Is Human-Centric Service the future of service?

We have known for some years that creating better service for our customers is a key differentiator for businesses who want to succeed.

I've been speaking on this topic at CX and Customer Service events around the world for (quite) a few years now, and the message has been startlingly similar....but as an industry customer service has not moved far forward.

In fact few companies are delivering on expectation. At an event in Toronto (back when you could travel) I heard the statistic that less than 1% of customers were happy with their current Customer Experience.

"54% of customers say companies need to transform how they engage with them"

Salesforce, State of the Connected Customer

BUT....if businesses know this how come we still aren't delivering?

The answer is simple, but not easy. The things we have been told that deliver great service, AHT, FCR, 10/10 call metrics, multi-channel, omni-channel, chat bots, self-serve, AI/machine-learning, and (even though I use it myself) NPS, can all be used to create distance between us and our customers.

When we measure metrics alone, they can become drivers of all the wrong behaviours.

In 2019 I was lucky enough to get to go to Dreamforce as a Service Trailblazer Ambassador. And to see inside the launch of their focus on Human-Centric Service

Human-Centric Service is personal, intelligent, trusted and inclusive service at scale. Human-Centric Service differentiates companies, drives loyalty and business value, and meets both the needs and expectations of customers and employees without breaking the bank.

-Salesforce

It sounds so simple right? Customers are humans too. And what makes us happy as humans, and as employees, is the same thing that makes our customers happy.

Results & Relationships

We want the outcome we want, and we want to have a good interactions with the people or machines that we deal with.

Author Steven van Belleghem speaks about humans in digital CX. When you look at the free text of customers who score you a 9 or 10 (as NPS) the difference was always when

A human did something extraordinary

Our people make the difference.

Digital transformation: how do you make the leap?

We've heard a lot about how robots will take all of our jobs, and how everything will be automated. But in today's world we need to be very careful about what we automate and how. We have the choice to automate the transactional. Allow customers to do things like forgotten passwords and updating information when and where it's convenient for them.

Leaving your agents free to use their amazing human-centric skills. Skills like empathy and problem solving when it matters. Expert Martin Hill-Wilson says to use the following methodology to determine when we should use our people in the CX interaction.

When it's emotional, when it's complex and when it matters to the relationship

-Martin Hill-Wilson

Now more than ever before it has become imperative for us to focus on people. Our people to deliver the expectations and support customers require in this unprecedented time.

If we focus on creating happier workplaces, and happier employees they can focus on delivering great CX, wherever and whenever they work. By putting our people at the heart of what we do, we create the opportunity to create not only a better business outcomes, but a better world.

And right now....we could all use a better future to look forward to.