During the last two decades the way people and companies communicate have significantly changed. Some of the existing communication channels are adapted to new layers. Other communication channels such as Electronic-Mail (E-Mail), Web Chat, or Social Media are new and additional. At the same time our communication behavior changed through the today´s broad range of diverse communication channels. The so called generation of “Digital Natives” read blocks rather than newspapers, they often meet each other online before the meet in person and they are more likely to send an Instant Message (IM) than to pick up the telephone. Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) have progressed dramatically and entered every part of life. It is hard to imagine our society today without mobile phones, computers and the Internet.
The industry of Information and Communication Technologies has become one of the most dynamic economic sectors and its importance continues to increase. The ICT sector has a high potential for growth, thus offering many opportunities to both the economy and the population. For Germany as a high-tech location, Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) plays a substantial role. Smart networking through modern ICT in traditional sectors, such as energy, transport, health, education, leisure, tourism and administration, affords new opportunities but also poses new challenges, especially in data protection. The Internet has changed from a source of information to a platform for all kind of interactions. Customers are able to get product-information from the manufacturer, but also the experiences and opinions from other customers. This interactive exchange has an impact on the attitude and the buying decision of other customers within the network.
The intention of this paper is to give an overview about the current state of of the communication channels between enterprises and their customers. Furthermore it will give a general overview about the field of Customer Experience (CE) and the method of Customer Experience Management (CEM).
Table of Contents
1 Introduction
2 Theoretical Foundations
2.1 Asynchronous and Synchronous Communication
2.2 Business Intelligence
2.3 Convergence
2.4 Customer Interactions
2.5 Customer Relationship Management (CRM) Systems
2.6 Digital Natives
2.7 Information and Communication Technologies (ICT)
2.8 Social Media
2.8.1 Social Media Overview
2.8.2 Example 1: Benefits of Social Media for a Bank
2.8.3 Example 2: Integration of Social Media and Enterprise Workflow Systems
3 Unified Communications and Collaboration
3.1 Definition of UCC
3.2 Benefits of UCC
3.3 Elements of Unified Communications and Collaboration
3.3.1 Application or Desktop Sharing
3.3.2 Calendar
3.3.3 Co-Browsing
3.3.4 Conferencing Audio/Video
3.3.5 Computer-Mediated Communication (CMC)
3.3.6 Document Management
3.3.7 Email
3.3.8 Fax
3.3.9 Fixed Mobil Conversion (FMC)
3.3.10 Instant Messages (IM)
3.3.11 Presence
3.3.12 Really Simple Syndication (RSS)
3.3.13 Short Message Service (SMS)
3.3.14 Video
3.3.15 Web 2.0
3.3.16 Web Call Back
3.3.17 Web-Chat
3.4 UCC Key Modules – Effort and Potential
3.5 Barriers to progress with UCC
4 Customer Experience
4.1 Dimensions of Customer Experience
4.2 Service Experience
4.3 Design of the Customer Encounters
4.4 Decline of Customer Experience through the refusal of communication
5 Case study: „Telekom hilft”
5.1 Initial Situation
5.1.1 Telekom’s Corporate Strategy
5.1.2 Telekom’s Brand Strategy
5.1.3 Telekom’s Corporate Values
5.2 Objectives for the „Telekom hilft” project
5.3 Execution of the Project
5.3.1 Transformation of the Brand-Values
5.3.2 IT-Infrastructure
5.3.3 Processes
5.3.4 Milestones and associated Projects for „Telekom hilft“
5.4 The new Points-of-Customer-Contact
5.4.1 „Telekom hilft” – Twitter Channel
5.4.2 „Telekom hilft” – Facebook Service Channel
5.4.3 „Telekom hilft” – Service Notizen Blog
5.4.4 „Telekom hilft” – Facebook Service Videos
5.4.5 Telekom at Foursquare
5.4.6 e-Etiquette
5.5 Project Resume and Outlook of „Telekom hilft“
6 Resume, Future Outlook and Critical Appraisal
Research Objectives and Core Themes
This paper examines the modern landscape of enterprise-customer communication, specifically focusing on how Unified Communications and Collaboration (UCC) technologies can consolidate diverse interaction channels into a single, efficient environment to improve employee performance and customer service. It further explores Customer Experience (CE) and Customer Experience Management (CEM), addressing the negative impact of communication refusal by companies and illustrating best practices through the "Telekom hilft" case study.
- Methodology of UCC for reducing organizational complexity.
- Dimensions and management strategies of Customer Experience.
- Impact of interactive communication versus channel refusal.
- Implementation of social media as a viable corporate service channel.
- Practical integration of social media into enterprise CRM workflows.
Excerpt from the Book
Decline of Customer Experience through the refusal of communication
The satisfaction of the customer had always been the center of all marketing thoughts. To generate customer satisfaction, the customers need to be implied a total experience that meets their expectations at least. Although the importance of the individual and interactive communication with the customer - companies start to deny the communication with their customers. A lot of companies shift their budgets from classic media to interactive media to create as much awareness as possible. Through the adoption of new communication channels such as E-Mail, SMS, or Social Media the companies start to communicate with their customers in an interactive way. The customer is given the impression that he can communicate with the company any time and on any desired way. Although more and more customers expect this type of communication, companies act surprisingly exactly the opposite. They deny the communication expected by their customers in several ways. Do-not-reply-E-Mails (DNR-E-Mails) are one example of this behavior. DNR-E-Mails could not be answered by the customer because the inbox of those mail-addresses are not monitored. This kind of E-Mail is often used as order confirmations for example.
The reasons to use DNR-E-Mails are economic considerations, because the monitoring of this mail boxes is expensive.
Accordingly to the Kano-model the option to answer an E-Mail is a basic requirement. A non-fulfillment of this requirement leads to dissatisfaction for the customer.
Each interpersonal communication includes plenty messages on different layers. Such as a factual layer or the relationship layer.
Summary of Chapters
1 Introduction: Provides an overview of the shifting landscape in communication technology and the rising importance of the ICT sector for modern enterprise.
2 Theoretical Foundations: Explains key concepts including synchronous vs. asynchronous communication, business intelligence, customer interactions, CRM systems, and the role of social media in business.
3 Unified Communications and Collaboration: Details the definition, benefits, and specific technological elements of UCC, alongside the effort/potential of key modules and existing barriers to progress.
4 Customer Experience: Analyzes the dimensions of CE, the process of CEM, the significance of service encounters, and the negative consequences of communication refusal.
5 Case study: „Telekom hilft”: Demonstrates the practical application of new communication channels and branding strategies within the Deutsche Telekom organization.
6 Resume, Future Outlook and Critical Appraisal: Concludes the paper by summarizing the strategic value of unified communication environments and providing an outlook on future trends in customer service.
Keywords
Unified Communications, Collaboration, UCC, Customer Experience, CEM, Social Media, CRM, Telecommunication, ICT, Customer Interaction, Service Excellence, Digital Natives, Business Intelligence, Enterprise Workflow, Communication Channels
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the primary focus of this work?
The paper focuses on the state of communication channels between enterprises and customers, specifically how UCC methodology can integrate these channels into a single, cohesive environment to reduce employee complexity.
What are the central thematic fields covered?
The core themes include Unified Communications and Collaboration (UCC), Customer Experience (CE) Management, and the strategic implementation of social media as a business interaction channel.
What is the primary research goal?
The goal is to demonstrate how organizations can create a competitive advantage by adopting new, interactive communication channels and utilizing UCC to streamline internal processes and improve the overall customer experience.
Which scientific methods are employed?
The paper utilizes a literature review of current communication theories, an analysis of business intelligence applications, and a descriptive case study of the "Telekom hilft" project to provide a practical evaluation.
What does the main body of the work cover?
It covers theoretical foundations, detailed elements of UCC, the management of customer experiences, and an in-depth practical case study of Deutsche Telekom's initiatives to integrate social media into service workflows.
What are the defining keywords of this paper?
Key terms include Unified Communications, Collaboration, Customer Experience Management (CEM), Social Media, Customer Interaction, and CRM.
How does the author view the "Do-not-reply" (DNR) email phenomenon?
The author views DNR emails as a negative trend that lowers perceived interactivity and customer satisfaction, often contradicting the promise of modern, interactive communication provided by social media adoption.
What does the "Telekom hilft" case study reveal about corporate social media use?
It reveals that a successful implementation requires a clear alignment with corporate values, training of staff for crisis management (e.g., "shit-storms"), and the systematic activation of loyal customers as peer-supporters.
- Quote paper
- Roger Otto (Author), 2013, Unified Communications and Collaboration as a Key to Ameliorate the Customer Service Experience, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/232843
