A recent issue of Retailing Today – the trusted news source for over 25,000 decision-makers at America’s Top 150 retailers – carried an excellent article on retailer responses to the downturn. The full transcript of which can be found here:
Philip Michell, Consulting Director at Vertex Business Services, authored the article and provides a number of facinating insights while highlighting the importance of numero to their own approach:
“Smart retailers are well aware of this trend and are now focusing on the importance of customer management outside of the store environment. Generating real value from a customer management program requires an understanding of the retailer’s and the caller’s drivers and the operational ability to respond to them. This capability requirement is encouraging a growing number of retailers to use external experts in the field. Providers with specialties in engaging customers outside of the store environment bring valuable experience in setting metrics that can be used to focus the program. In Vertex’s contact centers, a system called “numero” that enables contact centers to handle any form of inbound communication, including email, white mail, call logging, Web forms and SMS, is being used that allows emails to be analyzed and the responses pre-populated with information and links that the customer service agents can build on. This allows a much richer response to be generated for the customer in a much faster time.”
Simon tees off 2012
