Managing Customers

Customer Contact Points

Another problem is that customers may interact with organizations at different contact points.  A contact point is the method a customer uses to communicate with a company.  For instance, consider the different ways customers may interact with an organization:

• In-Person – Customers seek in-person assistance for their needs by visiting retail stores and other outlets, and also through discussion with company salespeople who visit customers at their place of business or in their home.
• Telephone – Customers seeking to make purchases or have a problem solved may find it more convenient to do so through phone contact.  In many companies a dedicated department called a call center handles all incoming customer inquiries. 
• Internet – The fastest growing contact point is through the Internet.  The use of the Internet for purchasing (called electronic commerce) has exploded and is now the leading method for purchasing certain types of products including music.  The Internet is also a key area where customers look for help with their purchases.
• Kiosks – A kiosk is a standalone, interactive computer, often equipped with a touch-screen, that offers customers several service options including product information, ability to make a purchase, and review of a customer’s account.  Kiosks are now widely used for airline check-in, retail job applications, and banking.
• In-Person Product Support – Some in-person assistance is not principally intended to assist with selling but is designed to offer support once a purchase is made.  Such services are handled by delivery people and service/repair technicians.
• Financial Assistance – Customer contact may also occur through company personnel who assist customers with financial issues.  For instance, credit personnel help customers arrange the necessary funds to make a purchase while personnel in accounts receivable work with customers who are experiencing payment problems.

The challenge of insuring that customers are handled properly no matter the contact point they use is daunting for many companies.  For some organizations the customer contact points cited above operate independently of others.  For instance, retail stores may not be directly connected to telephone customer service.  The result is that for different contact points many companies have developed different procedures and techniques for handling customers.  And for some firms there exists little integration between the contact points so customers communicating through one point one day and another point the next day may receive conflicting information.  In such cases customers are likely to become frustrated and question the company’s ability to service its customers.