Not Mobile Commerce, But Mobile Consumer

Awhile back I asked what a mobile wallet was. Today my challenge is even bigger: What is mobile commerce?

I’ve been working around mobile commerce solutions for the last six years, or perhaps even longer, as we had USSD services running at a Bank in Hong Kong in the late 90s. (More on USSD in a future post.)

I know what’s happening, and what’s possible. My problem is that I think ‘commerce’ is too small an idea. What people are doing is so much bigger.

Right now, if you say ‘mobile commerce’, people think of banking or payments. Maybe coupons.

But the payment/transaction is just one of the steps on the process. It isn’t even the last step, as customer support comes after, and can be so much more important.

For example: 14 months after purchasing my Nike+ FuelBand, I had a problem with the device. Nike’s online support was quick and helpful, and fully resolved my problems in less than two weeks. Amazing. This experience, more than a year after I bought the thing, now overshadows my experience in the store. And, in a hugely positive way. I was a fan of the technology before, but now I’m a vocal supporter of the company.

SOURCE: zdnet.com