Improving customer contact may seem simple: you put a few tight processes in place, make sure data is tracked properly, and voila! But if you only focus on processes and forget the people side, your department can collapse like a house of cards. And believe me, on my brown eyes! Recently, I experienced it, and it left a deep impression on me. If I can prevent such a dire situation in just one other organization, then my mission is already accomplished with this article. (Rather, I prevent it in a lot of organizations ;-))
Imagine a support department where everything revolves around processes. Every task and action is detailed, from work procedures to data security. So people know exactly what is expected of them. That sounds nice and clear, right? But what if I told you that the human side was ignored entirely?
Disbelief
I could hardly believe my eyes. There was no attention to personal growth, no replacement in case of illness or pregnancy, no roster tool, and promotions did not exist because employees were constantly being pulled back to their old positions. Each time, a reason was found to postpone the promotion (whether it was temporarily filling in for a colleague on maternity leave, for a sick colleague, or for someone who had broken his leg—you name it).
There was more. In order to put the department “in the picture” within the company, the number of tasks for the department was continuously increased – and the capacity was not. You probably understand the implications:
Frustrated and unmotivated employees who feel that their hard work is not being rewarded.
Unheard and unseen
The employees who were still there were at a loss because of the ever-growing pile of tasks. The knowledge base did not help either, as it was an inappropriate tool. People felt unheard and unseen, a feeling magnified since the direct supervisor was also physically far away.
The result? Unprecedentedly high absenteeism and a department that no longer functions.
The right balance between people and process
Good customer service requires a balance between people and process. Too much focus on processes can lead to a chilly, impersonal work environment where employees don’t feel seen and heard. This translates into dissatisfied employees (or even 100% absenteeism) and ultimately dissatisfied customers. And everyone wants to feel seen and heard. Your customer service employees are no exception!
On the other hand, when you only pay attention to people and processes are the underdog, chaos is soon complete in your customer service area.
5 tips for the right balance between processes and people
How to do it? It may feel a bit like tightrope walking, because getting the right balance between processes and people sometimes requires some acrobatic tricks. It requires knowledge, skills, insight (data), experience and Euros. These 5 tips will get you started:
1) Recognize the human factor. Whether you like it or not; employees need attention. Therefore, have regular one-on-one conversations with them and listen to what they need to do their jobs well and what concerns them.
2) Implement capacity planning. Use a good scheduling tool. Analyze the workload regularly and make sure there are enough people to do the work. Also arrange replacements for sickness or leave so they don’t get overloaded. Expensive? Mwah… A complete team downtime is expensive! (Not to mention the poor quality of your customer service).
3) Get the right tools for the right tasks. Invest in tools that actually help with your team’s work. For example, certain software may be great for documentation, but if it doesn’t have the right search function for your support team’s day-to-day operations, it’s simply not the right choice as a knowledge base. It just creates frustration and unnecessary time-wasting.
4) Secure knowledge. And speaking of that knowledge… Make sure you properly capture and share knowledge so that it is not dependent on a few key people. This will prevent your organization from getting into trouble if these employees are unavailable – or if they end up not returning at all after prolonged downtime.
5) Be clear and honest about a career path. Give employees clarity about what path they can take in your organization. What ambition is there and can you deliver on that as an organization? Make sure you keep promises and avoid giving promotions that only exist on paper.
Improvements = simple. Or Not?
Improving your customer service sounds simple. You fiddle with the processes a bit. Give your people a little more attention. Invest a few Euros left and right.
If improvement were that easy, many organizations would have things in order. Unfortunately, too often I see that the right knowledge, insights and resources are lacking to really make an improvement. And you’ve heard me say it before: that’s like trying to build a bunk bed with two separate beds welded together. Such a rickety construction doesn’t work. Not now. Never will.
Finally, a little quiz
What do you think now after reading this article?
A: Geez, Cynthia, I still have so many questions!
B: I want to get serious about it, but quite honestly; I can’t see the forest for the trees where exactly to start.
C: Tóp article! Number 1, 3 and 4 we already do, but I would also like to know about how to apply tip 2 and 5 in my organization.
So, which answer did you choose?
In all cases: I am here for you. Contact me today. Prevent this kind of distressing situation and improve your customer service.
Also with a sustainable strategy toward less turnover, less absenteeism and lower personnel costs?
I’m just one phone call away.
