Many of the larger organisations we meet often say they have a strategy to deliver “world class service performance”. Whilst this ideal is a commendable target - just what is “world class service” in the context of email management? In our experience, very few organisations have risen to this challenge and few understand what is involved.
Whilst various examples exist of organisations who have responded in the telephony world, little evidence exists today, of similar achievements in the email channel.
So just what is world class service in the context of email? The answer to this question is complex and involves numerous factors like:
- What country are we in (France’s service culture is not the same as that of the US)?
- What market sector are we serving (buying an airline ticket today is not the same experience as booking a hotel room)?
- What consumer type are we addressing (most banking organisations treat their “Platinum Card customers differently to the rest of their customers)?
- What communication channel is being used (telephony is different to the web which may be different to email)?
World class service metrics will be defined differently depending on whether you are the consumer:
- Never having to wait
- Having choice on how to contact
- Choice in resolution style
- No worries from the response
- Having a follow up service
- Special inbuilt service nuances
- Friendly helpful people
- Consistent style
- Deliver immediate accurate quality information
- Feel in contact with a caring agent.
Or from the service organisation’s perspective:
- Responsiveness
- Ability to resolve issues quickly
- Choice of response styles based on customer type
- How to find / train agents with a service genre
- Style of service: friendliness or formal
- Added value participation
- How get consistency
These metrics translate into a series of high level concepts which may be difficult to implement in a contact centre because the overall solution needs to embrace a combination of factors: the agent community, the technology infrastructure to support and the organisations’ own culture / philosophy / style.
These factors can be readily seen in the recent advertising campaigns of two leading financial institutions: Nat West promises you can talk to someone - whilst HSBC says they understand you (right across the world). Here is a recent advertsement for staff by Amazon:
"Amazon.com is seeking bright, articulate, detail-oriented customer service representatives for entry-level positions to service Amazon.com’s growing, global customer base. The positions involve challenging front-line interaction with the public via telephone and e-mail. A typical day involves a lot of problem-solving, creative thinking and teamwork. Ideal candidates will be computer-literate, flexible, type 30 words per minute, and have excellent verbal and written communication skills. Applicants should be proactive, personable and respond positively to the challenges of a dynamic work environment"
In summary, world class service means differing things to different people. We need to define what this means to the host organisation and we must be able to quantify and measure the service. The final deliverables will be reflect combinations of people, technology and culture changes and whilst some organisations have begun to address the telephony channel, few appear to have progressed these concepts towards their email service.