Traditional customer interaction channels are often reactive in nature. Whether customers have an inquiry or require service, customers must initiate contact. Organizations that adopt a proactive service approach via the mobile channel can reach out to customers in real time, before they call or email the company.

Andrew Hull, director of product marketing at RightNow Technologies, is amazed at how fast consumers are moving to mobile devices, and thinks companies should be leveraging that channel when customers need help. "Consumers are using their handsets for everything," Hull says.  He advises business leaders to start thinking about a proactive mobile approach, but cautions that it cannot be a siloed, standalone experience. "You have to look at it in the context of the overall service operation," he says.

Ann M. Cannon, vice president of interactive messaging at CSG Systems, agrees that mobile must be integrated with other communications channels in order to function effectively, drive revenue, and create operational efficiencies. She sees an increase in companies, like eBay for example, integrating the Web and voice via mobile. She says eventually customers will check a box that will determine how they want to be contacted (call me for this reason, and text me for that reason). "You will start to see the paradigm in the business world being turned upside down," Cannon says. "The consumer is more in control than the enterprise is."

Jay Henderon, director of product marketing at Unica, recommends a cautious approach. Because the mobile channel as a proactive service device is so nascent, it's best not to throw discretionary spending at it, but rather to put a process in place to experiment with that channel and to graduate it into a company's marketing and service mix. "You need a systematic approach to determine which types of things will be relevant for customers," Henderson says. "The mobile market is at an inflection point where consumers are there and using the devices. It has become a tipping point where is it viable for marketers to use mobile as an outbound channel to communicate, as well as an inbound one."

Southwest relies on mobile for critical messaging
Southwest Airlines started building out its proactive service approach via mobile after a series of strong tropical hurricanes pummeled the U.S., interrupting air travel and creating the need to continuously contact passengers about flight delays. Southwest quickly realized that relying solely on its reservations center to make those calls wasn't a cost effective, practical, or timely strategy. "We knew we had to do a better job of putting together a plan…to reach out to the masses and say, 'I acknowledge the disruption,' and to offer a solution as far as how they can rearrange their travel plans," says Fred Taylor, senior manager of proactive customer service communication at Southwest.

After partnering with Varolii, Southwest rolled out the first phase of its proactive communications plan in August 2008, with automated notifications for flight delays or cancellations. The airline segments the messages according to demographics and types of messaging, like cancellations, gate changes, and delays.

Throughout 2009 Southwest worked to enhance voice messaging, as well as to build text messaging on top of it. Since August 2008 Southwest has sent more than 5.7 million messages with an error rate of less than 10 percent. Additionally, Taylor cites a substantial cost savings with switching from voice to text. "Our bill has been cut in half," he says. "The entire company is pleased with the results and we get lots of positive feedback from customers."

Now the airline is moving into the next round of customer alerts, catering to customers with multichannel messaging. For instance, a message may alert a customer that his flight is overbooked, but will include a link to click on to rebook the flight. Taylor also says Southwest is evaluating adding the email channel to pre- and post-flight alerts. "We are working to tailor these messages—to become like a concierge service," Taylor says.

Match.com adds service where customers want it
Similarly, Match.com recognizes the rising adoption of mobile and plans to communicate proactively with its customers in the channel that they prefer. In fact, Michelle Watson, vice president of global customer care at Match.com, says that members of Match.com who use the mobile Web engage with other members at two and a half times the rate of members who access the site from their computer. "Our members are telling us they want to use a variety of means to reach us," Watson says. "If you're a mobile user, you don't want to have to call someone. It's critical [for us] to be able to provide the same consistent experience when implementing the chat feature."

As a result, Match.com will be introducing RightNow Mobile in Q3. The strategy will pilot chat functionality in two areas: the website and mobile. If a member wants to purchase a subscription or has a question, a pop-up will appear on the member's mobile device with either a number to call for assistance or an option to start a chat with an agent who will help solve the customer's issue. "If members want to access their account via mobile, we don't want to penalize them," Watson says. "We want to make sure we offer them the same level of support as in the customer care center."

According to Cannon of CSG Systems, the rise in mobile adoption ultimately means an increase in customer expectations in terms of companies sending communications and being serviced by them through their mobile devices. "Whether it is to wow them with a customer service experience, or to cross-sell them, or to collect money, it is way too easy for a customer to say, 'I'm picking up my marbles and I'm going to play somewhere else,'" Cannon says. "These strategies are becoming core and key to how people's business solutions are being presented in the marketplace."