Service companies play a huge role in people’s lives. They are called upon to help maintain homes and vehicles, to answer technical calls and to make everyday tasks more convenient. Adding even more value to these already valuable services means adding the mobile access people want and expect.
Elevating content that has already been created and joining it with the many features of today’s mobile technology will be key for modern service companies connecting with modern customers.
Apps give service companies the opportunity to get valuable mobile real estate – that limited space every device user has on their phone or tablet. Once downloaded, good design and strategic interaction can strengthen the connection between customers and a company. Next time a customer needs a service, the company with the app is already on their mind.
Giving Customers Mobile Access
Every successful company in the service industry knows that customer satisfaction is number one. Today’s customers expect access, convenience, ease and intuitive transactions. Customers who can find answers, schedule appointments, retrieve information, even pay a bill with a single click through an app will return the next time they need a service.
An app that is also a dynamic tool for solving a customer’s problem will get even more screen time and one that helps a company communicate their value and set themselves apart from the competition will be a powerful part of attracting and maintaining customers. Sotheby’s and Angie’s List are a great examples of the power of an app to solve problems, attract and maintain clientele.
Sotheby’s International Realty turned to an enterprise app to help keep more than 15,000 sales associates in 47 countries up to speed on real estate offerings around the world. Instead of printed materials being distributed to 660 offices, the Sotheby’s app puts up-to-date information at associate fingertips. Videos, photography, and the most recent listing information is always available – no matter what the location of the client or their desired new property. That kind of access leaves an impression.
Angie’s List is one of the most well known customer-centric service organizations in the United States. In the last 20 years, the organization has developed and maintained trust through their platform of connecting the best local service providers with consumers. Through the launch of their customized mobile apps, their 3 million members enjoy an award-winning digital magazine, published weekly, and tuned in to their region. Twenty-seven percent of Angie’s List Weekly readers click-through to the website or task-based app and leads them to pre-packaged offers. This cycle contributes to the $15 billion in transactions Angie’s List does each year.
Both Sotheby’s and Angie’s List have taken steps to provide customers with engaging content that keeps them connected to the services they offer – building loyalty and benefiting the organization.
Capitalizing on Data
Data can show a company if marketing materials are getting attention, help them test messages, and know their demographic better. It can also show bottlenecks, where potential clients lose interest and if messaging is missing the mark.
Knowing demographics and utilizing geo-location services to offer promotions helps users see what is relevant to them and increases click-throughs. Push-notifications can alert a user of a special on a service they searched online the day before, and seamless content integration can help them complete their purchase of that service from their tablet later that evening. These coordinated experiences are what people are looking for and they kind of service they share with their friends and family.
Social Clout
Service companies thrive on social clout – today’s word-of-mouth advertising. Apps can make it easy for happy customers to share their great experiences with just a push of a button connected to a social media network. On the other hand, customers who need support can get it with just a simple click to call or message a representative.
Apps represent a lot of potential value for service companies. Supporting representatives, engaging with customers, and maintaining connection for future transactions all stem from an engaging app. Knowing what customers want and giving people seamless access is today’s mark of truly exceptional service.
