A Mobile App for Everything

There are few things you can’t now do through a mobile app. No time to do your weekly shop? Not a problem – just use an app to build your basket through the week and a van will deliver it to you at a time that suits you.

Wondering if you’ve got enough money in your account to pay for that last minute holiday or that new pair of shoes, but nowhere near a cash machine? No problem – with a few swipes of your finger a mobile app will show you your bank balance and all recent transactions.

Boredduringthoselongmeetingsatsummitsoftheworld’spoliticalleaders? No problem – just switch on your phone and lose yourself in the gaming app Fruit Ninja.

In fact the app has become so much a part of our lives that all of a sudden it seems odd when we can’t use one for customer service. If you need to query a bill, report a fault or increase your service level you might pick up your smartphone, flick to your apps page, and wait while your finger hovers over the screen instinctively looking for the relevant app. And only then will the reality dawn that you’re going to have to send an e-mail or even – shocking though it might seem – use your smartphone to make a phone call.

Sure, the prospect of returning to technology considered cutting-edge just a few years ago might not seem too terrible for many customers. But that misses the point. The point is that those companies that offer them a customer service app will stand out. Customers will be more likely to remain customers, to buy more, and even to recommend the product, service or company to friends.

What is more the company that automates part of its customer service through mobile apps will reduce spending on customer service agents. mplsystems is developing customer service apps and linking them into Customer Service and CRM and Business Process Management, which enables businesses to simplify and automate interactions and reduce their reliance on the customer service agent.

It's not just the big brands, the customer service app enables even small service organisations to offer a 'smart' customer service to their consumer and business clients, whether it's booking medical appointments, requesting a maintenance service or ordering a complex product.