How an optimised outbound customer communication process drives customer and business growth

Thursday, Jul 7th 2022
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Customer communications have evolved from a once-a-day delivery to a constant stream of physical and digital messages. For businesses to cut through the noise and provide a worthwhile and engaging experience, customer communications need to be as relevant, error-free, and timely as possible. How a business chooses to execute its outbound communication process, such as seeking out hybrid mail solutions, can make a significant difference to customers as well as impact internal stakeholders and key company priorities such as:

Operational efficiency
Some companies believe that simply moving from a manual to an automated document process is enough. Adding mailing hardware, like a folder inserter, is a step in the right direction in terms of accelerating production. But while partial automation can be an initial boon – a recent US report showed it cut job completion time by 34%; without the added safety net of automation software, it still leaves room for similar human errors that occur using a purely manual process. When mailing hardware and software work in concert, documents are efficiently sorted and collated for different customers, while ensuring the right person receives the right document every time.

Employee productivity and morale 
Businesses whose outbound documents are primarily paper-centric and rely on manual labour to prepare, process and mail customer communications may be overlooking the impact on employee morale on productivity. Employees whose sole focus is repetitive and redundant tasks like printing, sorting and stuffing mail suffer from low engagement and diminishing productivity over time. Businesses who offload these tasks to mailroom outsourcing companies or implement automation software, free up employees to take on new, more energising, and revenue-driving work.

Security and compliance
Document security is paramount. Businesses can no longer accept employees mishandling documents as simple human error. Aside from the potential legal repercussions, dissatisfied customers will more than likely dismiss doing business with that company. It’s crucial to customer retention and growth that businesses are able to guarantee that all documents are managed securely. Whether documents are produced on or off-site, businesses who use electronic document management systems can ensure that proper protocols are in place that preserve document integrity across all delivery channels.

Best-in-class customer experience
Customer expectations are higher than ever. Businesses who produce meaningful, consistent, personalised outbound communications and delivering them through integrated multichannel communications are more likely to stand out in the minds of their customers and among competitors. Regardless of delivery method, migrating from Dear Customer to Dear Jane Smith is a fractional step albeit an important one. Targeted messaging creates a dialogue, helps build long-term customer relationships, and reinforces your understanding of a customer’s needs.

To address these key priorities, you first need to recognise what stage your organisation is at in terms of your outbound mail process. Check out our customer communication report card to see if your organisation is performing to its potential.