 09:32:01
In my earlier articles, I have attempted to establish the importance of Customer s & Customer interactions - refer to CRM (Re) Defined, Customers have choices, & What exactly is CRM?.The above articles examine the fundamental concept of WHY should Customer Inter action Cent er be an integral part of your business. To summarize the linkages between the earlier articles, (and to offer a starting point if you have missed those articles):- No Business is an islandCustomer is the core around which the business is builtCustomer is the Key success factor & needs to be nurtured and converted into a staunch advocateBusiness needs to build a meaningful relationship with customers- CRM is therefore a MUST - regardless of what is deployed and howCustomer Interaction is the cornerstone of Relationship building, hence Collaborative CRM is the foundation of any CRM strategyIf your business strategy flounders on any aspect of the "true" CRM, Customers have the choice of abandoning the business rel...
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I Know What You Want
2007-01-04 09:32:01
Today I witnessed something interesting. An experience worth sharing, because it opens up other lines of thinking.My 7 year old daughter Nidhi, brought a friend home, and they asked for permission from my wife Varsha to play games on Nidhi's PC. Having secured the permission, Nidhi went about the task of booting the PC, and opening the folder marked "Games for Nidhi". {I still get amazed at her deftness at handling the PC, especially on the way she controls the mouse etc. See her smiling face on My Homepage... I really must update those old photographs....}So the duo began exploring, and Nidhi zeroed down on a game, but Varsha intervened and asked them to play Pocket Tanks instead. Her reasoning was pretty sound - there are two of you, so play a game that both of you can enjoy simultaneously.That made tempers fly, an argument ensued, and both parties stuck to their stand, not willing to holster their drawn guns. Their swords still pointing at each other, I asked the friends duo wha...
More About: What , Hat , Now What , Know , Want

Effectiveness of Self-service: Are you lovin' it?
2007-01-04 09:32:01
Theme: Self -service has traditionally had a major impact on the business efficiency (by reducing costs). But now it is being widely adopted by businesses as a means to increase the effectiveness, by enhancing the user experience. Learn what has been happening and some useful information in the notes below.When I first heard the term Self-service, the vision that popped-up in my mind was that of the Big M. Que-up, pay for the goodies, pick up the tray, lug it across to a table (if you can find one), and don't forget to dump the tray in the bin when done....This vision sure has E F F I C I E N C Y ..written all across it. Efficiency for the Big M. Convenience? Sure, convenient for me to some extent. It's fast, isn't it? Else who would call it fast food? Gives me loads of pleasure going through the exercise? Umm... not really.So the message is - if there is no other choice, if I want convenience right now, because [I'm in a hurry] [I'm not really hungry] [My wallet is screaming..t...
More About: Service , Effect , Ness , Vice

CRM (Re) Defined
2007-01-04 09:32:01
Every CEO thinks about managing growth - and more importantly - consistent growth.Managing multiple growth dimensions is the other challenge. CEOs need growth in:-- Top line to stay as the market leader- Bottom line to cover the dividends and the salary hikes- Workforce to manage financial growth ...The best kept secret of the growth process?If you as a CEO seek to fix the organization in isolation, then you are only partially right, and will therefore achieve but partial success. The real growth drivers are outside.Success Driver CEOs 'talk' about Customers. They talk about Customer Retention being more profitable than Customer Acquisition. They talk about Customer Satisfaction, Customer Delight and Customer Loyalty. They talk Customer Centricity & about Customer being King. And they talk...Yet how are the Customers - the key to success - treated?Customer Experience How often as a Customer yourself you hear:-- "You will have to call that department"- "You may have sent an Ema...
More About: Fine , Defined , Define

The Predictive game: Reaching out to prospects
2007-01-04 09:32:01
Theme: The 'Shotgun' approach - that of madly dialing out - needs curbing. WHY is it detrimental to the business and How to avoid common pitfallsWhen the going gets tough, the tough get going! The markets just got tougher, and as a result, the tough Business Leaders have the crisis of increasing-sales-at-any-cost on their hands. That calls for rapidly building the sales funnel, and one quick-fix solution is to start firing calls at the masses. If that's all there's to it, with no prior thinking through, then this, I'm afraid, is the 'Shotgun' approach. Fire, miss, reload, fire, fire, fire, miss? no.. hit (good... get on with the game), fire..& keep firing away... Hit and trial.The phenomenon of outbound contact itself is not new. Businesses have always been reaching out to the target population, but back then people dialed the numbers manually, on a relationship basis, connecting emotionally to us as human beings. But today, businesses increasingly deploy a technology known a...
More About: Game , Reach , Prospect , Predict

Don't move your lips when you say Quality
2007-01-04 09:32:01
I am yet to come across a business or meet a CEO that does not brag about "Quality "! "Sure, we produce / deliver / promote / utilize / create - Quality".... I see their lips move, doing a good service; and rarely more.What about your experience? Did ever your experiences differ from the above, and you heard - "Well, I don't know whether I should admit this, but honestly we strive hard to produce sub-standard stuff... our creative folks are busy figuring out why and how are our customers still getting a high quality experience... and we will fix these anomalies soon..."I bet your experiences in reference to Quality are exactly same as mine.Having made the point, now let us delve deeper into the fabrics of these organizations, beyond the facade of the freespeak. We would be dismayed to find that an overwhelming majority of these "Quality promoters" do not have any structured Quality process when it comes to managing Customer Interactions.People who follow "Exceed your expectations" o...
More About: Your , Lips , Move , When

Methodical madness: Do what makes sense to you
2007-01-04 09:32:01
You hear me (okay read my stuff...and I hope regularly at that) on the Business of running a successful business. I rant on and on:-manage Customer Interactions well, give Customers real choices (not in Henry Ford's Model T style), and make Customers feel they are in control, to convert them into staunch advocates... (You might want to jog your memory from the following: CRM (Re) Defined, Customers have choices, and my (hopefully by now) famous "..the thought - business of the customers, by the customers, for the customers - shall never perish from your mind" from Work Force Management: Business Impact)Weird thoughts, you might say.Then I hear Seth Godin on the subject of Weirdness (It's not weird when it's your weirdness). Seth says it all, when he mentions the keyword believe (and he does not play golf..).I believe it's all about doing what makes sense to you - which in turn should be what makes sense to your customers. Then never mind whether it appears as madness to the non-...
More About: Sense , What , Hat , Make , Ness

Seth's Perspective: How poor processes create disillusioned
2007-01-04 09:32:01
On June 12th, I wrote the article Customer: A Victim of poor Business Proc esses.And today I looked up Seth Godin's blog, and got a perfect illustration on a poorly executed business process - The thing about coupons.Seth's personal example re-iterates my earlier point of how businesses (consciously or otherwise), alienate their customers instead of attempting to create staunch advocates!Mr. / Ms. CEO, I hope you understand the critical brand impact of the customer experiences Seth and I refer to.Tags:
More About: Illusion , Esse , Sion , Poor

What exactly is CRM?
2007-01-04 09:32:01
I was in a seminar yesterday, and some offline discussions gravitated towards the subject of CRM. The general opinion was that CRM is a very costly software, and is generally overhyped to the point of being considered as a 'fashion statement' in the technology world.One Vice President of Customer Services was particularly vociferous on the 'glamor' angle, as she had a firm belief that 'someone from IT' convinced the CEO to sign the budget saying 'our contact center MUST have CRM, because our major competitor does'.She was disillusioned with the 'stuff' because it did not do a single thing to make her job any easier. In fact, she complained, the overly complicated screens, and the slowness of the system was actually impeding the agents' job, increasing their handle time, and generally running a havoc with customer satisfaction!That was the cue for me to step in and try to bring some sense in the discussions. I asked them what did they mean by CRM? All the answers indicated...
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Proactively manage Customer Churn - in Real Time
2007-01-04 09:32:01
They say Change is the only constant in life. Having been reduced to a cliche (being quoted by every other guy), it is still an eternal truth. Hence, it is but natural that all businesses should expect their Customer s to also look for change, and consequently, Customer Churn should be an equally prevalent truth that you cannot wish away.True. But the question is - how much is tolerable? What can your organization do to slow down the churn rate? What is customer churn doing to your business? Are you even aware of exactly what is your Customer Churn rate?Unfortunately, the above questions - though most critical from a business standpoint - go unanswered in most business situations. If you want to do something about retaining your customers, thereby augmenting your growth journey of acquiring new ones, then its time you took a hard look at the numbers applicable to your business.Mana ging Churn traditionally:Having said that, I still come across a few organizations who are doing precise...
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Customers have choices
2007-01-04 09:32:01
We live in the Information era. Information is power, Internet abounds, almost everybody knows what Google is (ever tried finding out in 1998 how many people had an inkling?).From information emanate choices. You have choices, I have choices, businesses have choices and so do their customers. Yet whilst businesses are busy prioritizing their choices of technologies, suppliers, markets & strategies to create opportunities (which is good for them), they are being stingy when it comes to giving choices... choices to their customers.Custom er s cannot choose whether they will call, email, webchat with, or SMS the business, its usually the jurisdiction of the business to define how they allow customers to contact them. There are many companies who do include many of the above channels in their access strategy, but all these interactions from "siloed channels" are treated "as if" they are from different entities, even when the same customer contacts through different channels. So busine...
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Work Force Management: Business Impact
2007-01-04 09:32:01
If you have been following the series of my articles on the business of running a successful business, then you have hopefully understood the power of the 'customer'. Confident that you have done so, I further take the poetic license of taking a cue from Abe Lincoln, believing that: "..the thought - business of the customers, by the customers, for the customers - shall never perish from your mind".If you subscribe to the above tenet, then your Customer Interaction MUST be an integral part of your business, so much so that Customer Interactions must be core to your business.What has Work Force Management (WFM) got to do with this belief? A great deal, as a matter of fact. Because you believe in making the customer your advocate, and you believe that customer is the key to your success, and you believe that Customer Interactions are core to your business, then you have definitely been putting resources to ensure the core of your business is delivering on, and exceeding, the expectat...
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