Think Customers: The 1to1 Blog

The application operates much like the city's 311 complaint line, where comments are sent to various departments for review. The hope is that through iBurgh and similar technological innovations, it will be easier for citizens to interact with government, and for government to reach out to residents. Updates to iBurgh could include streaming and searchable video of government meetings, and automatic updates on city initiatives close to where phone users live.

This step toward e-democracy got me thinking--could such an application work in companies' contact centers? I can easily imagine customers snapping damaged products on shelves or documenting long, winding lines at check-out. Allstate recently introduced an application to help drivers document automobile accidents.

Imagine the rich data companies could gain from implementing such an application, not to mention the real-time information that could help deal with customer issues while they happen, opposed to after the customer relationship has been damaged. Most call centers receive complaint calls long after customers have left the stores. But if a customer reports an empty shelf while in the store, customer service could call that retailer directly to remedy the situation. Problem solved.