Customers First magazine - Issue 4

Customers First Issue 4

Global insights on strategy & innovation

Better together: How a new partnership is redefining the customer experience for global brands | P.7

At war with the status quo Discover Nest Labs’ unique approach to customer service | P.13

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TELUS International

Jeffrey Puritt, TELUS International president and CEO, and Dan Kiely, Voxpro co-founder and CEO

The perfect duo to support your

Contents 4

6

7

9

Does big data always mean big benefits for customers?

11

Why Millennials prefer banking with

blitzscaling customer growth!

non-financial brands

tech and other marketplace disruptors that we serve today and hope to serve in the future. Through the lens of customer experience excellence, learn how technology brands are managing

Data is the foundation of modern inno-

How fast-growing tech companies are

When it comes to truly great partner-

porting the blitzscaling growth of

customer data, launching omnichan-

vation but whether it always makes the

using customer service to attract and

ships, you can’t really think of one

marketplace disruptors. At TELUS Inter-

nel support, retaining Millennials, and

world better is up for debate.

retain Gen Y customers.

without the other. Batman and _______,

national, we couldn’t be more excited

importantly, ensuring that high-tech

Abbott and ________, peanut butter

to build upon this mission, bringing our

always remains high-touch.

At war with the status quo: Nest

and ________ - you get the point! While

own expertise around omnichannel,

Whether transitioning from start-

Labs’ unique approach to customer

each may be good on its own, they are

cloud contact center, analytics, and

up to scale-up, or from established

premium customer experiences

service

much more impactful when paired. And

more to support growing customer care

brand to new product expansion, we’re

Irish charm isn’t the only reason Ireland

Nest’s customer support lead reveals

that’s how we feel about our newest

programs.

here to keep the customer experience

is such an attractive location.

the company’s mission for CX.

partnership with Voxpro – a unique pro-

In this issue of Customers First mag-

front and center during times of rap-

vider of beautiful customer experiences.

azine, I invite you to get to know Voxpro

id growth. Like our partnerships with

On August 16, 2017, we welcomed

a little bit better, including its captivat-

Google Cloud and Airbnb, among

experience – new research

Voxpro, and their 2,700 “Voxpronians,”

ing CEO and co-founder (and now my

others, we look forward to meeting your

services industry

A practical guide to successful omni-

to the global TELUS International family.

friend), Dan Kiely. His entrepreneurial

customer experience needs – and con-

Interview with TELUS International’s

channel execution, created in partner-

Now operating as “Voxpro – powered

spirit and relentless desire to redefine

tributing to your own blitzscaling growth

Jeffrey Puritt and Voxpro’s Dan Kiely.

ship with Everest Group.

by TELUS International,” the Ireland

and disrupt the outsourcing industry

in any way we can.

headquartered company brings a

through serving the customer expe-

Cryptocurrency exchanges: The

dynamic track record supporting the

rience needs of fast-growing brands

new outsourcing El Dorado

world’s innovators and disruptive tech-

makes Voxpro the ideal customer

Discover how player support is evolv-

How outsourcing can help meet the

nology companies, helping them evolve

service partner. Learn more in our joint

Jeffrey Puritt

ing to meet new standards set by the

growing customer service demands of

and scale into some of today’s most

interview on page 7.

President and CEO

industry.

cyrptocurrency users.

renowned global brands.

Why the Emerald Isle is the goto destination for outsourcing

How a new global partnership aims to redefine and disrupt the business

How to adapt gaming customer service to modern tech disruptions

13

16

18

Delivering omnichannel customer

As Voxpro says, it’s all about sup-

To celebrate our new partnership,

Enjoy the magazine!

TELUS International

this issue is dedicated to fast-growing Customers First | 3

Noteworthy

TELUS International

Does big data always mean big benefits for customers?

and quantifiable can lead to massive

When Amazon first opened its digital

monetary losses; a large-scale data

doors in 1995, it appeared to be a

breach can cause a loss of customer

humble online bookseller. Behind the

trust from which even the most beloved

scenes, however, it was one of the first

brand may never recover.

blind spots for businesses. When hackers take advantage of these blind spots, the costs can be staggering. In 2017, a U.S. judge ruled Yahoo would face litigation brought on behalf of a billion users following a series of breaches between 2013–2016. And that’s just

companies to successfully leverage the internet as a conduit for valuable be-

Losing sight of the customer

havioral statistics. Customer purchases

Fundamentally, big data has the ability

and searches were tracked in order to

to disrupt industries, but an over-reli-

point users to products they might like

According to Dimension Data’s 2017

ever, personalization and intuition don’t

When big data goes bust

ance on it can cause companies to lose

to buy next, while geographic data was

Global Contact Center Benchmark-

hold a candle to convenience. The pace

used to cut down shipping time.

ing Report, customer analytics is the

at which people work, eat, shop and

As big data gets bigger, companies

Considerable losses come in the form

too high-level to give an accurate por-

number one factor that will improve the

socialize demands that any modern

have the potential to uncover intimate

of executives making unprofitable deci-

trayal of what drives people to make the

work out of running an e-business,

customer journey in the next five years.

customer experience be as efficient as

details of consumers’ lives. For in-

sions based on bad data, time wasted

choices they do. Or, as Loomba says,

Amazon transformed itself into the

And as the report explains: “The impor-

humanly (or mechanically) possible. The

stance, Target has long collected data

correcting flawed data or IT teams

“The data doesn’t tell you why. It’s just

industry-disrupting juggernaut it is

tance of understanding and harnessing

food service industry, in particular, offers

on every person who walks through its

using all their bandwidth integrating

numbers. You add the why.”

today. For this and many other modern

(mass) data is now critical to perfor-

fertile ground for data-driven disrup-

doors. The retailer used this data to fig-

incompatible data systems. On top of

Poring over massive dumps of

innovations, data is now the founda-

mance... [it’s] analyze or die.”

tions.

ure out when someone is more likely to

that, when a business invests time and

information can enable powerful de-

try a new brand of cereal (after a move)

money into collecting, cleaning and

cision-making, but using small data

By using big data to take the guess-

tion and the driving force — allowing

Software for analyzing restaurant

sight of the customer. The data is often

companies to become more personal-

Big data in action

inventory, accounting, scheduling

or coffee (after getting married). They

analyzing data, its stakeholders expect

— monitoring individual preferences or

ized, efficient and agile in response to

While some industries have been hesi-

and customer behavior has existed

also figured out how to tell if someone

to find valuable insights — even when

small-scale customer behaviors — can

popular demand.

tant to pursue new data-driven product

for nearly 20 years, but more recent

is pregnant. In the early 2000s, Target

they aren’t there — if only to justify their

provide little clues that may reveal large

and service opportunities, fashion and

restaurant-management platforms, like

used their “pregnancy-prediction mod-

efforts.

trends. These clues sometimes rely on

beauty retailers, like Sephora, are using

Upserve, are using that data to improve

el” to send coupons to newly pregnant

data to delight shoppers in innovative

the dining experience. Its Server Score-

ways.

The transformative power of data Data is completely disrupting business, says Jim Carey, a data strategy

Aman Loomba, lead product man-

conversation and empathy to reveal

women. But such insights are not al-

ager at GameChanger, a sports scoring

human-centered insights that, when

card feature, for example, ranks servers

ways welcome, as Target learned when

app owned by Dick’s Sporting Goods,

pieced together, can provide a more

across multiple attributes and assigns

it accidentally outed a pregnant teen to

deals in data every day. He believes that

nuanced picture of what people want

her father.

an over-reliance on it can lead to an ab-

and what they value.

consultant and professor of integrated

For years, the Sephora Innovation

marketing communications at North-

Lab has collected user data via touch-

them to the tables where they can best

western University. “Look at what Uber

points like its Beauty Insider loyalty

provide a balance of speed and friendly

has done to the taxi industry. Look at

program. By learning attributes like

service.

how Nest has legitimized home auto-

age, skin tone/type and preferred price

mation. It’s all because they knew how

point, Sephora is able to offer custom-

to turn data into customer happiness,” says Carey.

4 | Customers First

dication of decision-making responsibili-

In the end, a balanced approach

Over-reliance on data

ty. “At the end of the day, the reason we

between big and small data leaves

Big data is successful because it casts

[rely on data] is because people don’t

room for empathy and common sense,

world and when used effectively, it can

a wide net, but that’s also why it can

trust themselves to make decisions,”

which together form the foundation

ers a more personalized experience. In

drive innovations that make life easier

backfire. IBM estimates that bad data

Loomba says.

for building customer trust, loyalty and

the hierarchy of consumer needs, how-

for the average consumer.

costs the U.S. $3.1 trillion per year.

Big data is shaping our modern

This fixation on what is measurable

satisfaction.

Customers First | 5

On the road

TELUS International

Why the Emerald Isle is the go-to destination for outsourcing premium customer experience Irish people are known to be blessed with “the gift of the gab,” but Irish charm is far from the only reason Ireland is such an attractive destination for international companies looking to outsource their customer service operations. Here are the top

How a new global partnership aims to redefine and disrupt the business services industry

three reasons why the world’s premier tech companies choose Ireland as an outsourcing destination.

A unique position within the EU Ireland is the only English speaking country within the Eurozone, making it an attractive destination for companies moving into Europe. Working within a Eurozone member state also ensures that companies are not exposed to

In August 2017, TELUS International announced its acquisition of

personal level, it’s his likeability factor.

currency fluctuations when trading in

Voxpro, an Ireland-based provider of beautiful customer experiences

He’s all about putting other people first.

the Eurosystem.

to some of the world’s most disruptive technology brands.

As TELUS International President and CEO, Jeffrey Puritt (JP), and Voxpro

How are TELUS International and

Highly educated and diversified

co-founder and CEO, Dan Kiely (DK) share in our interview, both sides bring a lot

Voxpro stronger together?

workforce

of CX know-how to the partnership – including a desire to meet the needs of mar-

JP: Historically, Voxpro’s focus has

Thanks to Ireland’s free education

ketplace disruptors like no other service provider around.

been start-up tech companies looking

system, the country boasts a talented

for a partner that can support growth

pool of highly qualified workers. With

Who approached who about a part-

say it’s almost like looking in the mirror

while remaining focused on the cus-

the ability for European citizens to move

nership? Was it love at first sight?

in a business sense.

tomer experience. What TELUS Inter-

freely within the EU to live and work,

JP: We’ve had our eye on Voxpro

Ireland has also developed a diverse,

for several years. Their fun corporate

What do you admire most about

experience supporting a more mature,

multinational workforce.

culture, top-tier clients and charismatic

one another?

developed customer that has stabilized

leaders aligned closely to what makes

JP: It would have to be Dan’s entrepre-

their growth trajectory. These custom-

An internationally recognized tech

TELUS International a unique customer

neurial spirit and the fact that he never

ers are now looking for a larger foot-

hub

experience provider. This made Dan

loses sight of the people around him.

print, additional languages, and a next

Ireland has become world-renowned for

and his Voxpro team such a good

Voxpro started in 2002 as a six-person

generation solution set like automation,

being a center of technology excel-

catch. And besides, it’s hard not to fall

team above a pub in Cork, Ireland and

analytics, omnichannel, cloud and IT

lence. Dublin, Cork and beyond have

in love with everything Irish, including

today is an award-winning customer

support. With Voxpro’s entrepreneurial

attracted some of the world’s top tech

Dan’s co-founder and wife, Linda, in

experience provider with 2,700 team

spirit and our global expertise, we are

companies, including Google, Face-

particular!

members, thanks to his and Linda’s

well positioned to address all stages of

book, Airbnb, Dell, EMC and Apple for

DK: For me, it was definitely a case of

leadership.

growth.

their European headquarters. Hosting

love at first sight – I had never come

DK: Jeff is relentless in the pursuit of his

DK: TELUS International and Voxpro

these tech giants has resulted in a richly

across another company that shares

goals. What he has achieved over the

are an unbeatable combination. We’re

innovative and dynamic tech scene in

the importance of culture, the team and

last 10 years with TELUS International

bringing something unique to the mar-

the country.

our people as much as we do. I would

is absolutely astonishing. On a more

ketplace that hasn’t been seen before.

6 | Customers First

national brings to the partnership is the

Customers First | 7

Interview

TELUS International suffer. I hear time

scale.’ Simply speaking, I think the key

and time again

elements to support this type of growth

that our corporate

are having a global mindset, always fo-

culture and level

cusing not on where you are, but where

of team member

you’re heading, and getting fast access

engagement is

to the right people.

like no other BPO.

This means our

What’s the key to success?

clients benefit

JP: Both Voxpro and TELUS Interna-

For me, beautiful customer experience

from extremely inspired and tenured

tional recognize the critical importance

is at the forefront of redefining and rein-

team members empowered to own

of delivering exceptional employee

venting the customer experience mod-

the customer experience, who are truly

experiences as a precursor to delivering

el. And, while we enhance the customer

brand ambassadors for their products

beautiful customer experiences. The

experience, we’ll be offering fantastic

and services.

only way we can really be successful

opportunities for our own people to

DK: Our partners view us as an exten-

and deliver value to our clients is by

develop globally.

sion of their own business. A company

having the most engaged employees

should never lose that start-up and

– team members that want to live our

Do you have a favorite client?

scaling mentality, and because of this,

brand and culture and, by extension,

JP: That’s a lot like asking who my

our partners see us as being extreme-

the brand and culture of our clients and

favorite child is (shhh, it’s my daughter

ly agile, where we have the ability to

their customers every day. Success

Alexa!). While I won’t name clients, I

anticipate their needs and the needs

starts with culture and engagement –

will say that, based on past experi-

of their customers. I think they see our

the other results like low attrition and

ence, we’ve decided we’re much less

ability to mirror their cultures as unique

high CSAT follow.

interested in supporting transactional

in the industry. They also think we’re su-

relationships. While companies can

per-smart, super-nice and super-stylish!

How many emails are in your inbox right now?

definitely derive cost and operational

How to adapt gaming customer service to modern tech disruptions

industry’s approach to player support, and what gaming companies can do to keep pace.

Mobile player support isn’t onesize-fits-all While the gaming console isn’t dead,

efficiencies with us, we’re more focused

What’s the secret to supporting

JP: An awful lot. However, I never want

on the customer and brand experience,

blitzscaling growth? (and what does

to discourage our team members or cli-

We’ve come a long way from Pong of

Between streaming services, mobile

and how TELUS International can add

that mean?)

ents from reaching out. So please keep

the 70s. No longer tethered to a con-

devices, graphic innovations and virtual

ing landscape becomes more and more

value to business partnerships. (I know

DK: Once you hit on a product or ser-

them coming!

sole and controller, the gaming industry

reality (VR), new technology is improving

competitive, smart games companies

Dan won’t go near this question. It’s like

vice that the market wants, other peo-

is growing by leaps and bounds. Last

the quality and accessibility of games,

can enhance the value of their brand

asking him to pick his favorite Irish pub!)

ple see this and competitors start lining

What’s the best part about being

year, mobile gaming alone generated 37

while innovating the gaming experience

through better service. “Think about

up to try to eat your lunch. If you don’t

Irish?

percent of all video game revenue, ac-

itself. Whether it’s offering in-app mobile

all the different entertainment uses of

What would clients say about

scale fast enough, you lose the lead

DK: Our strong sense of community

cording to Mediakix. Meanwhile, digital

assistance, or player support within a

a mobile device. Games have a ton of

working with TELUS International /

and somebody else gets to enjoy the

and our famous “Céad Míle Fáilte” –

distributor Steam says it attracts any-

VR environment, gaming companies are

competition for eyeballs,” says Jerry

Voxpro?

spoils of your unique idea. LinkedIn and

which literally means a hundred thou-

where from eight to 13 million gamers

seeking ways to adjust to these new

Leisure, the senior director of player

JP: Our industry has been slow to

PayPal co-founder Reid Hoffman calls

sand welcomes in our native language.

per day. Add to that the more than 100

innovations and expectations, shifting

experience at mobile-game develop-

realize that surrounding employees

this type of growth ‘blitzscaling’ - ‘the

The Irish really look after one another,

million unique users that log onto live

their approach to customer service and

er Kabam. “You want yours to stand

with the finest tools and technologies

science and art of rapidly building out a

and this helps to open doors for us

streaming platform Twitch, and it’s easy

the user experience.

out as the number-one entertainment

is great, but if engagement is low and

company to serve a large market, with

doing business, especially in the

to see that the gaming industry is in the

attrition is high, customer service will

the goal of becoming the first mover at

U.S.

midst of a new golden age.

8 | Customers First

mobile gaming has experienced a huge

Here are some of the most significant trends currently disrupting the gaming

surge in adoption. As the mobile gam-

option on people’s phones, and service can be part of that differentiation.”

Customers First | 9

Industry focus

TELUS International

Service impact of streaming and virtual reality Gamers have been posting tutorials and troubleshooting tips on YouTube and forums for years, making self-support one of the leading customer service channels. Twitch — a live-streaming video platform on which some of the best players livestream gameplay and tutorials — has capitalized on this to build its huge user base.

Leisure explains that service per-

scription isn’t as big of an investment

The next step in the revolution will

sonalization is the best approach when

as a console,” says Custy. “But, if I’m

require gaming companies to integrate

it comes to mobile — and especially

paying for it and it’s underperforming to

tutorials and self-service into the games

freemium — gaming. Players spend

my expectations, retention is going to

themselves, especially as virtual- and

varying amounts of time and money

be difficult.”

augmented-reality (VR/AR) gaming

on their favorite games, and some only play occasionally. “Being able to

To combat low switching costs,

different player persona — and what will help keep each one engaged with the game — I think is the real secret sauce. It’s one of the key disruption points in the

The number-one reason why players leave a game is because they didn’t feel their issue was properly resolved.

transition from console to mobile gaming,” Leisure says.

with non-financial brands

of all kinds. PayPal has already revolutionized the way we pay for goods and services, and industry analysts have predicted that Amazon is “the tech giant most likely to become a dominant

gains popularity. Headsets like the Oculus Rift make gaming a completely im-

Carly Olsten doesn’t have a natural af-

big tech companies is that they simplify

player” in the emerging financial tech-

leverage big data to

mersive experience; players won’t want

finity for traditional banks. The 23-year-

their language. I guess a bank could

nology (fintech) space. So where does

increase player retention.

to take the headset off to troubleshoot

old digital strategist was taught while

recruit me as a customer by putting the

that leave banks and other financial

“All our internal player data

the game. That means game-makers

growing up in small-town Massachu-

banking jargon into more recognized

firms hoping to connect with the covet-

is integrated with sup-

will be forced to think about ways to

setts to be “savvy and skeptical” of big

terms,” says Suggett.

ed Millennial audience?

port tools,” he says. “Our

offer virtual, in-game support in an

financial institutions by her parents, who

agents can tell at any given

immersive 3D environment.

favored the personalized service they

on traditional banks and fast-growing

Gaining a generation’s trust

got from their local credit union.

tech companies aren’t unique. A report

According to Mike Brown, an analyst

from Scratch, a creative-consulting

with student loan marketplace LendE-

Leisure says games companies should

identify what will help each

Why Millennials prefer banking

time where the player has

Custy says this will likely lead to

progressed in the game,

more exciting ways of educating play-

Now, Olsten believes that traditional

Olsten and Suggett’s perspectives

how many posts they have in our

ers. Instead of watching a YouTube

banks are “tired and slow,” and don’t

team operating within media company

DU, history is to blame for Millennials’

community, and what support tickets

video, calling support or browsing

offer convenient hours of operation. “If

Viacom, revealed that 71 percent of

widespread wariness of banks. “It’s all

The pressure is on for gaming-as-a-

they’ve submitted. Front-line agents

FAQs, gamers could potentially tap into

I’m being totally honest, they’re usually

Millennial consumers would rather go

rooted in the financial crisis of 2007 and

service

can then take a 360 view of the player,

an in-game and interactive AI-powered

staffed with older people that I have a

to the dentist than listen to a message

2008. For younger Millennials who were

Brick-and-mortar video game retailers

and think about how to retain them,”

virtual assistant, he says.

hard time relating to,” she says.

from a bank.

growing up during that time, it left a bad

may soon become a thing of the past.

Leisure says.

As platforms like X-Box shift away from

New technologies like these can be

Meanwhile, Clara Suggett, a 23-year-

For traditional financial institutions,

taste in their mouths.”

Based on Kabam’s analysis, Leisure

overwhelming to both game-makers

old student and ski instructor in British

that’s a sobering thought, made even

In order to gain this generation’s

selling games via physical stores and

says the number-one reason why play-

and players, and it’s unlikely that the

Columbia, Canada, admits that, al-

more unsettling by another data point

trust, traditional financial services com-

towards offering monthly subscriptions,

ers leave a game is because they didn’t

pace of innovation will slow down any-

though there’s “something solid” about

from the study: A full three-quarters of

panies will have to go head-to-head

more pressure is on service teams to

feel their issue was properly resolved.

time soon. The key to keeping players

traditional banks, she and others her

Millennials would rather get their finan-

with powerful opponents. PayPal and

deliver great support lest people get

“Empowering our agents with data, and

playing, say experts, is continuing to

age are more likely to trust a tech com-

cial services from a tech company like

Amazon have become a part of the

frustrated and cancel, notes John

getting them to focus on retention, has

drive personalization, a goal that games

pany. “I think it’s because we have so

Amazon, PayPal or Google.

daily Millennial experience. By provid-

Custy, a gaming customer service con-

been critical in helping us keep players

companies can pursue no matter what

much interaction with them [on the day-

sultant at JPC Group. “A monthly sub-

playing,” he says.

the next big disruption might be.

to-day],” she says. “A positive about

10 | Customers First

Banking with tech companies is an

ing mobile solutions and services built

increasingly viable option for consumers

around convenience, they make it easy Customers First | 11

Success stories

TELUS International

for consumers to get the goods, con-

age of users who have an intense brand

tent and customer service they need, all

relationship. But that sentiment isn’t

in one place.

necessarily standard across the bank-

The brand-name recognition is also

ing industry.

worth a lot. For every Amazon, there are

At war with the status quo: Nest Labs’ unique approach to customer service

John Moses is head of customer support at Nest Labs, a Google-owned maker of smart thermostats, smoke detectors, security cameras and other security systems - and one of the

20 big banks and 200 fintechs, all com-

Give customers what they want

peting for the same customers. It takes

While tech companies have, as Na-

a truly fantastic product and exceptional

tarelli puts it, “leapfrogged” traditional

joining Nest in 2015, Moses was VP of

customer service to gain traction with

business models, what really speaks to

global customer care for HP’s printing

younger generations, which is why

Millennials is the frictionless customer

and personal systems division, oversee-

tech companies are a threat to banks.

experience tech companies are adept

ing a 14,000-person support team.

“The interests of these companies feels

at providing.

leaders in the Internet of Things (IoT) consumer technology space. Before

Moses takes a strategic “test and

more win-win because they don’t place

There’s no reason why traditional

learn” approach to customer service, a

money as the goal at the forefront like a

banks can’t strive for the same level of

skill he brings from his nearly 15 years

bank would. It’s more ‘let us serve you’

experience. In MBLM’s Brand Intimacy

as a strategy consultant. As part of

in my mind,” says Olsten.

reports, “fulfillment” and “enhancement”

the Voxpro Studios podcast series,

are factors that impact satisfaction and

Patrick Haughey recently spoke to

The value of relevance

loyalty. Fulfillment relates to delivering

Moses about how Nest is trying to bring

Connecting with Millennials requires at

superior service and meeting custom-

warmth, humanness and a sense of

least an honest attempt at recognizing

ers’ expectations, while enhancement

self-sufficiency to customer support,

and embodying their values. Citibank

reflects how smart and capable a com-

while helping users address the inherent

has made inroads with the Gen Y

pany is in the eyes of consumers. Both

complexity and overwhelming feature

audience by identifying what matters

fintech and financial services firms can

choice in today’s IoT-enabled devices.

to them. Its parent company, Citigroup,

build fulfillment and enhancement by

Edited excerpts of that conversation

offers Millennial employees the ability to

offering on-demand customer service

follow.

take a year off work to volunteer — a

ed to brands in the space where they

delivered seamlessly across multiple

perk that’s sure to change the way con-

live most — digital,” says Mario Na-

channels.

sumers view this massive, multinational

tarelli, managing partner with MBLM,

company.

an agency that ranks brands based on

footsteps of Google and, as Suggett

tomer service?

emotional connections, or brand intima-

puts it, “simplify.” Google’s customer

John Moses (JM): I would say that

company Engagement Labs reveals

cy. “If you look at top brands overall for

service page makes use of icons and

Nest is at war with the status quo. We

that Citibank has earned the distinction

Millennials, they’re digital companies.”

drop-down menus to pare down the

want to challenge what people have

process of reaching an agent. “I trust a

been trained to believe about their

A report from consumer-engagement

of being one of the brands that Millenni-

In MBLM’s latest report about the fi-

How would you characterize Nest’s approach to the market and to cus-

Another strategy is to follow in the

al men aged 25 to 39 talk about most,

nancial services industry, PayPal ranked

system that can get the job done quick-

homes and the products that are on

alongside Heineken, FOX Sports and

first, but was followed closely by Chase

ly the first time,” Olsten says.

their walls, like thermostats or smoke

Corona.

and Visa. That’s because Visa has a

Citibank also regularly uses its

large percentage of “fusing customers”

authentic, omnichannel customer

Twitter account to invite consumers

— consumers who feel deeply linked

experience is the only way to reliably

with questions or concerns to get in

to the brand. Chase, meanwhile, had a

connect with Millennial consumers right

touch. Its customer service is visible

strong intimacy quotient score overall,

now - and to build their loyalty into the

and always-on. “Millennials are attract-

meaning it ranks highly in the percent-

future.

12 | Customers First

detectors, and say it doesn’t have to be

In the end, pursuing a streamlined,

that way.

John Moses, head of customer support at Nest Labs, speaking at a recent Voxpro – powered by TELUS International event

When you’re doing things differently and disrupting a traditional industry as Nest has done, what are some of Customers First | 13

Success stories

TELUS International

the main customer challenges you

data and analytics, and then you say

In 10 years time, what will custom-

face?

“what can we do differently?” And you

er support look like, specifically

JM: I think that we’ve introduced cus-

can experiment. You can try things,

around IoT? How different is it

tomers to beautiful products, but what

do a pilot, and you can always change

going to be?

we’ve also done is given people more

back. So we’re doing that all the time

JM: I think customers are still going

choices, more options to configure and

and making it an ongoing experiment

to want products that allow them to

use them in a way that fits their desires,

and a strategic problem-solving story

live a more connected, controlled and

their goals, their lifestyle.

week-over-week.

informed life. These things are going to

Nest products are probably the finest

be very attractive to people. But they

quality, hardest worked products that

How would you characterize the

also present big challenges. What is

you’ll come across. And because we’ve

current state of customer support

the sense of privacy? Who can see the

loaded these things with functionality,

in the tech industry?

data that’s generated, and could it get

I would say that the greatest custom-

JM: Like in most functions, the pres-

hacked? So there’s this huge anxiety

er service challenge - now and in the

sure to manage cost is tremendous,

that comes with it.

future - is feature adoption. This is an

and so you have had the majority of

I don’t think customers will forego

educational challenge. How do I help

A lot of the customer interactions

equation; you’ve got an agent on one

written. We want to bring what we call

companies working very hard to not

the experience because of that, so it’s

people to first adopt a product with a

at Nest start with us helping them with

side and you’ve got the customer on

“Nestiness,” a warmth and humanness

do support. They’re trying to save 10

going to be up to brands and sup-

killer feature, but then get them to learn

one thing, but at the end of every call,

the other. What I’m trying to build is

to the dialog, where we’re not robots,

cents, but they’re losing a

port departments to help

about the other 10 or 20 things they

I insist that we send them an email

some experience between those two

where customers don’t feel like the

dollar. They’re trying to say

reassure people that using

could do with that product?

with some additional information or an

people, and there is no pre-cut way of

conversation is scripted, where they

no to customers or trying

article to say, “Here’s what we showed

doing that. There are certainly funda-

have a sense that we’re being personal

to deflect calls instead of

a smartphone today, most customers

you how to do, and by the way, you

mentals that we want to teach, but

and human.

just opening the floodgates,

are doing five or six things with it, but

could’ve done that yourself, and here’s

we want that customer to feel like that

the device can do much more. Helping

something else that we talked about

agent listened, that they actually built a

Where do you see the most op-

customers on a journey to learning, to

that you might be interested in.” What

personal connection, that there might

portunity in the customer service

non-support that happens

embracing, to trying what that product

we’re doing is basically helping to cre-

have even been some level of humor in

world?

where you didn’t help the

can do, is the position customer sup-

ate self-sufficiency, and that’s some-

the dialog.

JM: They say customer service is the

customer, the customer

port teams should be taking.

thing that customers are very proud of.

new marketing, because people don’t

didn’t get their problems

How do you see the role of social

necessarily listen to what the brand

solved, they might have

I think that when you give someone

taking it in and learning.

I think there’s this cost to

Helping customers on a journey to learning, to embracing, to trying what that product can do, is the position customer support teams should be taking.

John Moses Head of Customer Support, Nest Labs

this capability can also be done in a way that’s private, where they’re respected and in control and that they’re not taking some unnecessary risk.

The second challenge is with all the choices, all the decisions. While these IoT-enabled products are

With Nest products and other

What do you think are the qualities

support, chat and the various other

says about itself, or what a company

returned the product, and

IoT-connected devices, how do you

inherent in a really great customer

support channels that may be a bit

says about itself. They’re going to listen

they probably told 10 people about

there are also more and more features

help customers overcome the per-

support agent?

less personal?

to what other customers are saying,

the bad experience they had. So that’s

and interplay between how customers

ceived (or real) complexity?

JM: I think we’ve all made this harder

JM: Customers by and large would

and so your service function becomes

where you’ve lost the dollar when

use the product and how products

JM: There’s a misperception that cus-

than it has to be in terms of delivering

much prefer to have a dialog in a chat

more and more strategic and critical. I

you’ve saved the 10 cents. I just think

work together, the choices I make,

tomers call [customer support] because

great customer experiences. That’s

or on social media where they are

would say service is the largest room in

it’s shortsighted and it’s a shame. By

who can see what, etc. And so I call it

they don’t want to do the groundwork

because we haven’t always enabled an

controlling the time frame. They can ask

the house for improvement in a com-

and large, that’s been the norm.

the “configuration challenge” that may

to really understand a new product, but

agent to be successful. We haven’t put

a question, look at their computer or

pany. It’s a playground where you can

I think most customers would love to

them in a position to be free, to do what

their phone and do something else, and

make change and experiment and see

pendulum is swinging, and a lot of

it isn’t about fixing broken things but

self-serve. I think we need to build their

they need to do, to build a personal

then come back to the answer later.

progress before your very eyes in a way

companies are figuring out that it’s a

more about educating customers about

confidence, to point the way, to teach

connection.

But the communication doesn’t have

that you might not in other functions.

losing proposition for their brand and

all the available options.

them to fish if you will.

14 | Customers First

I always say that this is a human

to be any less informal, even when it is

You have this flood of information,

But I think it’s changing. I think the

getting incredibly powerful,

create a dilemma in the future, where

their sales in the long run.

Customers First | 15

Center for excellence

TELUS International initial steps, but they are only half the battle. The next stage is developing a comprehensive strategy to plan and execute

People • Plan change management roadmap • Develop and empower highly-skilled agents • Build a balanced talent model

The key elements of an omnichannel transition

the transition, and then to assess post-implementation effectiveness.

Everest Group, in partnership with TELUS International, developed a guide, Delivering Omnichannel Customer Experience, with carefully designed steps and practical checklists to help brands assemble key resources and measure

Process • Revamp business processes • Design and monitor new organizational and people KPIs

Omnichannel transition

their omnichannel results. Read on for excerpts from the guide to help you successfully tackle the next steps in your journey to omnichannel customer experience.

Critical success factors Prior to beginning omnichannel transition efforts, it’s important for organizations to ensure they build the following critical success factors:

Technology • Integrate systems and information from all channels • Augment with analytics and automation

• Customer-centric approach: Similar to an industry

Delivering omnichannel customer experience – new research

disruptors’ approach, it’s key to create a delivery model from the point of view of your customer, as opposed to one that accommodates certain channels or locations, which don’t always line up with how your customers want to interact with your brand.

• Increased role of senior leadership: To ultimately

Download the complimentary omnichannel papers: Part 1 – From Multichannel to Omnichannel Customer Experience: A Checklist for Assessing Readiness to Make the Jump Part 2 – Delivering Omnichannel Customer Experience: A Practical Guide to Successful Omnichannel Execution

succeed at omnichannel, you’ll require the support of

Omnichannel customer experience is quickly becoming an

senior leaders across your organization to champion

People. Process. Technology

channel transition can be challenging

impressions (reach), the conversion rate

established consumer expectation. Companies that create a

and prioritize the necessary investments in people and

With these critical success factors in

as multiple touchpoints are managed

from impressions to contacts (acquire),

unified brand experience, ensuring customers get the same

technology and to remove roadblocks and inefficiencies

place, the elements of omnichannel

together, driving both customer and

and the repurchase and upsell rates

service, support, and information regardless of how they

that may arise along the way.

transition can be divided across the

business outcomes. The key is to

(retain).

three dimensions of people, process,

understand that success cannot be

an internal transition team with representation across

and technology. All three must be

attributed to one particular channel or

analyzing business and customer out-

This is especially true when it comes to industry disrup-

the various departments within your organization, you

addressed in a synchronized manner

location, but rather, to evaluating and

comes to inform your customer service

tors in the fast-growing tech sector. Their value propositions

can ensure that the people, process and technology

through a series of planning steps for

optimizing a holistic set of touchpoints

and potentially your product or service

typically center on finding new ways to deliver an existing

requirements of making the transition to omnichannel

implementation.

along the customer journey.

evolution on an ongoing basis. Critically,

product or service in a more convenient, efficient and person-

are effectively captured and that you are receiving timely

alized way. For the majority, this means adopting an omni-

feedback as you progress.

interact with the brand, will attract, retain and delight their customers while driving top-line growth.

channel strategy so they can meet their customers where, when and how they want.

• Organizational readiness for change: By forming

The Everest guide provides an

That said, it’s still important to

in-depth look at the investments you

track channel-specific KPIs in order

quickly to challenges, but it will also

should consider across the three

to effectively locate the root cause of

enable you to anticipate and proactively

transition to omnichannel will require a shift in culture

dimensions, as well as the benefits you

customers’ challenges at any point in

address your customers’ desires, lead-

and a change in mindset for employees at all levels of

will reap in return.

their journey. Some helpful metrics that

ing to a more personalized and efficient

the market has begun to explore to

experience.

• Aligning culture with omnichannel imperatives: A

Take it one step at a time

your organization. By clearly and frequently communi-

Deciding to make the jump to omnichannel and assessing

cating your customer-centric vision, you will inspire and

A recipe for success

measure the effectiveness of omnichan-

the readiness of your organization to change are important

engage your team to join the journey.

Measuring the success of an omni-

nel implementation are the number of

16 | Customers First

Another focus is on tracking and

the data you collect will help you react

Customers First | 17

Hot topics

TELUS International

The big picture The ‘Voxgro Dome’ and gardens at the Voxpro – powered

by TELUS International headquarters in Cork, Ireland offer an inspiring space for team members (and sometimes the resident chickens!) to congregate and celebrate milestones, dream up new ideas, and grow fruits and vegetables later enjoyed at their onsite juice bar.

Cryptocurrency exchanges: The new outsourcing El Dorado

version of electronic cash that rely on

users grow, so does the number of

blockchain technology. They allow

support questions. This rapid growth,

online payments to be sent directly

combined with the 24/7 nature of the

from one party to another using com-

service and multi-language require-

plex encryption techniques to regulate

ments of users, can be challenging for

the generation of units of currency and

even the most established organiza-

verify the transfer of funds, operating

tions to serve, let alone cryptocurrency

entirely independent of a central bank.

start-ups whose core business is far

CoinMarketCap lists over 1,000 crypto-

from the realm of customer service.

currencies, but only 12 of them have a

As a consequence, most exchang-

“The end of money as we know it,”

market cap of more than U.S. $1 billion,

es are using chatbots as a stopgap

“Why big banks are nervous,” “The

the largest of which is Bitcoin.

solution. But, a robust customer service

new digital gold,” – these are just a few

Crypto exchanges are the business-

strategy is particularly critical for ex-

of the sensationalized claims about

es that actually allow customers to

changes as many users are looking for

cryptocurrencies making headlines in

trade digital currencies, putting global

guidance in a market perceived as both

recent months. Combined with celebrity

buyers and sellers in contact so they

complex and risky. Professional human

endorsements from Paris Hilton and

can perform transactions. One example

interaction offered alongside chatbots

Jaimie Foxx, it’s becoming harder to

of a popular crypto exchange is Coin-

can serve as a competitive differentiator

ignore this financial industry disruptor,

base which operates in 32 countries,

and help users feel more at ease.

and more challenging for cryptocurren-

overseeing more than 27.5 million wal-

The right outsourcing partner can

cy companies to meet the demands of

lets, with an estimated one million users

help crypto exchanges achieve scalabil-

new users.

added in June 2017 alone.

ity, deliver localized support, and meet the growing service expectations of

What is cryptocurrency and how

How can outsourcing help meet the

users, allowing crypto exchange busi-

does it work?

growing cryptocurrency demand?

nesses to focus on their core offering

Cryptocurrencies are a peer-to-peer

As the number of crypto exchange

for greater innovation.

18 | Customers First

Customers First | 19

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