The call center is not on the immediate verge of extinction, but when considering the convoluted nature of resolving customer issues in that environment, it is no surprise that alternative channels like social are taking flight.
"When you think about calling into a company, think of all the pain," explains social marketing specialist Pat Perdue in this exclusive CustomerManagementIQ.com podcast. "First you have to find the number, dial the number, navigate the IVR, plead your case to an agent. That’s really challenging, considering how easy it is [with social] and letting the company find you."
By putting an end to silos and eliminating the hoops and hot coals associated with reaching live agents, social media is also a surefire way to ease that pain.
And insofar as social particularly appeals to Generation Y, whom Perdue, a speaker at the Customer Experience in Social Media Summit, this is an aspirin tablet no call center leader can afford to ignore.
Generation Y will increasingly define the customer and employee bases for these organizations, and if their strategy is not geared towards the cultural needs and wants of that demographic, whose customer service choice is "not so much picking up the phone, but Tweeting, going on their Facebook page, dropping a message on the Wall," they will drive away customers and potential employees.
In this exclusive podcast, Perdue breaks down the role social will play in a Generation Y-friendly organization, identifying the key pitfalls and challenges along the way. And if you like what he has to say, you’ll want to join him at the first-ever Customer Experience in Social Media Summit.