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Apps neglected by social media spend

Monday, October 15 15:38:27

48 per cent of companies are investing in social media, according to figures released by Genesys.

However, a more recent study - sponsored by Genesys and ProtoCall One - found that only 20 per cent of firms are investing in mobile apps, with just 17 per cent having their own mobile customer service app.

"With increasing numbers of customers using mobile technology, customer preferences that are displayed on mobile devices offer a potentially rich source of information about their attitudes and habits," said Richard McCrossan, Strategic Business Developer at Genesys. "They represent valuable opportunities for companies to gain business insights, observe trends, enhance communication and improve the customer experience. And if businesses optimise their mobile strategy, they can hone their marketing programmes to better target and retain customers.

"But while customers are demanding richer and more personalised mobile customer experiences, our research is showing that many organisations' customer service departments remain disconnected from the company's mobile applications.

"I think the reason for this is two-fold: firstly, businesses have become pre-occupied with integrating social media into their customer service, and the second reason lies in the fact that in the rush to develop mobile apps, many companies have simply resorted to moving existing marketing or Web applications to a mobile platform. Typically, these apps fulfil a transactional function, where they enable users to check a balance or flight schedule. They offer little in the way of customer engagement.

"To address the needs of today's consumers, companies must develop an effective holistic strategy, one that incorporates a common set of enterprise capabilities that can be accessed anywhere, regardless of the channel."