Customer Service Strategy

Define a customer service strategy

Strategy
“A plan of action… designed to achieve a major or overall aim” — OxfordReference.com.

Strategy comes from vision (or goals). Kennedy set the vision of reaching the moon and returning safely. The strategy was using the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) to achieve that vision.

The customer service strategic should support the overall organization strategy and vision.

The role of customer service strategy

Importance of Customer Service Strategy

• Meet evolving customer expectations.
• Leverage the full value of customer service.
• Align decisions and investments.

How Effective Service Creates Values

• Efficiency
• Customer Satisfaction and Loyalty
• Strategic Value
  • Provides early notice of problems
  • Maintains company reputation
  • Finds ways to innovate

Identify customer expectations

10 Expectations Customers Have of Service Interactions (ICMI)

1. Be accessible (in the channels I prefer).
2. Treat me courteously.
3. Be responsive to, and anticipate, what I need and want.
4. Do what I ask promptly.
5. Provide well-trained and informed employees.
6. Tell me what to expect.
7. Meet your commitments.
8. Do it right the first time.
9. Follow up.
10. Be socially responsible and ethical.

Tangibles – environment like facilities, appearance of employees, amenities like wifi, water, etc.

Characteristics of an effective customer service strategy

• Action oriented
• Guides every area of the organization
• Creates measurable results

Introduction to the strategic planning process

Establish a shared vision

Vision
Defines the type of service you want your organization to deliver.

How Effective Service Creates Value

1. Efficiency
2. Customer Satisfaction and Loyalty
3. Strategic Value

Strategic Vision May Include:

• Vision statement
• Mission statement
• Set of values
• Overarching principles or standards

Shape the customer access strategy

Customer Access Strategy:
A framework or set of standards, guidelines and processes describing the means by which customers receive or are enabled to access the information, services, and expertise they need.

1. Customer segments – summarizes how customers are logically segmented
2. Types of interactions – placing orders, customer service, technical support
3. Access channels – in-person, phone, text, chat, email
4. Hours of operation – self-service 24/7 website
5. Objectives for accessibility – how long will customers have to wait?
6. Routing – distribute to right place – which group will handle the issue
7. Required resources – which system or employee will handle the interaction
8. Required information – customer and service information is accessible
9. Analysis/improvement – collect information
10. Guidelines for new services – overall technology and investment needs.

Build the right skills, knowledge, and leaders

Considerations

• Hiring and development
• Compensation and incentives
• Structure
• Culture
• Metrics – schedule adherence and quality

Implement operational plans and processes

Considerations

1. Understand and acknowledge the importance of processes.
2. Identify major processes.
   • Resource planning
   • Quality management
   • Measuring performance
   • Customer relationships
   • Leveraging customer feedback
3. Describe how to keep processes up to date.

Establish enabling technologies

Major Trends in Customer Service Technologies

• Network and cloud
• Omnichannel
• Workforce optimization
• Quality monitoring systems
• Customer relationship systems
• Fulfillment and tracking
• Desktop
• Artificial intelligence (AI)
• Customer technologies

How can technology support and further your customer service vision?

Make the required investments

Investment and Budget

1. Develop strategy, then define budget
2. Make funding decisions in context
3. Maximize cross-functional resources
4. Focus on business results

Harness innovation

Lenses for Innovation and Alignment

1. Metrics
   • Net Promoter Score (NPS)
   • Customer Effort Score (CES)
   • Service Metrics for Customer Service LinkedIN course
2. SWOT
   • Strengths
   • Weaknesses
   • Opportunities
   • Threats

Use strategy to guide decisions and direction

Review your vision and strategy before every meeting. Make your strategy widely available. Use your strategy to focus.

Use your strategy to help guide change and to communicate why AI is necessary.

Gauge the effectiveness of the customer service strategy

Keys to Effective Strategy

1. Visibility
2. Collaboration
3. Customer-focused culture
4. Employee engagement

Keep strategy current

1. Assign an owner.
2. Ensure it is understood.
3. Keep it simple and inspiring.
4. Use it.
5. Introduce it to new employees.

Shape the future

1. Identify who should be involved.
   • Take the lead, but get input from others.
   • Look to complement existing efforts.
2. Revisit this course.
3. Use your strategy to guide you.