Yes, consumers today have more power than ever before. A dramatic increase in publicly available information and communication channels has gradually shifted the power from businesses to customers and has inverted the dynamic between the two. This wave of the power shift was triggered with the onset of Web 2.0 – the transformation of the Internet from an information source to a collaborative public forum. This shift is fundamentally changing the way consumers choose with which companies they do business. The unprecedented ability for consumers to reach out to other consumers, combined with the staying power of their self-published messages, gives them a forum in which they can share thoughts and ideas about the companies they love, and those they love to hate. Clearly, it is here to stay and companies must either embrace it or endure the consequences.
As the front-line touch point for customer-company interactions, the contact center can enable a company to become known for exceeding consumers’ expectations, while generating customer and brand loyalty, and increasing financial performance. Businesses that accept this new age of consumer empowerment must revisit existing customer strategies to ensure business processes are aligned to deliver optimum results. This includes assessing segmentation strategies, service delivery, interaction channels and technology while continually refining those based on customer and market feedback. Companies that choose to reconnect with the consumer by listening to and responding to their powerful voice will be poised for success in this new age
