Customer Service - Brad Cleveland

Principle #4: Fix Root Causes to Make Lasting Improvements

Jan 21, 2021 | Call Center, Contact Center, Customer Experience, Customer Relationships, Customer Service, Leadership, Organization and Culture, Quality Management

Have you ever been part of this conversation: “I thought we fixed that problem! Why are talking about it again?” Chances are, a symptom was addressed, at least temporarily, but the root cause was not fully identified and resolved. Your proof that a problem has been...

Customer Service Strategy: Avoid Common Pitfalls

Jan 15, 2021 | Call Center, Contact Center, Customer Experience, Customer Relationships, Customer Service, Leadership, LinkedIn Learning

Herb Kelleher, co-founder and former CEO of Southwest Airlines, once said, “We have a strategic plan. It’s called doing things.” He makes a great point. Developing strategies shouldn’t be an overly academic or formal exercise, with the result...

Principle #3: The Process Is Where the Leverage Is

Jan 6, 2021 | Call Center, Contact Center, Customer Experience, Customer Relationships, Customer Service, Leadership, Quality Management

The third principle in this series, Improving Quality and Performance in Customer Experience, focuses our attention on the bigger picture – the processes within an organization. A process is a “system of causes.” (Note: in the context of quality and process...

Standards for the Service Operation: Quality and Value

Dec 30, 2020 | Call Center, Contact Center, Customer Experience, Customer Relationships, Customer Service, Leadership, LinkedIn Learning, Quality Management

Establishing the right quality standards for your organization is essential to delivering efficient and effective service. In my LinkedIn Learning course “Quality Standards in Customer Service,” I outline four quality standards that can help you define...

Principle #2: Quality and Access to Service Work Together

Dec 18, 2020 | Call Center, Contact Center, Customer Access Strategy, Customer Experience, Customer Relationships, Customer Service, Quality Management

In customer experience, when service is required, quality of service and access to it are inextricably associated with, and complementary to, each other. Accessibility is an enabler. When customers wait too long, they will often verbalize their criticisms when they...

Root Cause Analysis in Customer Service

Dec 10, 2020 | Call Center, Contact Center, Customer Experience, Customer Relationships, Customer Service, Leadership, Quality Management, Workforce Management

When you encounter a problematic aspect of service or customer experience, the first step is to identify root causes. Typically, several possibilities surface and they all seem plausible. How can you determine which root cause deserves your attention? In this video, I...