Moving Beyond the Queue

Focusing on the Real-Time Customer

by Tim Montgomery, The Service Level Group

Abstract

Forward thinking companies are developing new ways to refocus themselves on the new "real-time" customer and use customers in new ways to provide the organization with valuable information on what's really happening. By appreciating the real-time customer and understanding the right things on which to focus, companies can position themselves for success in this new era of service. In this paper, Tim Montgomery, a highly regarded industry consultant, speaker and author explores new ideas on ways every call center can keep up with new customer demands. Specific topics include:

Introduction

Customers are now in control of business, and today's call centers have the unenviable task of meeting and managing customer expectations that are moving at a lightningfast pace. The shift in control began with companies' increasing reliance on the Internet, which has given birth to a whole new host of customer complaint (and accolade) tools – e.g., blogs, audio files, YouTube videos and customer-powered websites that focus on satisfaction and dissatisfaction with specific products and services.

Many companies lack the ability to keep up with the new pace of change, and the old ways of establishing yourself as a service leader are no longer eff ective. Companies now must be sure to establish a culture of customer-centricity, with everyone in the organization trained to understand and appreciate the value of great service — no small feat. In addition, world class companies of today include customers in determining their real-time service expectations, and realize that customers are their new marketing vehicle.

The shift to customer control is so well positioned that many companies have moved away from celebrating survey success to focusing more on critical real-time indicators, such as the customer blogs, websites, discussion forums, etc., already alluded to. By paying more attention to these forums, forward-thinking companies are connecting their processes with the ever-changing expectations of those they serve. Gone are the days where a 95% satisfaction rate is something to brag about — in fact, if you're an eBay seller, anything below a 98% satisfaction rating will push people away. We're in an era where consumers expect multimillion dollar companies to be able to provide service that is just as friendly and personalized as that provided by the small mom and pop shop down the street. Thus, the new challenge for call centers is getting everyone in the center to think of themselves as providing "mom and pop" type service. This may sound like an unrealistic endeavor, but the fact is, top companies are doing it and using it to create additional competitive advantage with every interaction.

What follows are ideas on ways companies can refocus themselves on the new "realtime" customer and use customers in new ways to provide the organization with valuable information on what's really happening. By appreciating the real-time customer and understanding the right things on which to focus, companies can position themselves for success in this new era of service. Best of all, the call center is well positioned to be the key enabler of success in this new era of customer control.

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