Are Your Ready for the New Multi--Channel World?

The recent explosion of communications technologies have unwittingly conditioned consumers to become increasingly less comfortable with reaching or being reached via a single contact channel. The significant evolution in how we communicate is requiring companies to re assess their customer interaction strategies and adopt a multi-channel approach allowing customer a true “channel of choice.” Unfortunately, very few companies have made the investments necessary to redefine their customer relationship management (CRM) systems. Instead, they continue to silo their operations into neat channels designed to serve a customer that has been literally forced to use the phone.

The problem with the current CRM status quo is that consumers are not forced into a single communications channel for any other part of their lives. Instead, the new consumer uses an array of technologies to meet their needs. From text messaging to tweets, the new consumer is living in a multi-channel world and is becoming increasing frustrated with companies only offering the single channel past. A recent study by The Nielson Company demonstrated the speed at which alternate communications are growing. According to Nielson, people are spending three times the amount of time (17%) on social media sites just since last year.

While this growth obviously requires that advertisers sit up and take notice, it should also serve as a clear warning to those tasked with servicing these customers. The fact is the current one channel models are not sufficient in meeting customers’ expectations. If the future consumer is using Facebook , Skype and E-mail to interact with friends and family, they are going to expect the same channels to exist when calling about their credit card balance or high speed internet connection. By failing to offer these choices, companies are risking alienating and therefore losing the opportunity to sell the customer on new services or products. Simply put, a customer who prefers e-mail is less likely to respond in a positive manner to any up selling that occurs after they have been forced to sit in your call queue. By meeting their demands from the start, the multi-channel agent will have a much greater opportunity to sell and convert the customer.

To meet the demands of the new consumer, it is critical that the new contact center strategy be based on the simply idea that the consumer should be able to reach you via the channel that is most convenient and comfortable. A fully integrated approach would provide company CRM agents the ability to leverage multiple integrated channels such as live web chat, text messaging, e-mail, inbound phone, outbound phone and social media. The transition for the traditional contact center model to the new world of the multi-channel agent will require corporation to redefine the role and skill set of the contact center agent. Gone will be the days of the tightly scripted environment where the agent makes few decisions, replaced with a multi-channel specialist with power to engage a customer using an array of communication methods.

Building the infrastructure required and investing in the new multi-channel agent will separate the leading marketers from those living in the past. Unfortunately, for those companies nostalgic for a simpler time of clear contact silos, the consumer is impatient and the opportunity to reach them is closing fast.

The Path To Reduce US Patients Admissions by 5.5 Million

In July of 2003 the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) implemented a home Telehealth program, Care Coordination/Home Telehealth (CCHT) with the goal of providing in-home care for veterans with chronic conditions. Since the inception of CCHT, over 43,000 patients have been enrolled in the program. Though the use of messaging/monitoring devices, video and videophones, CCHT was able to reduce hospital admission by 19.74% while reducing bed days of care by 25.31%.

The results of the VHA’s CCHT program is impressive not only in its proven reduction of in hospital care but also in its ability to reach traditional underserved veterans demographic such as those who live in rural areas. The size of this program also provides a great insight into the power of using enhanced communication technologies (TelWebMed) to improve care and reduce cost within the general healthcare population. CCHT also proved that TelWebMed processes are effective at monitoring and treating chronic conditions such as diabetes, hypertension, heart failure, obstructive pulmonary disease, posttraumatic stress disorder and depression.

The VHA success in executing the VHA Care Coordination plan provides a model that can be applied to all hospitals. In 2007, there were about 37 million admissions in all US Registered Hospitals , If hospitals could reduce their admission by even 15% hospitals could lower overall hospital admissions by 5.5 million patients. Costs savings would even be greater with a more technological advanced approach that leverages a multi-channel approach using the phone, text messaging, web video, Internet, live chat and e-mail.

To Read the Fulle CCHT Report From The VHA Click Here
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1 Registered hospitals are hospitals that meet the American Hospital Association’s (AHA) for registration as a hospital facility.