Customer experience is a key outcome when you are trying to productize your service. The customer will look forward to a high-quality interaction with the product, quick resolution, and a personalized approach while working with the team. Each interaction works towards building trust in the product and adds to customer loyalty. And remember, this is expected not just once, but for every interaction.
We will look at how to build this experience and create a winning customer service team to deliver a service that is standardized yet individualized for every client.
Why a Standardized Experience is Essential A standardized service means consistency in interactions when needed. Most clients do not expect any issues in services and will be more than happy to know that there will be no need to call customer service. However, when they do need to call, they want a prompt response and early resolution. Consistency matters as it helps you build customer retention, increase lifetime value, and gain more referrals. Let’s understand with a few examples.
- Builds Trust When a client experiences a consistent approach and quality each time they interact with the ‘product-service’ or with the agent, it strengthens trust and belief in the product. Imagine walking into your favorite café. You’d already visualize the brew, warm smile, welcoming environment, and quick service. In a productized service, predictability and reliability assure the customer of the outcome, which makes them choose you every time.
- Enhances Satisfaction A consistent and predictable experience leads to happy outcomes and satisfied customers. Think of a TAJ HOTEL: you expect a certain outcome every time you walk in, and you get exactly that. Knowing (sometimes subconsciously) what to expect removes all stress from the likely outcome and boosts customer satisfaction. This, in turn, helps build recommendations and ensures they return.
- Boosts Efficiency The team delivering such a service is clear in their approach and knows exactly what is expected. This makes them fast and predictable in response. Consider this as a well-rehearsed orchestra where every member knows their part, and they all play in harmony every time. Training the team is easier when you know what you are training them for. All scenarios, SOPs, and rules are clear to everyone on the job. The process saves time, reduces errors, makes it easier to spot issues, and helps the team deliver a consistent experience to your clients.
- Creates a Distinct Identity Each consistent outcome builds upon the brand and the delivery of the organization. This consistency becomes your unique ‘way’ of delivery and service. It creates a memory that gets reinforced with every interaction.
A common theme in all four points above is the need to retain customers, increase recommendations, and improve customer lifetime value.
Core Components of a Standardized Customer Experience A standardized customer experience involves two parts: service delivery and the team responsible for delivery. For a digital product, service delivery includes interaction with the product, its workflows, and ease of use. The second part is team interaction if help is required. How easy is it to reach the HELP team, get a resolution, and how effective is that resolution?
How to Prepare the Team for Service Delivery
- Clear Guidelines and Processes Document Procedures: Each customer-facing process (digital and person-led) should be mapped out clearly. Each person should know what is expected and what they need to do in any scenario. Think of it as a well-written playbook; every actor knows their lines and the expectations from the director. This helps reduce mistakes. Of course, there’s no room for retakes. Consistency in Communication: You may not have the same person delivering service to your customer every time. To ensure the message is the same each time, standardize scripts for all common interactions. The common script should deliver not only a consistent message to the customer but also work on diction, speech rate, and tonality. The customer should feel like they’re talking to the same agent every time.
- Training and Development Regular Training: Consistency, as discussed above, can only be achieved with a consistent training program. Don’t rely on simple peer-to-peer training. Invest in a well-crafted L&D and a product team that defines standards and ensures that the team understands them. A QA/Audit team linked with L&D can provide feedback on areas for improvement. Skill Development: Training should cover technical skills and the nuances of customer interaction. Knowing what to say and when to say it is key. Invest in listeners—you need people who don’t just quote “company policy” back to clients. Work on communication, empathy, and problem-solving skills. Much of this should be done at the time of hiring. Hire right.
- Technology and Tools CRM Systems: A good CRM system is crucial for helping the team deliver a quality interaction. It’s helpful to think of it in two ways: for on-floor interactions in sectors like hospitality and for online interactions. In online services, knowing a client’s history enables the Customer Service Executive (CSE) to track interactions and manage follow-ups, ensuring continuity even if the CSE changes. In-person service relies on ethos and memory to maintain standards. Automation: Use tools for repetitive tasks to reduce team workload. These tools can provide timely reminders, trigger alarms, showcase gaps, and bring the team back to action mode whenever there’s a deviation.
- Customer Feedback Collect and Analyze Feedback: Customer feedback is a valuable tool for learning from the best and worst interactions. Listen to customers and keep ears to the ground. My consistent advice to all product owners, CEOs, and service heads is to speak to the customer directly—don’t just delegate it. Establish a system to collect all feedback and identify trends. One-off feedback may be non-actionable, but aggregating feedback reveals patterns for meaningful action. Act on Feedback: We discussed having L&D, Audit, and Product teams working together. The Product team creates processes, L&D trains the service team, and QA/Audit monitors and provides feedback, looping back to the Product and L&D teams as needed. Define contours for service—any breach should be addressed seriously.
Equipping Your Team to Deliver a Standardized Experience These components, when combined, will help you deliver a consistent experience to your customer, ensuring the product delivers what you intended.
- Build a Customer-Centric Culture Mission and Values: Defining your ETHOS upfront is essential. Outline what you stand for and how you want customers treated. Define mission, vision, and values for your service delivery team. These three points should focus on outcomes and customer experience and be non-negotiable. Lead by Example: As I mentioned, leaders must keep ears to the ground, listen to customers, and provide solutions directly. Leaders must adhere to a set of rules in service decisions, ensuring alignment with the organization’s mission and values.
- Develop and Maintain Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) Detailed SOPs: SOPs are the backbone of consistent customer interactions and serve as a playbook for handling various scenarios. Document all possible interactions and list potential situations team members may encounter. This creates uniformity across clients, minimizing the risk of inconsistent approaches. Easy Access: SOPs should be easily accessible, not only during training but as a searchable document or Q&A by topic. A team member should be able to refer to the SOP on demand, ensuring responsiveness and accuracy. AI can be used to create a real-time response system to assist the team.
- Invest in Training Programs Comprehensive Training: Train your team on the full range of customer service, from handling inquiries to issue resolution. Familiarize them with product knowledge, SOPs, the communication process, and escalation matrix, and prepare them with role-play interactions. Ongoing Education: Customers and their expectations evolve over time. Refresher training helps the team stay current with recent developments in products, SOPs, and shifting customer expectations.
- Measure and Monitor Performance KPIs and Metrics: Define measurable KPIs such as response times, resolution rates, and customer satisfaction. These metrics provide insights into team performance and client satisfaction while highlighting areas for improvement. Regular Reviews: Frequent reviews allow managers to assess performance comprehensively. It’s also an opportunity to adjust and realign processes.
Endgame: Benefits of Standardizing Customer Experience
By standardizing customer experience in your productized services, you can:
- Increase Customer Loyalty: Reliable, high-quality interactions ensure customers keep coming back.
- Improve Operational Efficiency: Streamlined processes reduce stress and save time.
- Strengthen Your Brand: A consistent and reliable experience enhances your brand reputation.
