If you think that good customer service from your favorite companies is simply a matter of friendly representatives, you’d be ignoring the real ‘help’ behind the scenes: that is, the IT departments that make customer service and other business operations possible. We’ve seen time and time again examples of how businesses have improved all aspects of their organization using IT data integration at an enterprise-strategic level. Here are two examples of well-known brands whose IT departments cooperated with lines of business and used data integration to redefine their relationships with their customers:
T-Mobile
One data integration leader who deserves a marble bust in the corporate headquarters lobby is the executive responsible for taking T-Mobile’s previously dismal support department from worst to first in terms of customer satisfaction and renewals. With their original on-premise CRM system, the T-Mobile support team did not have a holistic perspective on their customers or their needs. They didn’t have insight into which customers were unlikely to renew, so they were losing customers in droves.
Into this disastrous exodus of dissatisfaction strode a leader who revitalized the support team with new access to meaningful data through an extension of their CRM system using cloud-based applications. Implementing apps from SAP to support social listening and analytics alongside SAP Cloud for Service gave their their entire service and support organization the insight into customers that they had previously been lacking.
With newly accessible data regarding all customer interaction history, T-Mobile is now able to respond to customer issues with the right answers in real time, and their first-time problem resolution rate has jumped from 15 percent to more than 94 percent since the change. Even more, T-Mobile’s sales organization is also using these same cloud apps to listen to their competitor’s customers and interjecting themselves into those conversations to woo them over to T-Mobile.
Dunkin Donuts
Another data integration leader whose achievements should inspire lyrical ballads is the executive responsible for bringing back to life the previously declining Dunkin Donuts brand. It hasn’t been pretty out there for fast food brands recently, and Dunkin has seen itself shrivel and begin to fade. Earnings reports have been consistently disappointing, and both store sales and revenue growth have seen marginal percentage increases that have fallen dismally below expectation.
Riding into town in the nick of time, an innovative leader within Dunkin’s organization turned to data to boost marketing capabilities and breathe life back into the brand. In January 2015, Dunkin’ launched a loyalty program entitled ‘DD Perks’ built specifically to gather customer habit data and utilize it to target people with individualized offers based on insights gleaned from their interactions with the brand. Working together, IT has provided the marketing team with raw data that, coupled with interviews with customer groups and input from franchisees, allows for Dunkin’ to provide higher-quality customer service and strengthen their brand overall.
As a result, the Dunkin’ Donuts brand has been revitalized, shares are up, and transactions have increased. DD Perks has accrued two million members and the accompanying Dunkin’ Mobile App has surpassed more than 10 million downloads. Data-driven customized marketing has saved the day, and the CIO who made this possible should be given a crown of laurels for his cooperative and strategic leadership.
There are countless examples of these types of stories everywhere you look – and not just with regards to customer service or support. There are infinite ways for businesses to utilize data integration to enhance crucial and strategic operations. What are some other stories or examples you’ve heard or read about where brands used IT to supercharge or redefine themselves? Let us know in the comments below!