By: Kenisha Dennis
2nd year Summer Intern, External Communications
2nd year Summer Intern, External Communications
How many companies can you name that have really, truly figured out genuine customer communications? One? Two? None? There is a reason this number is so small. Communicating with customers is hard! Take me for example. I am what you would call a “complicated customer.” I enjoy both paper and digital communication one day, and the next I want to go paperless. Sometimes, I want more than the usual amount of communication and then sometimes absolutely slim to no interaction. Complicated, huh?
Now multiply my complicated preferences across millions of customers. Some customers would rather SMS text, email, or use social media others prefer tangible paper documents. If we lived in a utopian world, customers would have the service providers information exactly when they want it, and in the most accommodating way. Customers want a conversation, to participate and to be in control.
However, these preferences vary amongst many customers. Take a minute to think of all the possible scenarios in which a customer would like to receive information. As companies, how do you satisfy each and every one of your customers? It’s complicated. Not every customer wants to interact with a specific company via social media. And if they do choose to, let’s hope it’s not to bash them in a 140 character tweet.
There is no “magic app” to solve this problem. But as an intern at Pitney Bowes this summer, I learned about what one company is doing to meet this challenge. Pitney Bowes continuously sets the bar higher for enhancing a great customer experience. Pitney Bowes creates tools that allow companies to provide personal and immediate attention to customers, while also giving companies more control of their communications. Pitney Bowes Customer Communications Management is allowing companies to tailor their communications to individualized customer preferences. These customized communications can be delivered via digital or physical channels.
A customer like me who can be quite picky and complex in how I want communications sent to me will be a happy camper if more service providers adopt these emerging tools.
Rest assured there is hope for the CCM market as Pitney Bowes continues to progress with its solutions and continues to help businesses enhance customer experience to reduce customer churn. As there are many “complicated customers” in the world, reaching out to them properly is vital and essential to business and growth. Different consumers prefer different communication mediums. CCM will continue to mature along with customers’ needs and preferences.
