This approach generated its share of bad press. It took many customers a long time to get used to speaking to customer service representatives based in other parts of the world or mechanical systems that didn't offer the right choices.
A new approach was called for. Businesses needed to adapt locally in order to capitalise globally. They needed to take the traditional, personal approach and apply it to their customer service strategy across the world. They needed to get personal while operating on a global scale. For example, confectioner Thornton's listened to customer feedback and developed a more personal service, using a new gift service to drive sales of its high-end products.
Companies need to use all their resources effectively. The familiarity of technology today means customers no longer recoil from voice and touch automated services, as long as they meet their requirements, whether they are requesting account statements or need to replace a broken phone. The response also has to be personal. This means pre-empting the customer’s needs and acting intuitively to minimise the time they spend on the phone. This is where the customer insight, mentioned above, coupled with the means to deploy this with the front line, comes in.