“Let’s start at the very beginning, a very good place to start…
”You’re racking your brain trying to recall where you’ve heard that line, and you can’t get it out of your head. You finally relent and Google it or ask Siri or Alexa to relieve your suffering. “Do Re Mi from The Sound of Music.” Problem solved. Most of us rely on Google (or Bing, Siri, Alexa, etc.) as a research assistant when we want quick answers and it’s no different when we explore products that intrigue us or when we need to fix something, resolve an issue, or get “how to” help with products we already have. We like having access to a broad resource pool on the web, including videos, other user experiences and input, and the manufacturers’ or vendors’ expert resources. And we want to handle inquiries on our own. As contact center professionals, we need to translate this personal insight into a professional call to action. Much as we like to focus on those aspects of the customer journey that land on our turf, we need to face reality. The trailhead for customers’ treks may be situated far afield of contact centers and self-service tools. So, we need to ask: how do companies define and deliver service excellence and sales success at every stage of the journey?