February 10, 2015
Technology has made it possible for companies to collect massive amounts of information about customers -- from location, to social media interactions to buying preferences. Most companies now know they need to have what's known as a 360-degree view of their customers to provide a better, more seamless customer experience. This involves adopting customer experience management best practices to track, oversee and organize every interaction with each customer. This often entails being able to integrate data from multiple communication channels as well, such as customer communication on the phone, in email, on social media, in live chat and so on.
However, analysts say technology alone is not enough in achieving this 360-degree view of customers. Companies need to develop a strong understanding of who their customers are, said Corinne Sklar, chief marketing officer for Bluewolf, a global consulting firm. They also need to develop a culture of being "customer obsessed," she said.
"Technology is just an enabler," Sklar said. "Figuring out who your customers are has nothing to do with technology."
When a client comes to Sklar to get a 360-degree view of customers, her first question is, "Why?" Companies have to identify a goal first, she said. Are they trying to acquire new customers, retain existing customers, cross-sell or up-sell, or reduce costs? Then, there needs to be a detailed analysis of the current customer experience to figure out what can be improved, she said.
Data silos are often a problem, Sklar said. Data integration is usually a priority, as is identifying any data that is missing and deciding which pieces of data are most important, she said. Sklar also recommended companies become more digital and cloud-focused because of the speed and flexibility a cloud environment provides.
