Many Customer Service staff are measured by quantitative indicators, things such as the number of calls handled, the wait time, the number of customers served, and the average time per service transaction, the number of hang ups etc.
While this is useful data I would like to suggest a different philosophical approach, one of being fully customer focused and pro-active in the area of customer satisfaction.
I suggest you measure staff on their abilities to deliver complete satisfaction to customers.
Rather than being reactive and process driven in determining customer needs, teach your people to be more acute listeners and observers. While you are doing this, give them authority to fix problems when it seems reasonable to do so.
Hmmmm, I hear you thinking…how will I measure that? What about using Common Sense? Surely that would be too simple!
Tuesday, September 14, 2010
Tuesday, September 7, 2010
What is your culture towards complaints?
When customers try to make a complaint they often run into hurdles and barriers just trying to find someone to voice their complaint. Often they get angrier and angrier.
The result is a small problem that develops into a larger one, simply because the customer cannot find an easy way to channel their concerns, anger, fears, worries, questions, or complaints to your organisation in a timely and convenient manner. Frequently it seems no one REALLY wants to listen!
The initial reaction to a customer complaint is often defensive (trying to push the blame back onto the customer) or process driven. Few things seem to infuriate customers more than this attitude. And not being able to find the right contact details for lodging a complaint, or being forced to speak with a call centre "service rep" makes it even worse.
Another example of this is when your e-mail auto responder system sends out the highly depersonalizing "thank you for your enquiry, we will get back to you promptly" message when an e-mail of complaint is sent via the organization's web site.
Please note: an e-mail (or letter) of complaint is not an enquiry, it is an attempt to get a humanized and customized resolution to a situation.
The result is a small problem that develops into a larger one, simply because the customer cannot find an easy way to channel their concerns, anger, fears, worries, questions, or complaints to your organisation in a timely and convenient manner. Frequently it seems no one REALLY wants to listen!
The initial reaction to a customer complaint is often defensive (trying to push the blame back onto the customer) or process driven. Few things seem to infuriate customers more than this attitude. And not being able to find the right contact details for lodging a complaint, or being forced to speak with a call centre "service rep" makes it even worse.
Another example of this is when your e-mail auto responder system sends out the highly depersonalizing "thank you for your enquiry, we will get back to you promptly" message when an e-mail of complaint is sent via the organization's web site.
Please note: an e-mail (or letter) of complaint is not an enquiry, it is an attempt to get a humanized and customized resolution to a situation.
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