How can you keep up with changing customer expectations in service operations?

Building a research framework is the critical first step. It's important to develop a culture within your organisation that thrives on data and insights. The more you know about why customers choose your business as well as why they don't, will significantly enhance your approach to marketing and product development.

Customer Service is Creating Value for someone else. (Ron Kaufmann). Most important is to build relationships and to conduct proper analysis, to understand your customer, their product and the requirements and challenges they have, only then you can identify what really creates value for the customer. It is not about meeting or exceeding expectations, it is a joint effort to identify what the customer needs to create value for their business, products and services.

In the realm of evolving customer expectations, customer care serves as the primary post-sales sensor. The feedback from customer interactions is invaluable, extending beyond dissatisfaction. Analyzing satisfaction reveals what truly works and delights customers. It's vital to recognize that solutions evolving over time, like the shift from voice to alternative channels. Today, quick resolutions may demand a call, despite the prevalence of chat and social media. Adapting to these changes is key to staying attuned to customer expectations. Let's not just fix issues; let's uncover what consistently delights our customers in this ever-shifting landscape.

To stay aligned with evolving customer expectations in service operations, regularly gather feedback, monitor industry trends, adapt processes, and invest in staff training and technology upgrades.

To stay in sync with evolving customer expectations, it's important to regularly gather feedback, adapt to their needs, and maintain open communication.

Customer Centric culture means that all the employees in the company are responsible about the customer even if they are not working in a customer facing entity. Finance employees whom are responsible about paying Suppliers' charges are impacting the customer in case they delayed the payment (for example) Customer Centric culture implementation should be done through different programs like one day rotation in a customer facing entity to monitor the real voice of the customer

You have to get your entire company thinking customer. It's not easy, but buy in to CX initiatives have to be supported from the top down, otherwise you'll struggle to make any real change, passed the quick wins which will only get you so far. Using customer insight and feedback to demonstrate where customers are not happy and why and then showcasing what the changes/fixes will deliver in terms of ROI are super important to this. If your CEO or SLT are not pushing CX to the top of the queue, you should ask why...

92% of consumers say that word of mouth recommendations are the leading influence of their purchasing decisions (Nielsen). 86% percent of consumers are willing to pay more for a great customer experience. Customer Experience has overtaken price and product as a key brand differentiator (Walker). Brand advocates are 50% more likely to influence a purchase; customers referred by other customers have a 37% higher retention rate (Deloitte). 61% of consumers have switched brands due to poor customer experience; customers who have had an unpleasant experience on a brand website are 88% less likely to return (Clicktale). This is all you need to know as to why building a customer-centric organisation is critical.

To develop a customer centric culture you need to focus not only in your customer but also in your employees. Every people have to be listened and each person in the company must be prepared to solve any need. Be prepared to serve anybody must be a rule.

This means actively listening to customers, understanding their needs, and consistently striving to exceed their expectations in every aspect of your business. It's about fostering a company-wide mindset that revolves around delivering exceptional customer experiences.

By combining innovation and differentiation, you can not only meet but also exceed customer expectations, ultimately building stronger customer loyalty and brand reputation.

In the Telecom industry we can implement the following - Providing seamless and personalized experiences across all channels and touchpoints, such as website, app, call center, store, etc. For instance, using AI-powered chatbots to offer instant and relevant support or recommendations. - Implementing mobile solutions for end-to-end customer journeys, such as digital onboarding, self-service options, eSIM activation, eKYC verification, etc. For instance, enabling customers to sign up for a new plan or switch providers using their smartphones without visiting a store.

When you put your customer at the center and know every detail of their preference, expectations, the way they use your products and every moment they live, yoy will be prepare for any change and also for innovate in their name. I also think that focus in your customer let you be more innovative than if you look your competitors.

En mi experiencia, no se trata solo de destacar, sino de agregar un valor genuino que haga una diferencia significativa. La incorporación de tecnologías como la inteligencia artificial y la automatización no solo mejora la eficiencia, sino que también abre la puerta a recorridos de clientes más personalizados y adaptados. Este enfoque estratégico no solo satisface las expectativas actuales, sino que también posiciona a la empresa para liderar en un panorama empresarial en constante evolución al anticipar y abrazar proactivamente las tendencias y cambios del mercado.

By fostering a culture of communication and collaboration, your organization can adapt swiftly to changing customer expectations and continuously enhance the quality of your service operations.

Generate data-driven customer insights: AI applications like text analysis software and voice of customer programs can collect feedback from customers at different stages of the journey using various methods such as surveys, reviews, ratings, social media listening tools, net promoter score (NPS), etc. They can also analyze and act on feedback regularly to improve satisfaction and loyalty.

Communications is the mecanism to reduce the gap between your design and your customer expectations. When you communicate you prepare the field and reduce any friction that could appear. Internal communications are very importat to put everybody on the same page.

En mi experiencia, la comunicación efectiva y la colaboración se erigen como pilares fundamentales para mantenerse al día con las cambiantes expectativas de los clientes en las operaciones de servicio. La implementación de herramientas avanzadas, como sistemas CRM, chatbots y redes sociales, emerge como un canal clave para la comunicación en tiempo real y la recopilación de datos cruciales. Desde mi punto de vista, construir relaciones basadas en la confianza a través de una comunicación transparente y colaborativa no solo fortalece la lealtad del cliente, sino que también abre la puerta a la co-creación de soluciones personalizadas.

Analyze customer churn rate and the reasons behind it: churn rate is the percentage of customers who stop doing business with you over a given period. You can track why customers leave and identify areas for improvement. Create a community forum to serve as a virtual focus group: a community forum is a platform where customers can interact with each other and your brand, share feedback, ask questions, and get support. You can use it to gather insights into customer needs, preferences, pain points, and expectations.

Desde mi experiencia, la adaptación constante y el aprendizaje continuo son esenciales para no solo mantenerse al día, sino también superar las cambiantes expectativas de los clientes en las operaciones de servicio. La aplicación de marcos como el modelo de brecha de calidad del servicio, la paradoja de recuperación de servicios y el ciclo de aprendizaje de servicios ofrece una hoja de ruta valiosa para identificar y cerrar las brechas entre las expectativas y percepciones de los clientes.

There are always simple ways to achieve desired results. Small businesses have the advantage in many ways here. Making small talk with a customer and learning little nuggets of who they are, then recalling those later is a great tool. CRMs are a great place to leave notes about customer's preferences, needs, and even life events for this purpose.