This is a guest blog written by Dan Gordon, SVP Strategy and Development at West, Interactive Services. Learn more about West at West.com/Interactive.

It’s estimated that we spend 177 minutes (nearly one-fifth of our waking day) on our phones daily — habitually checking them for updates around 150 times.[i] Furthermore, it’s predicted that mobile commerce will account for almost half of all e-commerce by 2018.[ii] Seasoned Silicon Valley gurus have even asserted a probable P.C. extinction as a result of the increasing functionality of mobile devices.

Digital disruption is transforming our lives and the brands we touch. Organizations need to put more power in customers’ hands. We need to free consumers to interact on their own terms and treat every interaction as a piece of an ongoing conversation. We need to enact thoughtful strategies to… Get. More. Proactive.

We’re now living in a world where 87 percent of parents use texting — 72 percent of which hold a positive perception of companies that offer text messaging customer care.[iii] It’s estimated that in 2018, mobile search will generate 73 billion calls to businesses across every industry.[iv] Luckily, knowing this puts brands in control of their own destiny!

When it comes to facilitating the graceful communications that customers now demand, it’s clear that we need to show them we know them on the web, over a call, via text and everywhere in between. This is where connected communication is quickly becoming a must.

Understanding that customers now expect seamless interaction across different channels, these prime examples illustrate how proactive strategies can do a lot of legwork for your business:

A leading cable provider uses natural language recognition in the automated voice system to interpret a caller’s everyday speech to determine that his internet is down. The call ends and the company attempts to remotely reset the modem unsuccessfully. Recognizing failure to resolve the issue, the provider automatically follows up with SMS. The text message directs the customer to a mobile webpage to easily schedule an appointment with a service technician. Click here to see this multi-channel experience in action.

One of West’s retail partners incorporates similar self-service elements to support day-to-day customer interactions. Learning from customers’ past behavior, the company is able to consistently predict a caller’s intent before a word has been uttered. For example, the IVR system can identify a customer by name, predict the desired action (like retrieving store hours), provide available appointment times, and send a reminder SMS with any relevant details after all is said and done.

Even “going green” is a cinch for customers when companies strive to make automated interactions connected and personal.

It’s never been a secret that the world is becoming more dependent on mobile devices; however, companies are increasingly conscious of the need to address customer concerns before they develop.

Be sure to join us on May 17 at the Execs In The Know webinar, “The Mobile Shift: How to Proactively Deliver a Better Customer Experience,” to position your organization for success.

[i] Google, Micro-Moments: Your Guide to Winning the Shift to Mobile

[ii] PWC, Total Retail Survey 2016

[iii] OneReach, Harris Poll Results

[iv] Google, Micro-Moments: Your Guide to Winning the Shift to Mobile

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