We spoke to Steve McSherry, Commercial Director of Daktela UK an industry expert in CX teams and technology, about the transformative power of channel connection. Recently becoming CXFO partners, Daktela, like us, are on a mission to maintain high standards across the CX industry for teams and customers.
Think of some of your favourite retailers or service providers and you may be surprised to learn that not all have their customer communication channels fully connected.
In CX terms being fully connected means that every contact point your business has with your audience is integrated into one place. And when I say every contact point, I mean every single one, voice, email, text, WhatsApp, video, Microsoft Teams, CRM, automated chat, and not to forget your social media channels. If it’s a live channel for your business then it must be synchronised.
Even listing the channels can sound like a lot of ground to cover, but linking each and every one is crucial.
Operating in silos from different systems and platforms means customer conversations are literally disconnected. Working separately from spreadsheets, outlook email, CRM, and more basic tools happens even in large companies.
Some companies may use software that covers some channels, but not all.
This can be hugely frustrating for the end customer and for the team managing the issue. You will see complaints increase, and see the impact on staff, in morale or absenteeism.
Every customer contact counts and how that conversation is handled is paramount. It counts for your business, and it counts for your customer. Having to explain that you sent an email about an issue, spoke to someone on the phone, and had a chat with a bot, adds to a customer’s frustration, and ultimately could mean they choose to shop with your competitor in the future. Doing this at scale can impact your reputation and your bottom line.
Disconnection between communication channels is common, especially when we talk about full integration with social media, but more on that later.
If your business doesn’t have one system that integrates your customer care touchpoints, you are not alone.
Many organisations that you would think from the outside operate seamlessly but still don’t have one system where they can see communication in one place.
It can be overlooked, as the business grows, basic tools that you may have outgrown, may feel embedded and the default approach is to stick with them.
In some cases, a slow-to-adopt barrier may be the reason, often the case in larger organisations, with long procurement lead times, or for some, it may be a case of ‘things aren’t broken.’ Often the fear of change and the potential issues with migration and integration are cited. And for some the perceived expense prevents action.
But here’s the thing, some systems offer this, that are affordable, that can integrate, and truly cover all channels. If you can overcome the internal barriers with the right product and service you could connect everything in a matter of hours.
After 30 years in CX, I am the first to be sceptical of technology that promises one solution fits all, that’s the nirvana for a business, isn’t it? One system, one invoice, and one solution. Believe me, I have seen many over the years that promise the earth but all fail on that promise. When I was approached four years ago by Daktela, I was so impressed by their product that we merged companies.
Daktela is a cloud-based customer care software company. It connects and unifies customer conversations across all channels voice, email, SMS, webchat, Microsoft Teams, video, text, and social media, together in one easy-to-use platform, seamlessly integrating with existing systems. It can integrate with just about any CRM, or it can introduce one if needed.
Daktela has just launched a service for companies who may not have an IT department. They can provide support getting your team up and running with Microsoft Teams, and integrate it across your network.
Having a platform that shows at a glance the customers’ history in finite detail on one screen, in one place, can revolutionise the experience for both the customer and your staff. Integrate social media channels and you could have a best-in-class situation on your hands, and who doesn’t want that?
How many times have you felt for a business where a customer complaint went from a social media post into a national newspaper in a matter of hours, creating a full-blown PR crisis? With this in mind shouldn’t connecting your social to CX be a priority?
All social media channels can be easily integrated into the Daktela system, minimising the risks of potential PR disasters. Hopefully your business has avoided such a situation, and if you can get your channels connected you can keep it that way.
But the power of communication will always depend on your people, on the end of the phone, behind the screen, and keyboard. Having a team of dedicated, passionate, and skilled people in CX and social media, no matter the software platform will always be paramount. They must have the skill to communicate over the phone and through the written word, they are after all the voice of your brand. Harmonise both your people and technology and your CX could reach new heights.
Steve McSherry, is the Commercial Director of Daktela UK. With a career spanning over three decades in customer communication, Steve is one of the industry’s leading experts. After his company Contact Centre Evolution Ltd caught the eye of Daktela, in 2018, they acquired a 60% share of his company which then became Daktela UK. Sept 2021, saw the remaining 40% sold to Daktela following investment by VC, Sandberg Capital.
Daktela is a cloud-based customer care software company. Uniquely combining pioneering digital technology with over 30 years of real-world customer care. As large and recognisable in the Czech Republic as British Telecom (BT) is in the UK. Daktela serves companies across many sectors. They are on a mission to support UK businesses with their flexible scalable packages. To find out more contact: [email protected] or visit www.daktela.co.uk
Steve McSherry
Commercial Director
Daktela UK
