THE QUESTION
How can a market leader
gain ground in an under-performing segment?
THE PROJECT
Background: Almost all companies have some sort of customer support program. Phone calls, online chat, email, etc. are all ways for customers to contact a company when they have issues ranging from tech support to billing questions. Once those support programs grow beyond a certain size, companies need a way to efficiently manage that traffic, direct calls to the appropriate departments, track status on issues, etc. The Client (confidential) is one of a variety of companies offering software and technology solutions to help call centers, or customer support departments function effectively.
While the client is a market leader with large companies (1000+ seats across numerous call center locations), their market share with mid-size companies was significantly under target. Their solution was a great fit for these companies, but for some reason they simply weren’t being considered as a serious option. We interviewed 20 call center managers and executives with current or previous experience within a “mid-size” call center about their role, their challenges, their understanding of the customer service technology market and how they make decisions to purchase.
THE FINDINGS
INSIGHT 1:
Managers need tools to help day-to-day, not big picture strategy.
Due to the smaller size of their departments the managers responsible for software decisions were also the ones managing the day-to-day struggles. While the Client’s promise of a “holistic customer experience solution” resonated with large companies, it fell flat with smaller ones simply looking for help with staying afloat, not charting a new course.
Recommendation: Highlight how the software will help with day-to-day challenges: scheduling, basic reporting, simplified billing experience, staff productivity monitoring, etc.
INSIGHT 2:
Their days are already full, don’t make installation another to-do.
Call Center Managers often wear multiple hats and are responsible for everything including tech selection/implementation, worker scheduling, and QA improvements. They don’t have time for solutions that have complicated installation and training requirements.
Recommendation: To even be initially considered, a new solution must help a manager save time, not add more to their to-do list. Highlight how quickly they’ll be up and running after purchase—with no advanced IT skills necessary.
INSIGHT 3:
They’re probably adding on, not starting over. Play well with others.
If they felt new technology might be worth adopting, smaller call centers were looking to update pieces of their system one at a time, not overhauling the entire system. The ability of integrating with their existing technology was a major deciding factor in choosing a vendor
Recommendation: Communicate all their existing software (Salesforce, etc.) we can easily integrate with or add on top of to reassure customers that it doesn’t have to be a huge overall from top to bottom.
THE DELIVERABLE
All the findings from the research were synthesized into a final report that was presented to variety of marketing executives at the Client. The report included clear recommendations that the marketing team could immediately being implementing to start winning more business. As well as the insights above, the report included:
Technology and operational trends within mid-market companies
Current perception of the Client’s Brand
Perceived differences between the variety of competitors and offerings
The role of consultants (IT companies who help call centers pick a technology solution)
Specific desires within core functionalities
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