Peter Whibley, product marketing manager for KANA Software, A Verint Company

Well, actually, they do.

The majority of business websites still put customer service contact details two or three clicks inside their sites, rather than on their homepage. Most homepages focus entirely on sales, yet it’s estimated in a recent Forbes article that 80 percent of visitors to a company’s website are seeking support. However, within financial services, this attitude toward customer service appears to be changing.

Some organisations such as Chase and First Direct now have their Twitter support links right on their main landing pages. In addition to having a contact number featured prominently on their home page, Ally Bank provides the customer wait time. If organisations are looking to drive customer loyalty, they need to make it easy to complain. Chase, First Direct and Ally Bank are doing exactly this. They are making it easier to engage and, if necessary, complain. What could be easier than putting your Twitter support link on the front page of your website?

These financial services organisations clearly see their customer service as a differentiator and are apparently so confident in their service that they are putting contact details front and centre. Almost as a badge of honour or an industry award announcement, their Twitter contact details are pinned to the homepage, encouraging customers and prospects to engage.

Even verticals such as financial services and insurance – which are typically more conservative when it comes to social media due to regulatory and privacy concerns – are starting to realise that they need to encourage customers to engage with them to share their feedback, even when it may be a complaint. Encouraging Twitter use for customer service becomes a marketing opportunity for organisations, helping enable them to publically show how they handle customer issues and engage with their customers.

Earlier this month we had National Customer Service Week, a week dedicated to raise awareness of customer service and remind everyone of its importance to the economy. This obviously shows the importance of customer service. But, by tucking their customer service and Contact Us pages in the depths of company websites, many organisations are implying that customer service isn’t a priority and are – perhaps inadvertently – diminishing its importance. The good news, however, is that this is starting to change – with financial services organisations such as the ones I’ve described above leading the way.

Show customers that you want to engage and that you recognise the importance of customer service by taking customer service out of the corner and putting it on your homepage.

About the Author

Specialising in helping organisations architect next-generation customer experiences, Peter Whibley is product marketing manager for KANA, a Verint® Company.

KANA®, A Verint Company®, is a recognised industry leader in the delivery of customer experience solutions and, together with Verint, provides Case Management, VOC and Enterprise Feedback Management solutions that can help transform how organisations manage their customer complaints—turning complaints into a business opportunity rather than something frightening. Customer complaints are inevitable; they can also be profitable.