Customer service: Sustained outcomes are key
Has your organization ever hosted an event with a dress theme? Somebody I know works for an organization which encourages a different dress theme for the organization for each day of a particular week. The theme for one of those days was “Back to School”, and this person took that particular day so seriously that they won the award for best-dressed “school student”.
But: why such an initiative? Well, October 4 to 8 this year marked “Customer Service Week-2021”, an international celebration of the importance of customer service and of the people who serve and support customers daily. During this week, many organizations undertook various activities to celebrate their customers. Social media was awash with various prominent personalities thanking and honouring their customers on behalf of their organizations, including bold declarations by the organizations of their commitment for high quality services to those customers.
During customer service week, I reflected on some of my own experiences as a customer – in particular as regards what meaningful personal service means, particularly in this digital day and age. For example, some of your service providers (e.g. banks, insurance companies, mobile network operators, utility service companies, etc.) may have sent automated thank you messages (text or email) during the customer service week or other similar automated messages on your birthday or during festive seasons. But, how do these impersonal appreciation or recognition messages make you feel, particularly if not accompanied by high quality services throughout the year?
Whilst digital disruption can be a great enabler, if not carefully managed such disruption can result in disappointment rather than a dividend from a service perspective. For example, have you logged a request through the customer care email provided by your service provider and received an automated reply that the request would be attended to within 48 hours; or that at least someone will contact you but a week later, no resolution or contact? Or, been greeted by an automated phone message that takes you through a bewildering number of steps before you can actually speak to a human being?
Yet, even where the interaction is personal, it will disappoint if not sufficiently customer focused. Have you ever had coffee with your relationship manager devoid of a pitch? Do you know anyone crying foul over an insurance company wooing them with their ability to settle claims fast but went through a harrowing experience when they eventually lodged a claim? Have you ever ordered a burger or sandwich at a restaurant specifying no cheese but was nevertheless served with cheese followed by attempts to scrape it off when you pointed out the mistake rather than replace it altogether? Has a technician called on you one fine morning to disconnect a service for late payment when you have not even received the invoice?
Perhaps, our area of greatest sensitivity is our own health. One hospital in the East Africa region recently received adverse publicity for allegedly defrauding patients (or their insurers) through unnecessary tests and admissions to raise revenue. Does the concern over excessive medical tests resonate with your own experience? Have you had to wait for hours on end to see a specialist doctor despite having secured an appointment because of hospital ward round commitments known in advance by the doctor?
All these examples of the everyday challenges people face highlight the importance of great customer service. To make such service more meaningful it will need to be appropriately personal and consistent throughout the year. This will be more meaningful than the glamorous activities taking place during the customer service week or the impersonal text messages customers receive on different occasions. An analogy can be drawn with lame attempts of expressing love on Valentine’s Day if one is largely absent throughout the year.
Particularly insightful are the words of Scott D. Cook to the effect that “a brand is no longer what we tell the consumer what it is – it is what consumers tell each other it is!” To that end, it is important to ensure that all the players involved in delivering a delightful experience are aligned; too often, it is the faceless back-office players who are cited when things don’t go well. But how were they engaged or involved in understanding service needs and experience?
Of course, it “takes two to tango”. While it is the obligation of the provider to delight the customer, it does not hurt for the customer to appreciate good service. A warm genuine thank you to your host at the restaurant will go a long way…. and in valuing great customer service do remunerate it appropriately, as a great experience will come with underlying costs. And so, whilst bargaining is in the nature of customers – and indeed part of our DNA in Africa – driving too hard a bargain may result in a false economy if the consequence is poorer service levels.
Ultimately, it is about striking an appropriate balance – whether in terms of the nature of the interactions (personal versus impersonal), the focus of such interactions (balancing revenue generation or business development aspirations with a true understanding of the client’s needs) and the consistency of the service activities. It is about sustained outcomes for all concerned.
