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Guest Post: Unlock Secret to Exceptional Customer Service Productivity

This week, we feature an article by Clive Hanks from TextExpander, a communication and efficiency tool that helps individuals and companies become more productive. He writes about how customer service productivity tools and processes helps businesses provide better CX. In today’s digital world, customer service productivity is more important than ever. With the rise of […]

This week, we feature an article by Clive Hanks from TextExpander, a communication and efficiency tool that helps individuals and companies become more productive. He writes about how customer service productivity tools and processes helps businesses provide better CX.

In today’s digital world, customer service productivity is more important than ever. With the rise of online shopping and e-commerce, consumers increasingly turn to chat and email-based tools to contact companies. This means that it is critical for customer service professionals to have the best tools and processes in place to handle these inquiries efficiently and effectively. Customer service productivity is vital to meeting customers’ needs in 2023 and beyond.

Not only is customer service productivity important for providing a good customer experience, it is also vital for business success. In a 2022 survey, it was found that 58% of consumers are willing to pay more for a better customer experience. By improving customer service productivity, businesses can provide a better experience for their customers and potentially increase their revenue.

With so many consumers moving their contact methods to chat and email-based tools, it’s important for customer service professionals to have the best tools at their disposal. This can include automation software, customer support platforms, and other tools that can help streamline processes and improve efficiency. By investing in the right tools, businesses can improve customer service productivity and provide a better customer experience. 

What is customer service productivity?

Customer service productivity measures how efficiently a customer service team can handle and resolve customer inquiries and complaints. It is an important business metric, as it can impact customer satisfaction, retention, and loyalty. By improving customer service productivity, companies can provide a better customer experience, leading to increased business success.

There are various ways to measure customer service productivity, including metrics such as First Contact Resolution (FCR), Ticket Resolution Time, and Customer Satisfaction Score (CSAT). By tracking these metrics and identifying areas for improvement, businesses can take steps to increase customer service productivity and provide a better experience for their customers.

First Contact Resolution (FCR)

First Contact Resolution (FCR) is the percentage of customer inquiries that are resolved during the first interaction with a customer service representative. A high FCR rate indicates that customer service team members can handle various issues and provide effective solutions. This metric is important because it can help reduce the overall workload for customer service teams, allowing them to resolve issues quickly and efficiently, rather than following up with customers multiple times.

By tracking FCR and working to improve it, customer service professionals can help increase the efficiency and productivity of their team. This can include things like providing additional training to team members, investing in new tools and technology, or streamlining processes. By making these adjustments, businesses can improve First Contact Resolution and provide a better customer experience.

In addition to improving customer service productivity, a high FCR rate can also have a positive impact on the customer experience. Customers who have their issues resolved during the first interaction with a customer service representative are likely to be more satisfied with the service they receive. This can increase customer retention and loyalty, which can benefit businesses.

Ticket Resolution Time

Ticket Resolution Time is the average time it takes for a customer service representative to resolve a customer inquiry or complaint. This metric is used to measure the productivity of a customer service team and can help identify areas for improvement. A low ticket resolution time is a sign of an efficient team that can handle issues quickly and effectively.

By tracking Ticket Resolution Time, businesses can gain a better understanding of how their customer service team is performing and identify areas for improvement. This can include things like streamlining processes, investing in new tools and technology, or providing additional training to team members. By making adjustments based on this metric, businesses can increase customer service productivity and provide a better customer experience.

In addition to improving customer service productivity, reducing ticket resolution time can also have a positive impact on the customer experience. Customers who have to wait long periods of time to have their issues resolved may become frustrated and less likely to do business with a company in the future. By reducing ticket resolution time, businesses can improve the customer experience and potentially increase customer retention and loyalty.

Total Tickets Resolved in a Period

Total Tickets Resolved in a Period is a metric that measures the total number of customer inquiries and complaints that are resolved within a specific time frame, such as a week or a month. This metric is used to measure the productivity of a customer service team and can help identify areas for improvement. A high number of resolved tickets is a sign of a productive team, while a low number may indicate that the team is struggling to keep up with customer inquiries and complaints.

By tracking Total Tickets Resolved in a Period, businesses can gain a better understanding of how their customer service team is performing and identify areas for improvement. This can include things like streamlining processes, investing in new tools and technology, or providing additional training to team members. By making adjustments based on this metric, businesses can increase customer service productivity and provide a better customer experience.

Customer Satisfaction Score (CSAT)

Customer Satisfaction Score (CSAT) measures how satisfied customers are with the service they receive from your company. A high CSAT score is a sign of a customer-centric team that can meet the needs of its customers. Improving CSAT scores can also have a positive impact on customer retention and loyalty, as satisfied customers are more likely to continue doing business with a company.

It’s important to note that customer service and productivity are closely related. A team that can handle customer inquiries and complaints quickly and effectively is likely to be more productive, as they can clear their workload and move on to the next task. On the other hand, a team that is bogged down by a high volume of customer inquiries and complaints is likely to be less productive.

Net Promoter Score (NPS)

Net Promoter Score (NPS) measures customer loyalty and satisfaction. It is calculated by asking customers a single question: “On a scale of 0 to 10, how likely are you to recommend this company’s products or services to a friend or colleague?” Customers who respond with a score of 9 or 10 are considered “promoters,” while those who respond with a score of 0 to 6 are considered “detractors.” The NPS is then calculated by subtracting the percentage of detractors from the percentage of promoters.

NPS can be a useful metric for customer service professionals as it can provide insight into customer satisfaction and loyalty. A high NPS score indicates that a company has many satisfied and loyal customers who are likely to recommend the company’s products or services to others. This can be an important factor in driving business growth and success.

On the other hand, a low NPS score may indicate that a company has many unhappy customers who are unlikely to recommend the company’s products or services to others. This can be a red flag for customer service professionals and may indicate that there are issues with the customer experience that need to be addressed. By tracking NPS and working to improve scores, customer service professionals can help drive customer satisfaction, loyalty, and ultimately more repeat customers.

Tips for improving customer service productivity

Set clear roles & responsibilities

Defining clear roles and responsibilities is crucial for customer service productivity. Doing so ensures that team members understand their duties and expectations, prevents confusion and work overlap, and facilitates effective teamwork and collaboration.

Clear roles and responsibilities also aid in resource management, allowing for the allocation of tasks based on team members’ strengths and capabilities. Without clarity, customer service teams may struggle with confusion and inefficiency, reducing productivity.

Establishing clear roles and responsibilities is essential for improving the efficiency and productivity of a customer service team.

Build a dedicated self-service portal for both customer service professionals and customers

Implementing a self-service portal is a great way to improve the efficiency and productivity of a customer service team. A self-service portal allows customers to find answers to common questions independently, reducing the workload for customer service team members and freeing them up to handle more complex or urgent issues. This can lead to increased productivity and efficiency within the customer service team.

In addition to improving customer service productivity, a self-service portal can enhance the customer experience. Customers appreciate the ability to find answers to their questions quickly and easily, without waiting for a response from a customer service representative. This can lead to increased customer satisfaction and loyalty.

A self-service portal can be an effective tool for any business that wants to improve customer service productivity and the customer experience. By providing customers with the ability to find answers to their questions on their own, businesses can free up their customer service team members to handle more complex issues and improve the overall efficiency and productivity of their customer service operations.

Automate manual work using customer support software

Automation is an essential tool for businesses that want to improve customer service productivity. By automating routine tasks, customer service teams can save time and focus on more complex issues, increasing efficiency and effectiveness.

One tool that can help improve customer service through automation is TextExpander. This software allows users to create custom keyboard shortcuts for frequently used phrases, saving time and improving accuracy when responding to customer inquiries.

For example, if a customer service representative frequently uses the phrase “Thank you for contacting us. We apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused.” when responding to customer complaints, they can create a snippet for this phrase using TextExpander.

Then, whenever they need to use this phrase while working with customers, they can simply type the Snippet and the full phrase will automatically be typed out for them. This can help save time and reduce the risk of typos or mistakes. Sound interesting? Try it out in a live demo below. Just type thxsorry in the box below to see how TextExpander can empower your customer service team to respond faster and more efficiently. Customer Service Managers can also build Snippet Groups that are available to everyone on the team.

TextExpander is just one example of the many automation tools that improve customer service productivity. By investing in automation software, businesses can streamline processes and free up their customer service teams to focus on more complex tasks, leading to increased efficiency and effectiveness.

Avoid multitasking at all costs

Multitasking might seem like an effective way to get more done in less time, but in reality, it can decrease productivity. This is especially true in the customer service industry, where the ability to concentrate and focus on a single task is essential for providing high-quality service.

When a customer service representative is multitasking, they are constantly switching their attention between different tasks. This can lead to reduced efficiency, as the brain has to adjust to each new task and input, resulting in slower overall performance.

To avoid multitasking and improve customer service productivity, companies must encourage team members to focus on one task at a time—including one ticket. This can be done by setting clear priorities and helping team members manage their workload effectively. By eliminating distractions and allowing team members to concentrate on a single task, businesses can improve efficiency and provide a better customer experience.

Embrace healthy competition

Embracing healthy competition among customer support professionals can be a useful tool for improving customer service in several ways. Here are a few examples of how customer service managers can use it to drive productivity:

  1. Encouraging team members to compete with each other to resolve customer issues faster and more effectively can motivate them to work harder and perform at their best.
  2. Setting specific goals or targets for customer service professionals can create a sense of competition and help them stay focused and motivated.
  3. Providing incentives or rewards for top performers can encourage team members to strive for excellence and improve their customer service skills.
  4. Allowing team members to compete with each other in a friendly and respectful manner can foster a sense of teamwork and collaboration, leading to better communication and problem-solving skills within the team.

By embracing healthy competition within a customer service team, businesses can improve customer service productivity and provide a better customer experience. It’s important, however, to ensure that competition is kept in perspective and does not become a negative force within the team. Encouraging teamwork and collaboration is important for maintaining a positive and productive work environment.

Invest in soft skills training

Investing in soft skills training can be an effective way to improve customer service productivity. Developing strong communication skills helps customer service professionals better understand customer needs and effectively convey information to them, leading to faster resolution of customer issues and a better overall customer experience.

Improving problem-solving skills helps customer service professionals identify and resolve customer issues more effectively, increasing productivity and efficiency. Providing training on conflict resolution and de-escalation techniques helps customer service professionals handle difficult customer interactions calmly and professionally, leading to better outcomes and a more positive customer experience.

Track customer service productivity metrics while remembering the human element

Companies need to remember that their customer service professionals are not robots, and not everything can be distilled into metrics. While tracking customer service productivity metrics can be helpful, it’s also important to consider the human element of customer service. Providing high-quality customer service often requires empathy, emotional intelligence, and the ability to connect with customers on a personal level. Metrics cannot always measure these skills, but they are essential for providing the best customer experience possible.

In addition, companies should be mindful of the fact that sometimes providing the best customer service takes a little longer. While it’s important to be efficient and resolve customer issues as quickly as possible, it’s also important to ensure that customer inquiries and complaints are thoroughly addressed and resolved to the customer’s satisfaction. By balancing efficiency and effectiveness, companies can provide the best customer service possible while still tracking and improving customer service productivity metrics.

Reward your productive customer service team members

Rewarding a productive staff is an important aspect of providing great customer service and ultimately leads to improved customer service productivity metrics. There are a variety of ways that companies can reward their customer service teams for their hard work and dedication, such as:

  1. Bonuses for team wins: Recognizing and rewarding team members for contributing to company success can be a powerful motivator. Consider offering cash bonuses or other incentives such as extra paid time off for customer service teams that exceed performance goals or achieve significant milestones. However, financial incentives are not always the best motivators.
  2. Promoting from within: Recognizing and promoting top performers within the customer service team can be a great way to reward hard work and encourage continued growth and development. By promoting from within, companies can show appreciation for their employees’ dedication and commitment to excellence.
  3. Bonus lunch deliveries: Showing appreciation for customer service professionals doesn’t have to be expensive. Consider surprising the team with a bonus lunch delivery or other small gestures of appreciation to show your appreciation for their hard work.
  4. Holiday hour bonuses: Customer service professionals often work long and irregular hours, especially during the holiday season. Offering bonuses or other incentives for working extra hours can be a great way to show appreciation and reward hard work.

Conclusion

Improving customer service productivity is crucial for businesses looking to increase efficiency, reduce costs, and enhance customer satisfaction. There are a variety of strategies that businesses can implement to achieve these goals, including optimizing workflows and processes, implementing productivity tools and technologies, and providing ongoing training and support for customer service teams. Regularly tracking and measuring productivity metrics can also help to identify areas for improvement and ensure that efforts to increase productivity are effective.

By taking a proactive and data-driven approach to improving customer service productivity, businesses can continuously optimize their operations and deliver better customer experiences. Regardless if you’re in a call center looking to improve productivity and efficiency for teams on the phone or for customer service representatives working at home, remember that people aren’t robots and you ultimately want to hire and retain team members who put your customers first.

Clive Hanks writes about training, customer feedback, and productivity for TextExpander.

Read Shep’s latest Forbes article: Unlock The Secrets To Exceptional Customer Service: 5 Key Findings From The 2023 State Of CX Report

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