Fragvergence

Changing consumer attitudes to diverse contact channels: what are the opportunities for organisations to use Voice Self-Service?

Fragvergence describes two trends in the marketplace which are converging and fragmenting. As communication devices, networks and software converge in capability, consumer use of such technology is increasingly fragmented – in the channel chosen, the occasion of interaction and how the device is used. While some experts state that consumers will migrate to use one all powerful channel for all customer contact — e.g. the Internet with VOIP or a fully enabled mobile handset– research evidence suggests that fragmentation is the more likely future outlook.

The traditional argument for convergence relates to these developments:

• devices are converging in their capability (eg TV on the Internet and mobile, Internet/interactivity on the TV and mobile, VOIP on the Internet, e-mail on the TV and mobile) and some predict that this will all converge to one mobile handset device in time. This means people can increasingly complete all interactions through one device
• organisations should focus on call centres and Internet Self-Service for everyday communication with customers, in an attempt to migrate customer transactions, customer service and account management to one, lower cost channel: ‘You can do it all through the call centre/Internet’

The counterpoint of fragmentation says that different consumers want to use different devices and methods of communicating with organisations depending on:

• personal preference: some do not use the Internet, some prefer the phone, some e-mail, some face to face
• need: is the interaction or contact complex, emotional or simple and often repeated?
• occasion: where is the consumer physically, how are they feeling, what are they doing?
• timing: what is the time of day and how much time does the consumer have?

Our research has revealed that new methods of communicating with organisations are adding to this complexity. Consumers are making fewer but longer calls to organisations as Internet use rises, quick checks of bank balances are being made on mobile phone, products are being price scanned on to mobiles, outbound SMS messages are being sent to remind consumers of events and people are collaborating on the internet to solve product and service issues.

A world of Fragvergence in customer communications is evolving and this entails more complexity and cost for organisations.

This white paper was prepared by Nortel and BT.