Until fairly recently, many internal support centers have been “the only game in town.” While they occasionally measured customer satisfaction, these support centers didn’t have to worry much about competition, and neither did IT. Now, with the availability of the cloud, the proliferation of...
Tag(s): customer experience
Date Published - Last Updated February 25, 2016
Customer experience management (CEM) is a strategy that focuses the business on managing all interactions with a customer throughout his or her entire experience with a product or service. The ideal customer experience is one in which the business communicates its vision, distinguishes its...
Tag(s): customer service, customer experience, continual service improvement
Date Published - Last Updated February 25, 2016
While the total number of incidents/service requests, the potential impact of restricted access, and ease of automation will all vary by service, type of support, company, industry, etc., automation is subject to the greatest variability. Executing on a vision is certainly easier said than done,...
Tag(s): automation, self-service, service desk, outsourcing
Date Published - Last Updated February 25, 2016
It’s no secret that customers really want just two things from their interactions with the service desk: speed and accuracy. They want someone to answer the phone quickly, someone who can help them with their problems, and someone who can provide solutions that are correct and helpful. So, if...
Tag(s): customer experience, service desk, staffing
Date Published - Last Updated February 25, 2016
Support center analysts have a tough job. Maybe a customer (whether internal or external) has just received a new product and can’t understand the installation directions. Maybe the customer’s network connection is not working properly and it’s just one week over the computer’s warranty. Or...
Tag(s): people, customer service, practices and processes
Date Published - Last Updated February 25, 2016
A self-assist solution is one in which a person doesn’t directly rely on any other person to resolve their problem. No phone call needs to be placed. No chat window needs to be opened. No email needs to be exchanged. True self-assist (sometimes called self-service) is similar to how gas stations...
Tag(s): practices and processes, knowledge management, self-service tools, KM
Date Published - Last Updated February 25, 2016
Technological advances have made relationship building easier than ever. Nonetheless, it’s crucial to remember that although these advances provide us with tools to assist us in what we call Relationship Architecture™, these tools, in and of themselves, are not what building a business...
Tag(s): people, customer service
Date Published - Last Updated February 25, 2016
In order to run IT like a business, a technical service and support organization needs to have a clear picture of the services it provides and how these services create value for its customers. Many organizations find it difficult to define services from the customer’s perspective because...
Tag(s): business value, business alignment
Date Published - Last Updated February 25, 2016
Every once in a while, a technology evolution occurs that fundamentally changes the way business is conducted and how consumers interact, spawning an entire new ecosystem. One such technology evolution is the rise of the smartphone and mobile devices. Despite the explosive growth in mobile...
Tag(s): practices and processes, self-service tools, mobility
Date Published - Last Updated February 25, 2016
Desktop support is about more than solving technical issues for clients; it is about helping people, face to face. It isn’t just a voice over the phone or a silent adjustment to a back-end application; it’s about connecting with customers and providing solutions, even if they are not...
Tag(s): people, desktop support, customer service
Date Published - Last Updated February 25, 2016