#1 Customer Service Issues: Quality Service, Cost Control
LOS ANGELES–When top customer service managers, operations directors and business
development executives were asked to name their most pressing customer service
issues, 70% cited either Service Quality or Cost Control. Forty percent
identified Service Quality as their organization’s number one challenge, and 30
percent named Cost Control the most pressing issue.
PeopleSupport, Inc., a provider of multi-channel web-based customer service solutions,
conducted the survey. The company says these results highlight the dilemma that
numerous retail, healthcare, financial services, technology and communications
companies face as they merge their off-line sales and service strategies with
newer web-based channels. Companies are challenged to increase multi-channel
service quality while keeping costs in check.
Other pressing issues ranked in the survey by importance of top managers at
these companies included having up-to-date technology (17%), having skilled
employees (10%), and retaining and recruiting employees (3%).
“As consumers’ service quality expectations increase in both brick and mortar
and web environments, we are seeing numerous companies struggle with managing
their call centers and contact centers effectively,” says Lance Rosenzweig,
CEO of PeopleSupport. “It means finding the right balance of technology,
skilled representatives who can handle multiple channels of communication, and
integrated customer management solutions. Companies must evaluate their needs
carefully to determine if it is best to provide services in-house, outsource,
or use some combination of the two approaches.”
“Additionally, regardless of the solution, the best way to meet your customers’
expectations is to understand what’s important to them,” Rosenzweig added.
“Do more customers prefer email to chat for instance? Once you have an
understanding of their preferred medium of contact, you’re better able to
create a customer service strategy that will deliver the kind of service your
customers’ expect in a cost effective way.”
PeopleSupport says the 40 survey participants included vice presidents,
directors, and other customer service, IT and operations professionals from
leading retail organizations. They say the survey was part of a PeopleSupport
interactive Webinar.