Should Your Company Abandon Phone Support?

Making the Transition

Nonetheless, companies must consider what customers want. Some customers might not want to or know how to use Twitter for support. These users are probably going to be older and less technically adept, and pulling the plug on the communication channel they're comfortable using could backfire.

That's why companies need to be careful when disconnecting their phone service. "There can be an immediate hit to customer satisfaction," Fossett warns. "If the customer has other options and can take his business elsewhere, you can lose that customer if you don't support him on his channel of choice."

Depending on the industry, that can be a real risk, she adds."You really need to know your customer demographics" before making decisions about any channel.

Fossett suggests surveying customers. "Know who the customers are that contact you and ask them if they'd be willing to use the new channels," she says.

Then Fossett suggests doing a soft launch to see how, when, and if the channel gets used and by whom. "There are ways to test out [a channel] without upsetting the apple cart," she says.

"The channel mix should affect customer satisfaction," she adds. If you come to the conclusion that you will no longer use the phone, you should look at how that will play out. Look at the risk of upsetting even two percent of your customers versus the benefits and take that into account."

It's also vital that customers be made aware of the support channels available to them, Leggett adds. "You want to do it with proper messaging to your customers," she says. "Make sure your customers are using the channels that the company is focused on, that these channels are managed via best practices, and that the customer is kept in the loop during the entire service interaction."

McNair says the level of support needs to be consistent no matter what channels are available. "If you're looking to increase traffic to other channels, you need to make sure those channels are consistent," he suggests. "Find out which channels are important to you and your customers and [provide service on those channels] well."

News Editor Leonard Klie can be reached at lklie@informationtoday.com.

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