Welcome!
I was asked to author a blog on Customer Service. For those that know me, this is a huge passion for me. Being in the customer service business, this topic is close to home. In researching the topic, I quickly came to learn that there are many definitions of customer service. For some, it is a term that is used lightly, while others align every part of their organization around delivering excellent customer service.
My goal is to engage and interact with those that have the same passion. We have all had great customer service and we have also had bad customer service. Being in the Contact Center business, there are horror stories surrounding customers that have had to deal with agents that just couldn't help them, there are stories of call centers that are downright rude when customers call and there are the typical stories of those pesky calls we all receive right when we are sitting down for dinner. These type of stories are everywhere. I would like to focus on customer service experiences and through our stories we can learn that each encounter is a chance to make a difference!
The Contact Center industry exists to offer excellent customer service, yet the industry tends to be lead by price and operational metrics that do anything but deliver excellent customer service. Typically contact centers are measured by the number of calls they answer within 30 seconds and a percentage of abandoned calls. The intent of the metrics was to demonstrate the contact center's ability to answer the phone quickly, and deliver a service that was accountable and measurable. What this really translates to, is managing how long a representative talks to a customer. Now, I may be unique, but if growing and retaining your customer base is the key to our business, then this type of measurement will most likely not deliver it.
We hear alot about retention and loyalty, but how many companies really understand what that means and what it takes to deliver. When I think of myself as a customer and ask myself what would it take for me to stay a customer to a company, the answer is clear! How people that I interact with make me feel, is key to coming back. I need to know through behaviours, tone of voice and attitude that I am important to that person.
On the loyalty side, I think reward comes in many ways. Personally, I juggle a million things at the same time and the more a company can "anticipate", the more I engage. This assumes that the company has managed to get to know me, has understood what I like, and what I don't like. They are aware of the transactions I have done with them, and reward me with something that I perceive valuable. This sounds easy, but is very difficult to execute. This is one area, that Contact Centers should be excelling at and offering to their customers. Afterall, if Contact Centers do deliver "excellent" customer service, then shouldn't they take the time to know who they are talking to?
PC
