Customer communications have evolved from a once-a-day delivery to a constant stream of physical and digital messages. In order for businesses to cut through the noise and provide a worthwhile and engaging experience, customer communications need to be as relevant, error-free, and timely as possible. How a business chooses to execute its outbound communication process can make a significant difference to customers as well as impact internal stakeholders and key company priorities such as:
Operational efficiency
Some companies believe that simply moving from a manual to an automated document process is enough. Adding mailing hardware, like a folder inserter, is a step in the right direction in terms of accelerating production. But while partial automation can be an initial boon – a recent study showed it cut job completion time by 34%; without the added safety net of automation software, it still leaves room for similar human errors that occur using a purely manual process. When mailing hardware and software work in concert, documents are efficiently sorted and collated for different customers, while ensuring the right person receives the right document every time.
Employee productivity and morale
Businesses whose outbound documents are primarily paper-centric and rely on manual labor to prepare, process, and mail customer communications may be overlooking the impact on employee morale on productivity. Employees whose sole focus is repetitive and redundant tasks like printing, sorting, and stuffing mail suffer from low engagement and diminishing productivity over time. Businesses who offload these tasks or implement automation or outsourcing free up employees to take on new, more energizing, and revenue-driving work.
Security and compliance
Document security is paramount. Businesses can no longer accept employees mishandling documents as simple human error. Aside from the potential legal repercussions in certain verticals, dissatisfied customers will more than likely dismiss doing business with that company. It’s crucial to customer retention and growth that businesses are able to guarantee that all documents are managed securely. Whether documents are produced on or off-site, businesses must ensure that proper protocols are in place that preserve document integrity across all delivery channels.
Best-in-class customer experience
Customer expectations are higher than ever. Businesses who produce meaningful, consistent, and personalized outbound communications and deliver them through their customers’ preferred channels are more likely to stand out in the minds of their customers and among competitors.
Regardless of delivery method, migrating from Dear Customer to Dear Jane Smith is a fractional step albeit an important one. Targeted messaging creates a dialogue, helps build long-term customer relationships, and reinforces your understanding of a customer’s needs.
In order to address these key priorities, you first need to recognize what stage your organization is at in terms of your outbound mail process. Check out our customer communication report card to see if your organization is performing to its potential. Learn more about the different stages of customer communication management in our whitepaper and how you can create a roadmap to transform your document management process to reflect your desired future state.
Article sourced from: Quadient
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