The problem
A manufacturing company discovered that its customer service division was causing a decrease in overall customer satisfaction. The company was also lamenting a steep increase in cost to maintain customer service even at that level of satisfaction.
A manufacturing company discovered that its customer service division was causing a decrease in overall customer satisfaction. The company was also lamenting a steep increase in cost to maintain customer service even at that level of satisfaction.
The solution
A brief analysis of the situation revealed that the customer service department was lacking key processes and unity of vision. Additionally, customer service representatives were “stuck” in one area of expertise, which fostered complacency and slow adaptation.
A brief analysis of the situation revealed that the customer service department was lacking key processes and unity of vision. Additionally, customer service representatives were “stuck” in one area of expertise, which fostered complacency and slow adaptation.
Our first order of business was to identify the “critical success factors” that would allow customer rating (which, at the time, was around 2.0 on a 1-5 scale) to rise. We discovered that customer dissatisfaction was rooted in just a few elements. Based on these factors, we analyzed processes and re-wrote them, allowing for a streamlining of actions and a leaner approach to customer service management. We re-wrote most procedures for customer service employees, and set standards for customer interaction. We identified weak spots and retrained personnel where appropriate, and modified the hours of operations to include East and West coast loads
By adding a simple technological infrastructure, we managed to reduce the email backlog from over 5,000 emails to less than 5 emails per CSR, and a response time from several weeks to only a couple of days. The introduction of technology allowed many customers to self service at a time of their choosing. It also freed up customer service representatives to initiate outbound calling, up-sell and cross-sell, and offer value-added services to consumers, providing an additional income stream to support more training and a stronger infrastructure
Throughout this process, we implemented a system to gain constant feedback during any consumer interaction, and set up a procedure where every customer rating below 3.0 would be forwarded to a supervisor for review, resolution and system improvement.
The results: The company experienced a reduction in abandoned call rates from 46% to less than 3%, while one-call resolution rose to over 80%.
Within 12 months, customer service rating rose from 2.0 to 4.0 and eventually reached a score above 4.5, adding a revenue stream to its balance sheet.
Within 12 months, customer service rating rose from 2.0 to 4.0 and eventually reached a score above 4.5, adding a revenue stream to its balance sheet.
In a Nutshell:
- How do you fix a progressively more expensive customer service that is not satisfying customers without losing even more money?
- Understand root-causes, redesign processes and offer services that matter to the service center consumers, through traditional and technological tools.
- Watch as customer satisfaction brings in more sales and allows you to create additional income streams.
Success Stories - The Customer Service Canundrum
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