Ok, let’s say you are searching the web for a new fishing rod. You find the right website but you are having trouble locating the right rod and reel combination. Frustrated you consider giving up but give it one last shot and decide to call the 800 number on the site. And instead of getting the usual IVR tree …. you are prompted for your Facebook ID.
What’s going on here you think?
Reluctantly you give them your Facebook id and behind the scenes there is technology at work that matches you up with the best Call Center agent based on your profile information: Age, Sex, Hometown, Current Location, and Interests.
Instantly you are matched up with someone who you can relate to. Someone who now can give you the best service and hence the best customer experience of your lifetime. They know exactly what would be best for you because they share the same interests or age bracket and can talk to the product in ways you never heard before coming from a call center agent. Maybe they know someone in your social network and can even broker a chat with them (live through Facebook) about their recommended rod and reel combo for you.
Sound a little like Star Trek?
Actually it sounds very doable. Technology like Facebook Connect or Facebook personal URLs are already available. We are just beginning to see that technology harnessed more broadly for the web. In fact I predict we will see it start to appear in Search, on Amazon.com, on YouTube and Microsoft Xbox …. in some cases this has already begun!
So why isn’t your call center taking advantage of this data as well?
Tags: Social networking
“So why isn’t your call center taking advantage of this data as well?”
Because it’s creepy.
I don’t want help from someone who thinks they know me based on the stuff I put into Facebook.
I want to be a totally faceless customer who can expect the best damn service every time he picks up the phone regardless of my age, gender, race or no. of friends. Otherwise I’ll take my business elsewhere.
Paul, I tend to agree with Daniel, minus the outrage.
We are so totally “out there” when we participate in online activities. Privacy is non-existent – much of it due to technology and the rest, our willingness to share our lives so openly.
Although I understand the marketing objective to serve my needs in the best way possible, I think connecting to my social networking profile crosses the line. But then, that never stopped things from happening anyway.
@ Daniel – Fair Enough
@ Elaine – I agree and the reason I put this out there is that certainly seems to be where we are headed.