CX – The Best of the Best and the Worst of the Worst

The best customer service is circular: better service means improved business outcomes. Great CX results in happy, loyal customers and THAT generates profits. So if we’re talking about CX champions, exactly what are we talking about? How can companies align their business policies to put customers at the forefront of their business model? What processes, people, technology and data need to be in place to ensure exceptional and consistent customer service?

We only have to make it personal in order to relate better to the unbelievable impact that customer service – good or bad – has on the customer journey. After all, haven’t we all had that nightmare experience…the long wait times, slow – or no – responses, rude agents, or being a victim of the voicemail maze.  It’s probably safe to say that most of us have had that memorable, personalized, next-level service as well – the kind that has us sharing it with whoever will listen.

The champions of the CX movement have identified some tried and true strategies – game-changers that unequivocally elevate customer experience. These are several key ways that CX winners remain in the lead:

  • They raise the skill level of customer service teams.
  • Staffing levels are appropriately maintained.
  • Not only is customer feedback acted on, but it is acted on in an agile way.
  • Agents are consistently set up for success by having remote work options, receiving a 360-degree customer view, and operating with seamless channel-switching.
  • Knowing that CX is a differentiator, champions make investments to accelerate customer experience, while reacting to metrics every day.

With the understanding that service teams are profit centers, the true customer experience leaders are placing focus on CX in a number of ways. For example, many are moving away from “transactional interactions” and embracing “relationship-building conversational experiences”. A meaningful conversation establishes trust and empathy and supports agents in having positive interactions with customers. Additionally, integrating business-critical tools and technology can assist agents in analyzing the customer’s history and relationship with the company, allowing for more personalized interactions.

Conversational customer support is becoming mainstream, with consumers adopting new conversational channels. While traditional channels such as email and phone support are here to stay, chat and social platforms will increasingly facilitate customer conversations.

Let’s not forget that today’s consumers know what good customer service should look like and are less likely than ever to tolerate frustrating experiences before they walk away. While next-level customer service requires organizations to make a commitment and investment, the rewards are undeniable, and will only drive repeat customers – along with profits.

It’s important to have a level of CX flexibility that allows your business to change and adapt as your customers do so. When their preferences change, so must the support that your teams deliver. Integrating workforce engagement management tools is a great way to manage and predict channel volume regarding staffing needs.

Other critical areas to focus on are the first response time (FRT), and total resolution time (TRT). Removing automated responses from the picture, first response time refers to how long it takes a company to respond to customer support requests, and TRT indicates the length of time involved to get the ball rolling and reach a customer resolution.

At the end of the day, there is solid ROI evidence that CX-centric companies are reaping the rewards. Check in with Anexa to learn more about partnering with one of the best BPO outsourcing companies in the market.