It's time for radical change!

Why? Well, levels of customer satisfaction are trending downwards both in the UK and the US. 

Simply continuing with the same approaches and expecting a different outcome is not the way forward. Over 5 million people in the UK have the word 'Customer' in their job title according to LinkedIn, that's a lot of people. 5 million people can make a significant impact.

We are on a mission to make the UK a 'Centre of Excellence' in Customer Service and Experience, promoting investment, job creation, and innovation through disrupting the way we think about these areas.

Customer service and experience training have remained stagnant for too long. The methods that once worked are now outdated, leaving both customers and employees dissatisfied. This decline in satisfaction is not just a minor inconvenience; it's a significant issue that affects economic growth and business performance. We believe that there is a real opportunity to change the approach to customer service and experience, leading to better experiences, greater economic growth, and improved financial performance.​

To make the UK a 'Centre of Excellence' in Customer Service and Experience promoting investment, job creation and innovation through disrupting the way we think about service and experience and creating innovative leaders of the future. ​

Traditional approaches to customer service and experience are outdated and ineffective. The methods that worked in the past are no longer sufficient for the modern world and also do not provide the skills we need for the future.

We 'Humans' are incredible, with so much potential but for so many working in Customer related jobs, the role is repetitive, timed and robotic with little holistic or humanised views of the bigger picture, with over 5 million people working in a customer related position in the UK the potential is huge for positive change. Imagine empowering our teams to be innovative, creative and customer centric, always looking for ways to improve products, services, processes and being involved in helping to make those changes a reality as opposed to just responding to queries. 

We know the power of Customer Voice initiatives but equally important is to listen to those who are closest to the customer.  Rather than a race to the bottom and low levels of empowerment, we need to 'Level Up' the skills and capabilities for those working with customers. 

We mentioned leveling up previously, but what does this really mean?

The previous benchmark was that our front-line teams undergo 'Customer Service' training, this may be a one off or happen more regularly but that is not going to shift the dial. 

Leveling up means raising that bar and the capabilities of all staff working with customers with a focus on the skills needed for the future. We see those skills being in the following key areas (not exhaustive). 

• Customer Experience Fundamentals
• Customer Centricity and Brand Awareness
• Voice of the Customer/Employee and Continuous Improvement
• Empathy and Humanised approaches 
• Artificial Intelligence 

When undertaking a programme of training for staff working with customers, some or all of the above should be covered. 

Now, there has been a lot of discussion around AI recently but the fact is that it is here to stay and is the reality today and will be more so in the future, not learning about or utilising AI will mean being left behind. Within the context of this piece, AI relates to both Customer Service and Employee effectiveness and efficiency. 

At Customer Start we believe that through providing these skills we can see a levelling up for companies and government departments to help significantly shift the dial (or level up) and also provide more meaningful and impactful work for those working with customers.

If we, the UK can move in this direction we can expect to see greater innovation, investment and  job creation and also see much happier customers, consumers and communities. 

Customer Feedback Opportunities:
   - Surveys and Questionnaires: Capture valuable customer insights to drive change.
   - Net Promoter Score (NPS): Gauge loyalty and identify advocates.
   - Customer Reviews and Social Media: Tap into the pulse of public sentiment.
   - Complaints and CRM data and support tickets.
   - Customer Council
 
A Deeper Dive:
   - Customer Journey Mapping: Illuminate the customer’s path and pinpoint opportunities.
   - Behavioural Analytics: Decode customer behaviours to reveal actionable trends.
​   - Direct customer research and competitor analysis.
 
Cross-Functional Collaboration:
   - Interdepartmental Teams: Break silos and unify efforts for holistic improvements.
   - Customer Experience (CX) Teams: Specialists dedicated to enhancing every touchpoint.
 
Agile Methodologies:
   - Scrum and Kanban: Agile practices that respond swiftly to feedback.
   - Continuous Delivery: Rapid rollouts of updates and enhancements.
 
Performance Metrics and KPIs:
   - Customer Satisfaction (CSAT): Measure the happiness of your customers.
   - First Contact Resolution (FCR): Ensure issues are resolved in the first interaction.
   - Customer Retention Rate: Track loyalty and repeat business.
   - Net promoter score (NPS)

Enhanced Customer Satisfaction, your customers will be delighted by swift action on their feedback. When customers see their suggestions shape the service they receive, they feel truly valued.
 
Increased Loyalty and Retention, A consistently excellent customer experience fosters deep loyalty. Satisfied customers become repeat buyers and enthusiastic brand ambassadors.
 
Operational Efficiency, streamline and automate processes and cut through inefficiencies. This not only improves the customer experience but also boosts your bottom line with faster response times and superior service delivery. Improve levels of self-service and intentionally design out frictions from the journey resulting in fewer reactive contacts.
 
Innovation and Adaptability, embrace a culture of innovation. By staying agile, your company can swiftly adapt to emerging trends and evolving customer needs, keeping you ahead of the competition.
 
Employee Engagement, engage your team with a shared vision of excellence. When employees see their efforts directly contributing to positive change, morale and productivity soar.

Establish a Clear Vision and Objectives and define success for your continuous improvement journey. Align your goals with your broader business objectives and customer experience strategy.
 
Invest in the Right Tools and Technology, Leverage cutting-edge technology for data collection, analysis, and agile project management. CRM systems, analytics platforms, and feedback management software.
 
Foster a Culture of Continuous Improvement and empower every employee to be a change agent. Provide training and resources to instil continuous improvement principles across the organisation.
 
Monitor and Adjust, ensure you regularly review performance metrics and customer feedback. Stay flexible and adjust your strategies based on real-time insights.

Embracing a continuous improvement and change engine isn’t just a strategy—it’s a game-changer. By committing to perpetual enhancement, you’ll elevate your customer experience, boost loyalty, and streamline operations. This approach transforms your organisation into a nimble, innovative powerhouse, ready to delight customers at every turn.
 
Ready to revolutionise your customer experience? Discover how Customer Start can help you implement a cutting-edge continuous improvement and change engine.

​Contact us directly to embark on your journey to excellence. Let’s shape the future of customer experience together!