Customer Experience & Commercial Enhancements

by Grant Gipe in

Incorporating a “Customer Experience” business approach throughout the organization and spearheaded by Customer Care is imperative to support improve operational inefficiencies, reduce costs, and improve customer satisfaction. Customer Experience is defined as:

  • It's the sum total of the interactions that a customer has with a company's products, people, and processes.
  • It goes from the moment when customers see an ad to the moment when they make a purchase, make their first call, receive their first invoice, listen to their balance, --- and beyond.

Customer Experience includes all touch points and departments throughout the organization – it’s a not only a philosophy but a way of doing “smart” business. Here's an example I implemented for a GSM mobile operator.

When introducing new products / services or enhancing existing ones, it’s recommended a “Commercial Enhancement Process” is followed that collects inputs from Customer Care and other departments regarding the customer impact and help identify internal actions required to support the product. For example:

  • Updated CRM contact reason codes
  • Updated website FAQs
  • Preparing and administering agent level product training
  • Checking marcomms materials for clarity, accuracy, ease of understanding before going live
  • Amended workflows, call scripts
  • Changes to the billing system and bill layout

Customer Care's Operational Imperatives

by Grant Gipe in , , ,

Customer Care’s primary role is providing customers with support ranging from sales, retention, and help queries. It is the one key “company / customer” touch point serving to reinforce your company's brand values and its customer relationship.

Customer Care servers as the “filter” between the business and its customers. It captures customer contact reasons and provides information throughout the organization in order to improve the Customer Experience and minimize unnecessary support queries and subsequent costs. Thus, Customer Care has the following 3 operational imperatives:

1.      Call Avoidance – Review contact reasons codes and call metrics in an effort to identify process improvements and appropriate measures to mitigate unnecessary support queries.

2.      Cost Reduction – Focus on “Continuous Improvement” to reduce operational costs and improve department productivity and efficiency – do more for less.

3.      Customer Experience – Design processes and procedures form the customer’s perspective (outside in), use common contact handling procedures, call scripts, support applications, and metrics/measures.

As a starting point to help define you define your own Customer Care strategy, I propose the following statements and objectives:

Mission Statement:

To treat every customer contact and task as an opportunity to strengthen our company’s relationship with that customer.

Vission Statement:

To dramatically improve our customer’s perception y dealing with customers professionally, in a manner and where they prefer, and by ‘doing it right the first time’.

Values: 

  1. Make every customer contact an easy and rewarding experience by being knowledgeable, reliable, and respectful.
  2. Represent the customer by communicating actionable information to drive improvement measures.
  3. Ensure data capture is accurate, relevant, and complete.
  4. Employ and retain dedicated, motivated, and skilled professionals.
  5. Create a work environment that our employees find enjoyable and rewarding.
  6. Invest in and value our employees through continuous performance assessment, professional skills development, and timely feedback.

Customer Experience Statement:

We will be renowned for our reliable service. Our people will be knowledgeable and respond and resolve all customer queries promptly, therefore making customers feel assured. This will be delivered in an enjoyable and caring way that will ultimately make our customers feel special and valued. Our customers will trust us and believe we provide value for money.

Business & Performance Objectives: 


What is the SERVQUAL?

by Grant Gipe in

The SERVQUAL is a research methodology designed to measure a company's services gap. It is also referred to as a Services Gap Framework.

The main objectives are:

  • To measure customer perceptions & expectations based on 6 service dimensions.
  • To measure the difference between customer expectations and company perceptions of expectations.
  • To measure customer’s “Zone of Tolerance”.
  • To understand customer expectations & perceptions of the service delivery process.
  • To re-align processes & procedures from a customer perspective.

The Services Gap Model is a framework to measure gaps for processes, standards, expectations, perceptions, & communication. It is internally and externally focused.

The gaps are defined as:

  • Provider Gap 1: Not knowing what customers expect.
  • Provider Gap 2: Not selecting the right service design standards.
  • Provider Gap 3: Not delivering service standards.
  • Provider Gap 4: Not matching performance to promises.
  • Customer Gap 5: The difference between customer perceptions & expectations.
Services Gap Model

Key reasons for Provider Gap 1: Not knowing what customers expect

  •  Insufficient marketing research
  •  Inadequate use of marketing research
  •  Lack of interaction between management & customers
  •  Poor communication between contact employees & managers
  •  Lack of market segmentation
  •  Focus on transactions rather than relationships
  •  Focus on new customers rather than existing customers 

Key reasons for Provider Gap 2: Not selecting the right service design standards

  •  Inadequate standardization of service behaviors & actions
  •  Absence of formal process for setting service quality goals
  •  Lack of customer-defined standards
  •  Lack of recognition that quality service is a profit center
  •  Imbalanced performance scorecard

Key reasons for Provider Gap 3: Not delivering service standards

  •  Ineffective recruitment
  •  Role ambiguity and role conflict
  •  Poor employee-technology fit
  •  Inappropriate evaluation and compensation systems
  •  Lack of empowerment and teamwork
  •  Customers lack understanding of their role
  •  Customers are unwilling or unable to perform their roles
  •  Customers are not rewarded for good performanc

Key reasons for Provider Gap 4: Not matching performance to standards

  •  Inadequate management of service promises
  •  Overpromising in advertising and personal selling
  •  Insufficient customer education
  •  Inadequate horizontal communications
  •  Differences in policies and procedures across affiliates
  •  Not understanding customer’s value definitions
  •  Lack of physical evidence strategy  

Key reasons for Provider Gap 5: The difference between customer expectations and perceptions

SERVQUAL questions are based on six service dimensions:

  1. Reliable: Ability to perform the promised service dependably & accurately
  2. Responsive: Willingness to help customers & provide prompt service
  3. Assurance: Employees’ are skilled & knowledgeable about products
  4. Accessible: Customers are able to contact when & how they want
  5. Empathy: Ability to provide caring, sincere, friendly, & individualized attention
  6. Tangibles: Appearance of physical facilities, equipment, personnel, & written materials