Brands Respond to Mobile Customer Service Demand
NOVEMBER 26, 2012Airlines, telecoms and automotive manufacturers lead the way with mobile service and support
Savvy businesses are stepping up their mobile activities, not only in terms of content and marketing, but also in terms of customer service and support. According to a study by SAP and Social Media Today, 38% of companies surveyed worldwide in 2012 offered customer service through the mobile channel.
That number is up 10 percentage points from 2011 when only 28% of surveyed companies provided mobile support. Moreover, 8% of surveyed businesses said they planned to enable that capability in the next six months and 9% said they too would enable it, but it would take more than six months.
The mobile channel will be particularly important for this upcoming holiday season. US online buyers told surveyor MarketLive in September that accessible information and customer service was very important when buying gifts online. Although a less-cited response, 24% also said that the option to chat via a mobile phone is an important customer service feature for online gift purchasing.
Industries in North America such as airlines, telecom and auto may have more at stake when it comes to adapting to mobile customer care, since their customers are often on the go when using or thinking about their services.
By 2015, airlines are expected to conduct nearly 73% of customer service transactions via mobile, compared to only 52% today, according to a Tata Consultancy Services survey. Mobile customer care for telecom service providers is also expected to grow. By 2015, the industry expects to conduct almost 53% of transactions with mobile consumers, up from only 35% today. Auto will also grow mobile service quite significantly.
