Help is at hand…
This post is a first, actually it’s a second, but I put that down to the perils of a beginner. I somehow deleted my first attempt at a blog on the move.
I have been using an iPhone for about two weeks now and it has without doubt opened up for me a whole new world of possibilities within online help and customer service.
Geography and time difference are no longer the barriers they once were. I can literally help or provide customer service at anytime and from anywhere.
I was on the train home, a journey of about 50 minutes, time enough in theory to provide help and support to whoever might need it via Twitter or some other platform.
Imagine though if a company could harness the collective knowledge of its customers who are willing to share their knowledge as and when they feel like it. Or a Google or Microsoft creating a global help and support platform drawing on the collective knowledge and experiences of us all; people helping people on their way home on the train or on the bus or wherever they might be…nothing stopping us except an empty battery!
Interesting idea – but what happens when something goes wrong with that company (i.e., the many Twitter petitions recently, esp with O2′s upgrade policy on the 3GS for existing customers)?
These disgruntled customers could put off potential new customers looking for advice.
A good idea for employees who are able to help (maybe introduce some kind of incentive) – and it’d allow employees from all areas of a business to interact with customers.
I work for an online retailer, and know that plenty of people have the knowledge to help customers, yet it’s always down to the Customer Care department, who are often under pressure, and lack specific technical knowledge that could be offered by more relevant people with more time to spare.
Just a thought!
Charlie628
03/08/2009 at 9:56 pm
Thanks for the comment and I take your point. There will always be a certain amount of knowledge and processes that a company will own. What I was trying to get at was that the advent of social media and the concomitant advancements in technology are challenging the need for a company to centralise it. It is increasingly imperative for companies to find ways to actively and collaboratively decentralise knowledge and processes. To, in effect, not only create knowledge for public consumption and dissemination, but also to actively put it where it will be consumed.
guy1067
04/08/2009 at 5:41 am