As we all well know, mobile payments are on the rise, and are expected to continue to increase over time. Despite widespread mobile adoption, mobile payments and mobile customer care have not reached their full potential for retailers, app developers, and even marketers.
Yesterday, MobilePaymentsToday.com published a byline I wrote that I believe identifies one of the main reasons why mobile payments have not been widely embraced by consumers. What is it? Trust.
The existing state of mobile payments is an obstacle that many providers can’t seem to get past. Not just in terms of financial security, but also in terms of the service customers receive while they’re using the app. If a customer has a simple question or needs help with a larger issue, the service they will receive in mobile apps varies greatly and is widely inconsistent. Some companies offer superior in-app mobile care, while others fracture the mobile experience by forcing users to either can an 800 number or send an email for help.
The inconsistent treatment of mobile app users is, understandably, creating trust issues for mobile payments users.
I believe customer care should be carefully considered as part of any mobile payments strategy in order to build (and maintain) brand loyalty, but also to satisfy customers.
We recently conducted research that found mobile has a growing influence on how a brand’s perception drives their buying behavior as a whole. And with that brand’s perception and buying behavior comes trust. I need to trust that a company will fulfill my needs as a customer throughout the purchasing process, providing me with assistance as I need it, recommending actions or purchases that may be a good fit for me, or even offering me help before I need it.
