LeapXpertIn January 2021, IT departments, already grappling with a changed working environment, were hit with a new curveball. Customer previously on WhatsApp, concerned at reports of change to privacy terms and conditions, apparently downloaded Signal and Telegram in droves. Signal alone saw a 4200% increase in downloads week on week after the reports.
Whether this translates to actual behavior change remains to be seen. What is clear, IT departments need to factor in the possibility of major, unexpected shifts in customer preferences when considering conversational solutions strategies. Customer’s preferences can shift quickly and rather brutally leaving market leaders behind.
As IT departments consider the ongoing need for conversation-led engagement in the beyond Covid-19, they must consider a number of things for their conversational solution strategy.
Interoperability – complete view of customer
A solution that is a standalone channel of communication does not connect with other applications does not solve the challenge. It only creates additional silos of data. The solution should act as a channel for existing applications like CRMs, analytics, compliance and monitoring tools, etc. The team need to consider what existing business critical applications the business currently has? Which need to have access to the data and conversations on messaging applications?
Flexibility – respond to change
With the likelihood of market and customer behavior changes, the solution enable the enterprise to respond to these changes quickly, flexibly and seamlessly. The enterprise can respond to changes in their business landscape as they need to without major changes to their IT stack. So, a shift in customer popularity from one messaging application to another doesn’t break continuity for customer engagement.
Privacy – customer and employee
Privacy is a watchword for today’s organizations. IT teams must factor in how a conversational solution ensures both customer and employee privacy. Especially in the world of BYOD. Often employees use personal messaging accounts to communicate with clients. Monitoring these accounts means monitoring the entire account, potentially compromising employee privacy. Plus customers expect enterprises to protect their privacy. They must understand the terms and conditions under which the information that is being shared is used. Because conversations are conducted in employee accounts, this is often not possible or overlooked. This is an issue particularly for markets in the GDPR jurisdiction.
Growth/Future-proof
The only thing that stays the same is that nothing ever stays the same. IT departments should consider how they build their conversational solution platform for future growth and change. They must be ready to adapt to changes not only in messaging applications but in how data can be used, in customer engagement strategies and as shown by Covid-19, how employees work and communicate. They need a solution that enables them to not only plan for a clear future but respond to market changes, when that market changes.
LeapXpert’s Federated Messaging Platform is flexible, interoperable and secure, but most importantly it is designed for the enterprise that needs a future-proof solution. With FMOP, enterprises easily scale and respond to market shifts with new messaging applications seamlessly, easily and quickly. While at the same time they ensure their conversational solution strategy is built to adapt and succeed for future growth.
With messaging applications increasingly how we communicate, IT departments must formulate a clear strategy for their conversational solutions. It truly is a situation of adapt or be left behind. The takeaway here is that while enterprises should embrace these apps, they also must embrace the change that comes with them and respond quickly when needed with a solution that allows them to do this.
To discover how we can help your organization with your customer conversations, talk to one of our experts.
Learn more about why companies embrace LeapXpert FMOP.
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