Three Common Mistakes organizations Make in Customer Service

By Richard West, Service Desk Manager, Global Service Desk, Marval

A recent Forrester report stated that “it’s not enough to be customer-centric; companies should be customer-obsessed”. Personally, I couldn’t agree more. Improving Customer Experience is perhaps one of the most pressing and crucial business objectives for today’s organizations. Reports have shown that almost 4/5 of consumers admit they did not make an intended purchase due to poor experience. That’s worrying but hardly surprising: with more options than ever before, customers are looking for that little extra that would make them feel special when interacting with your organization.

My experience managing a Global Service Desk has taught me that customers need to know they are not ignored; that someone is available to respond to their request rapidly and efficiently. They need to know they will receive consistent service by professionals who are accountable for the quality of their work. They also need to know that they are treated with respect, care and consideration at all times. It’s what I call the three “Rs”: Responsiveness, Responsibility and Respect.

It sounds simple enough, doesn’t it? Yet, many organizations are struggling to provide a memorable customer experience. Here are three common mistakes organizations make when delivering Service Management:

1.      Not asking for feedback. Did you know that only 4% of your dissatisfied customers will come back to you and complain? 96% of your customers out there are not happy with your service, but won’t raise the issue. But if there’s something wrong with your service desk, you definitely want to know about it.

Solution: Use a smart ITSM tool to collect and evaluate both the customers’ feedback and your team’s performance. Good ITSM Analytics will provide you with an accurate overview of your performance and highlight areas of improvement.

One step further: Use Marval’s innovative SSI feature to listen to your team and record their feedback. Your Analysts are aware of most of the problems and should be able to contribute ideas for improvement. Taking their feedback and acting on it will not only help improve your service, but keep your team focused on their goals, motivated and satisfied with the extra recognition they receive.

2.      Failure to foster the right culture. You may have the process. You may have the tools. Unless you have a solid customer-centric culture, your efforts won’t get the desired results.

Traditionally, organizations adopt business models which are not customer-centric. This is changing as more businesses realise the advantages of a customer-centric culture, but adjusting long-established business models to the new approach takes time. Exceptional customer service is provided by people who (assisted by a proven process and great technology) share the same commitment to delivering a great experience to their customers.

Solution: “Share” is a key word here. Culture is what your team shares with its members, its customers, its partners and colleagues. It’s part of your identity, what makes your team unique and defines whether you are aligned with your organization’s goals. Treat culture as a business objective and put it high in your priorities.  

One step further: Technology can help. Use Marval MSM’s smart features to promote, reinforce and support a customer-centric culture not only within your team, but across your organization.

3.      Lacking a clear vision about Customer Service. What do you want your customer experience to be like? Exceptional? Memorable? Rich? Fast? Simplified? All good words, but they don’t provide the substance of what you stand for. Your vision should be crystal clear and your strategy simple and straightforward: this is what we want to achieve and this is how we are going to do it.

Solution: Make sure your team understands and embraces your vision. Share the objectives and let them see how their good work affects (and improves) the organization as a whole. Help them see the big picture by highlighting their contribution to the business’ success.

One step further: Focus on how your team’s work (and performance) is aligned to the business objectives. Use Marval MSM’s Analytics and comprehensive reports to document and communicate your findings.