In the fast-paced world of customer care technology, it's clear we've made leaps and bounds since the turn of the century. However, it's time for a candid chat about the reality many face: are we truly maximizing our tech investments, or are we ensnared in a web of legacy systems that are stubbornly resistant to change?
You're in good company if you're feeling behind the curve. Many organizations grapple with the consequences of past tech choices, leaving them with a patchwork of solutions that fall short of expectations. This often means AI capabilities remain underutilized, teams battle steep learning curves, vital information remains elusive, and, consequently, customer service that isn't up to par.
Let's explore the five critical areas on which to focus for maintaining an optimal state for your customer service solutions.
1. Integrate and Share
If your current setup is anchored around an enterprise resource planning system for customer service, it's time for a pivot. ERP systems, while robust in many operational areas, typically lack the finesse required for the nuances of customer service.
Similarly, if your customer-facing teams (customer service, sales, marketing) are using different systems, then it's difficult or impossible to share a 360-degree view of customers across all customer-facing teams. Modern CRM solutions break down silos with a unified platform that integrates every part of the customer journey.
True transformation happens when you integrate your ERP with a modern CRM solution, allowing you to track, resolve, and manage customer interactions with finesse and share comprehensive information across all customer-facing teams. Modern integration frees your customer service from the confines (and learning curve) of your ERP application, enabling them to view and process orders directly within CRM.
This consolidation is not just about efficiency; it's about creating a foundation for the future. It fosters an AI-ready environment, paving the way for smarter service with data-driven decisions.
2. Simplify and Right Size
Let's talk about streamlining for impact. A cluttered tech landscape isn't just a headache, it's a proven productivity killer. Customer service reps juggling multiple systems often feel the brunt of this inefficiency, which can take a toll on their satisfaction and output. But here's the thing: even with a sleek CRM system that plays nicely with your ERP, your team will likely still need to interact with other tech tools for various aspects of their workflows, from learning and development to knowledge sharing.
The trick is not to let these necessary tools become a tangled web. Many of these additional solutions, like intranet and collaboration platforms, now boast powerful features for learning management and knowledge sharing that can often integrate with your CRM. This presents a golden opportunity: consolidate. By migrating disjointed processes from emails and spreadsheets into your CRM and supporting solutions and ensuring a seamless handshake between systems, you create a more unified work environment.
However, striving for a single system to rule them all might be an overreach. A more realistic and equally effective goal is to narrow it down to two or three core systems that cover all bases, eliminating redundancies along the way. This doesn't just simplify the tech, it simplifies your team's day, allowing them to focus on what they do best: delivering exceptional customer service. When the balance is right, the system is optimal, and your customer service team can truly excel.
3. Governance and Data Quality
The launch of your customer service solution is paradoxically the start of its decline if left unchecked. Without vigilant governance, data quality wanes, security protocols can be sidestepped, and knowledge bases become relics. Fresh features go unused, and tailored adjustments become obsolete. This insidious slide can leave your team laboring for the technology, not the other way around.
Counteracting this requires proactive steps. Instituting robust policies, refining processes, and fine-tuning procedures will ensure your governance structure remains responsive and relevant. Regular audits of data quality and knowledge assets are not just maintenance; they're mission-critical, keeping your system efficient and your team effective. By diligently monitoring system logs and embracing consistent technology assessments, you can leverage the latest innovations to their fullest potential. Let's make sure your technology ages like fine wine, not like bread.
4. Training and Adoption
If you ask five reps how they get their jobs done, you'll likely get five different answers. This is the human response to unclear systems, crafting personal shortcuts and alternative routes. Turnover amplifies this, eroding institutional knowledge and breeding inconsistent practices.
Poor adoption is the source of many evils. Data integrity erodes, employee performance wanes, and the echo of customer and employee discontent grows louder. Adoption is more than training it's also about listening. Oftentimes the heart of an adoption issue has to do with the system itself, and a small change could make a big difference.
Develop a process and training assets for onboarding new employees. Ensure you have allocated sufficient resources for mentoring and ride-alongs to ensure everyone is following consistent processes. Offer ongoing office hours and lunch-n-learns for your people to ask questions of technology experts and power users. Build feedback into your regular employee meetings, including a method for sharing the feedback with your technology support team so the technology stays aligned with the changing needs of your team. And infuse this feedback with insights from governance and data quality evaluations during team discussions and training endeavors, reinforcing a culture of constant improvement and cohesive use of technology.
5. Roadmap and Annual Planning
Embarking on the transformation journey we've outlined can seem daunting. Start with a solid roadmap spanning the next 18 to 36 months to set a foundation for sustainable change. Changes in technology will not be easy, but the real test is implementing it at a pace your team can absorb without disruption.
Nothing in business changes faster than your customers and the people who serve them. In addition to an annual roadmap, it's crucial to incorporate annual planning into your strategy, ensuring you stay in step with the rapid evolution of customer needs and the frontline heroes meeting them. Develop a process for annual planning, aligning your team's growth with the pace of a world that is changing faster than ever before. Set your sights on not just keeping up but leading the charge.
What ties these strategies together is their nature as ongoing processes rather than one-off projects.
The Achilles' heel of customer service technology initiatives start to unravel as soon as they go live. Without continuous attention to integration, adoption, maintenance, and improvement, systems drift toward disorder, undermining both productivity and customer relations. This neglect can lead to costly failures, and costly projects, to correct avoidable problems.
Allocating resources within your annual budgets for these vital processes is not just prudent; it's essential. Forge relationships with capable partners who bring the necessary expertise, capacity, or specialized skills to ensure your teams have the support they need.
Geoff Ables is managing partner at C5 Insight, a Microsoft Dynamics 365 CRM consulting and implementation company. He can be reached at geoff.ables@c5insight.com.