As consumer demands for best-in-class customer service continue to rise, the burden of expectation on companies is staggering. Customers are no longer surprised when needs are anticipated, instead it is simply expected. Customer service representatives face a daunting challenge to meet expectations, and many companies are ill equipped to empower these representatives to do it.
Customer loyalty can takes years to cultivate, and can be lost overnight by a single poor experience. Mitigating the likelihood of a bad experience, therefore, is paramount within the realm of customer service. But companies often lack the resources, infrastructure, and strategic direction to create a customer service capability agile and informed enough to avoid those bad experiences.
To prevent a poor experience, and to anticipate customer needs, one must have a full picture of the customer journey. Not a new concept, many companies have touchpoints mapped out of a typical customer experience, and that mitigates a fair share of potential bad interactions. However, demand is now reaching a level where simply an overview of typical customer journeys is not enough. Deep dives into the episodic events that make up the journey are needed to see the interwoven threads of interactions across the multiple channels by which B2C and B2B (to an extent) companies serve their customers.
Customer service consultants are increasingly advocating for end-to-end transformation of client capability in this area. The tactical "quick win" solutions of the past, while perhaps still relevant for some smaller companies, usually turn out to just be bandages that don't endure due to lack of scope and agility. Holistic transformation that encourages the integration of front, middle, and back office functions to create a strong customer experience capability, while costly upfront, mitigates the potentially large losses that would occur through a poor service capability. Competition in service is fierce, and bold enterprise wide initiatives must occur for the strong to survive.
Fortunately for clients undertaking this effort these days, consultants are now baking in the monitoring and predictive analytics needed to take episodic dives into customer journey lifecycles. All interactions are recorded, and pertinent information is seamlessly passed on to service representatives when needed most. From previous interactions, to product delivery, to social media commentary, representatives are now equipped with the complete picture of each individual journey, to the delight of the customer.
The challenges companies face now also present challenges to customer service consultancies. While the human element of representative training and the strict advocacy for core service values will continue to have a place in this area of advisory, the demand for enterprise wide integration with built-in journey and episodic monitoring can often lead to complexity in strategic planning that goes far beyond the scope of specialty firms. As the demands of customers continue to evolve, the true test in the consulting world will be firms' ability to adapt and evolve themselves to ensure the companies they serve remain ahead of the curve. Clients are customers too, after all.
Matthew Merker is a Senior Analyst, Management Consulting Research for ALM Intelligence focusing on Operations and HR Benefits research.
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