When developing a customer service strategy, the final step is to innovate and align. Where are the opportunities to get even better? How do you keep day-to-day operations and every decision aligned with your customer service vision? Learn more about two common and effective lenses to use when approaching innovation in this video from my LinkedIn Learning course “Customer Service …
Aren’t there a million and one nuances you could focus on when establishing quality standards for customer service employees? So how do you even get started? Here is an easy, yet effective, approach. A proven way to establish quality standards for individuals is to categorize them as either foundation or finesse. Learn more about foundation and finesse standards in this …
An insurance company was eager to improve customer experience. They knew what was frustrating their customers, but customer satisfaction scores were stuck. They weren’t moving in the right direction. After speaking with their associates, I observed that everyone was being held responsible for customer experience at a general level, but it wasn’t clear how they were expected to support the …
When implementing your own customer advocacy initiatives, it can be helpful to learn what was worked well for others. This video explores ways organizations have structured their advocacy programs and five traits of successful initiatives. The video is from my LinkedIn Learning Course Customer Advocacy. Traits of successful customer advocacy initiatives from Customer Advocacy by Brad Cleveland
Connecting with advocates doesn’t happen by accident. You need a plan, and a person or a team who’s responsible. And they should be collaborating with and part of the same efforts you’re putting into motion internally to improve customer experiences. Connecting and engaging with advocates is a strategic decision. It takes leadership to define its importance, and how you’ll approach …
As you begin to explore the value and ROI of customer service, I encourage you to ask your team, “How does customer service create value?” You’re probably going to get a range of answers. Some may say, “Customers that get great service tell others, so that’s like free marketing, right?” And someone else may suggest that service is a way …
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 being a plan that’s really not put to use. In this video, I’ll discuss five common pitfalls when developing strategies. You can …
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 what quality and value mean. Standards for the service operation: Quality and value from Quality Standards in Customer Service by Brad Cleveland
Whether your organization’s a print shop with three employees, a government agency with 3,000, or a multinational company with 300,000, six steps are required to manage customer feedback. Together, these steps make up a powerful approach that can drive innovation and improvements in products and services and processes. There’s a magic that takes place when you decide to be intentional …
When a strategy goes out of date, decisions become fragmented and results begin to suffer. Effective leaders know how to develop strategies that don’t go out of date. They know how to implement processes and procedures that will keep the strategy current and the business moving forward long after they’re gone. How has your strategy held up this year? Is …