Channel your energies into engaging customers

Those 167,000 customers logging on to the RBS mobile app between 7am and 8am are likely to be technology-savvy, and receptive to an email message from their financial services provider. They may be less likely to spend their valuable time reading printed literature posted to them, however attractively designed it may be.

Equally, emails may sit unopened in the inbox of a customer who only goes online once or twice a week.

The key to effective customer communication lies in choosing the most appropriate channel to get your message across. One size most certainly does not fit all, and as people’s attention spans become increasingly short, the importance of sending the right message at the right time is paramount.

You would be unlikely to choose to communicate with a long-standing customer in the same tone that you would a new client, or to speak to millennials using the same media channel as retirees.

Young people in particular are likely to respond to multi-channel platforms and engaging content when seeking financial advice. Older people, on the other hand, may prefer printed literature that they can read and digest at their leisure.

When an organisation can pinpoint the most suitable action for each of its customers, it is able to communicate in the most effective way, maximising the potential value of the customer base.

Channel crossing

Intelligent use of data and email deployment tools can offer an important insight into when people open and engage with emails, in order to pinpoint the time of day future messages are most likely to be read.

Specialist communications providers combine such technology with years of expertise to enable businesses to interact with their customers in the most meaningful and effective manner, whether through a single channel or a tailored mixture of mail, email or SMS messages.

However, even if your organisation is ‘mobile first’, it is important not to rule out direct mail as a method of communication. Research by the Royal Mail shows that the average household will keep a piece of printed direct mail for 17 days, compared with a digital message that may be seen once, or even ignored completely.

A personalised, engaging communication delivered directly to the customer can have a great impact, while options exist to take the message from mail to mobile with the use of QR codes or NFC (contactless near field communications).

The use of customer insight is a vital element in understanding consumers, identifying their desired channels of communication. Leading communications providers harness such innovations to enable organisations to reach out to their customers in an engaging and relevant way, making the best use of and maximising the impact of each message.

Tales of the unexpected

The benefits of effective customer communication channels are underlined when the unpredictable happens. Whether linked to economic, political, legal or technological factors –Brexit, for instance, the 2008 financial crisis or when interest rates suddenly rise or fall – there are times when businesses need to communicate swiftly with their customers in order to reassure and inform them. Even extreme weather can have a direct or indirect effect on customers and their supporting organisations.

At the very least, such occurrences cause stress and concern; at worst, they can fundamentally affect people’s expected outcomes. The requirement for information is clear, so that it is possible to make the unpredictable more predictable, and to deliver a smooth customer journey.

It is vital that organisations have a clear strategy on how they will contact customers when an unexpected event occurs and communicate relevant information as quickly as possible. This requires a thorough understanding of the customer base in order to define the desired outcomes at each stage. Knowing the most appropriate action to take for customers allows companies to construct the most effective customer experience.

Often, a tight timeline may force consumers to react, and to make a decision they will need to access relevant information as soon as possible. The right information will outline people’s options and reassure them and must be delivered in a timely fashion and through the desired channel to give people time to react.

It is possible, however, to turn an unexpected event into an opportunity to retain and even grow your customer base. Having a tried and tested model in place ensures effective planning and execution even when unplanned events occur. A proven communications strategy leads to positive outcomes for customers and enhances a business’s reputation for being ‘on the ball’, reliable and efficient, with consumers not only remaining loyal but also becoming advocates.

Experts like Paragon Customer Communications can help organisations to plan and execute a coherent communications strategy for customers. The company sends more than four million messages every day on behalf of clients, be they digital, secure documents or direct mail, offering clients and their customers reassurance in the event of an unexpected event, through precise communication and delivery.

One thing to bear in mind is the imminent introduction in May of the General Data Protection Regulation. It has never been more pertinent for an organisation to ensure that the data it holds is accurate and secure; to comply with the regulation, businesses must secure the correct permissions and preferences from their clients. Leading communications experts will be able to guide businesses and ensure complete compliance.

Businesses need to deliver communications that are adapted to customers’ preferences and actions. Expert providers are able to plan, create and deliver tailored messages via the right channel, at the right time.