Many organisations are on a continued quest to explore how they might increase their levels of customer service and improve customer care processes. Fifteen years or so ago, the same might have been said of the massive focus that was evident for improving quality throughout many organisations.
As a provider of bespoke training, in the last 12 months we have seen a 10% increase in enquiries from organisations seeking to implement customer service development for customer service staff and call centre managers. From where I am sitting I can see many companies who are implementing change and innovation, all with the objective of improving customer service levels. I understand that even the church is exploring ways in which they can offer a better level of customer service to churchgoers, as a way of retaining their church congregations.
However, in many articles I have read in recent months, it appears that some would argue that the quality and level of customer service has decreased in recent years. Some people believe that this can be attributed to a lack of support or understanding at the executive and senior management levels and a lack of appropriately thought through customer service policies.
We know, from our call centre work, that levels of abusive customers are increasing, which makes the role of the Customer Service Agent a very difficult task indeed. Is it that customer service levels are falling, or is it that customers are well informed and many are being unrealistic in their expectations of the levels of customer service they will receive.
By Kasmin Cooney OBE | Righttrackâs Managing Director