Mobile Applications for Customer Service

Mobile devices, such as the iPhone and iTouch, are very popular among tech-savvy consumers, thus mobile applications are in high demand. So, with this trend among the mainstream does it make sense to have mobile customer service/support applications for those always on-the-go and attached daily to their mobile devices?

Mobile applications can provide an easy-to-use, efficient mechanism to report incidents when and where they occur or a convenient method to search a knowledgebase for on-demand information. Nationwide, for example, has developed a mobile application that will guide drivers through the steps to take after an accident. Their mobile app capabilities include calling emergency services, helping drivers collect and exchange accident info, locating Nationwide agents, taking and storing accident photos, and helping their insured’s begin the claims process to name a few. “The Nationwide Mobile app for iPhone is a great example of our commitment to developing innovative solutions that help simplify our customers’ lives.” Colleges and universities can leverage mobile technology to encourage students, faculty and staff to be proactive and engaged in the welfare of their campus by reporting incidents and maintenance issues such as broken lights and vending machines. Government agencies, facilities management or any organization that wants to leverage mobile technology can benefit from these types of applications as well. Hilton Hotels has launched a mobile application giving iPhone users accessibility to the hotel chain’s Internet features to improve customer service. Their customers “enjoy the convenience of making and changing bookings on-the-go.”

Mobile applications for customer service are not only convenient for the customer, but can also facilitate faster response times. Location capture features can help facilitate quick fixes to open incidents by automatically capturing GPS location of the customer at the time an incident is reported. The ability to attach a photo of the problem or issue to an incident report can further expedite response times.

Tell us how mobile applications fit into your customer service and support strategy – or do they? Are you currently leveraging mobile technology for support within your organization? As a consumer would you like a mobile channel option for customer support? What are the positives…negatives?