The First Mile

This is the Age of the Customer. Today's customers are sophisticated, connected and empowered. They expect ease-of-use, intuitive self-service and fast response times. They demand two-way collaboration and process visibility—from any device, anywhere. Without it, they'll likely do business with another company... with just the swipe of a finger or a click. Whether it's opening a new account, applying for a loan, filing a claim or admitting a patient, the business-critical First Mile of customer interactions is where the battle is won or lost. And where the journey to lifetime brand loyalty begins. The challenge is most initial information-intensive interactions are manual, complex processes that are time consuming and prone to error, which can lead to a less-than-stellar customer experience. Maintaining the status quo is risky business. Organizations that make their First Mile smarter will have a distinct competitive advantage in this Age of the Customer.