Priit Ivanov: The Developments In Customer Flow Management Systems
In today’s world, the customer service sector often faces a situation where the modern person prefers to use online services and offices see less and less visitors. At the same time, visitors are significantly more demanding and require a more professional approach and convenience from the service sector.
The average visitor is no longer content with simply arriving at the location and being talked to. A contemporary person is always in a hurry so they require personalised service from a service company – when arriving at the office, the visitor presumes that the office is already aware of their arrival and the reasons they have come there for. Often they don’t have time to wait around in a queue and don’t want to start explaining everything over again.
The customer flow management system has developed together with the market and the customers, and today we have a contemporary solution that interacts with the customer from making a decision to visit to post-visit service. People can use a mobile phone or a computer to select a suitable service, visiting time and service content. From that moment until arrival, the system keeps the customer abreast of what is going on and informs the customer when it’s their time.
Upon arrival at the office, the customer is registered or marked having arrived on a tablet by a sales hall attendant, and the customer service representative knows that they can “call” the customer. After calling the customer, the CRM or another system automatically opens the customer’s information, and the customer service representative does not have to be bothered about searching for them or opening them. During the service time, an information screen can be used to display notices and advertisements to the customer, and at the end of the service, the customer has the option to give immediate feedback in the office or using an application (e.g. on a scale of 10 points). The customer’s journey, behaviour, service and follow-up activities leave a trace in the system that can be analysed at a later time. The entire service process taking place in the network of offices can be monitored remotely.
When implementing the aforementioned functionality, we are combining technology with physical environment and personalising customer service. The customer isn’t simply “a number in the queue” but a person with wishes and specified goals, and we know exactly who the customer is, why they have come to the office, and are thereby able to provide quick and efficient service.
For servicing the customers in a more efficient manner, Qmatic has come up with a central management solution Orchestra that coordinates and guides the customer throughout the whole process. The system combines customer solutions, a service customer representative, traditional queuing system hardware and after-service modules.
The following components help to serve customers in a more personalised manner:
Online booking – the customer can book an appointment online using a special module that enables selecting the location, view available times and choose a suitable time, also enter a service request together with their information.
Mobile Framework – solution for a mobile platform that enables using the manufacturer’s own mobile application or add the functionality of a queuing system to an existing application. Using the application, the customer can obtain information about maintenance and services, book an appointment or take a virtual ticket and receive real-time information about the queue.
iBeacon – wireless sensor technology that enables identifying the visitor through the mobile phone’s Bluetooth network and send notices to the visitor. It also enables registering the customer in the system as “having arrived”.
Concierge – software for a sales hall attendant that enables the attendant to advise, guide or add customers to the queue using a tablet.
Counter display – LCD screen at the counter that displays advertising information connected to the selections of the customer while the customer is being served.
Feedback module – the customer has the option to evaluate the service quality through a physical feedback module that is placed on the counter or do so in the application where the respective section is displayed once the service is complete.
Business Intelligence – software that can be used to analyse customer behaviour and the work of customer service representatives/offices.
Digital Signage – integrated media/advertising system that connects digital screens and displays advertisements.
Context marketing – software solution that monitors the customer’s movement and uses digital screens (printer screen, LCD screens on the walls, screens located at the counter) to display advertisements connected to the offers or selected service on the customer’s route.