Selling for service improves customer experiences in contact centers.

I was setting up my electricity for my new house and the provider offered to connect me to a third party that could coordinate my move and offer me discounts at home improvement stores.  How convenient!   The third party compared rates of the two local TV/Phone/Internet providers so I was able to also schedule those services to be hooked up.  I was identified as someone in the midst of a move and the utility added value to our relationship.  This partnership saved me an additional call to set up my entertainment services and, before the call was over, I had several Home Depot coupons waiting in my Inbox.

We are all looking for ways to cross-sell and to up-sell when we talk to our customers.  Thinking like a customer helps to increase revenue through partnering.  It is important to bundle a logical, related service or product.  If you’re selling home appliances and you have a customer that’s ordering several appliances, your call center agent could ask if they are remodeling their kitchen.   Would it then be fair to connect them with a design firm to assist in their remodel?  It’s acceptable to do a few follow-up questions (maybe they are a DIYer) to see if they would like coupons or a consultation with a home improvement store.  But, attempting to sell a PC is not.  Knowing your customer and thinking about logical, related products and services will not only increase your revenue and enhances your corporate partnerships, but you may just gain a loyal customer for life!

See the intelligence that can be captured from customer experience.

“I recently placed an order with your company for my new wedding invitations and about a week later you called me to see if I’d need any thank you notes.  I did and you saved me a trip to the store!”

“About a week after I had cable installed in my new apartment I was contacted by a local retailer to see if I wanted to upgrade my TV.  I didn’t have the money at the time but a year later I got a great deal by going into that store.  I wouldn’t have known about them (and their great deals) unless they had called me a year prior.”

“What’s so funny to me is that I’ve been married for 5 years and I’m still getting offers to join your company for dating services.  Absurd – I don’t know where you got my info from but it’s wrong, wrong, wrong!”

Happy Monday!