Author: Franz Malten Buemann

It’s clear to see that NPS benchmarks are very different between industry, and I assume it does’t only reflect how happy customers are happy with products/services (i.e. insurance vs. tourism) – For example, I would assume Cable companies have low NPS scores because it’s just not something you often recommend (on top of them all being sucky:)). I recently realised there’s an inherent “problem” with my product that makes recommending relatively unlikely, and wondering if there’s a methodology to determine where my NPS goals should be. To make things more complicated, my product doesn’t fit nicely into an industry. It’s an online training program, but I feel like it’s closer to SaaS than to “Education”. Specifically my product’s issue is that a customer is unlikely to recommend it until they get the result they came for, then once they do – they have zero incentive to share the reason for their success as they’d like to appear naturally successful. I’d love to hear thoughts about this – how to determine my NPS goals, or if I should look at other KPI’s to measure customer experience.
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(Or your logo, your house, your tie, your business card, your website…)

Like a suit or a skirt, it needs to fit. You’re going to be looking at it for a long time.

And you’re certainly going to look at it more than any other human will, so if it’s not perfect, don’t sweat it, that’s mostly a personal challenge.

The book cover should work at any size, because most people will see it before they buy it, and they will see it online, at just a one inch square size.

The book cover should not only reflect the genre it’s in, it should send a powerful signal within that genre.

One signal might be: It fits! I get the joke! This is what works, for example, in romance novels. If you’re looking for a book like this, this is a book like that.

Another signal might be: I know what sophisticated books look like, but this one is deliberately not that. It’s for people who don’t buy a lot of books. Something like The One Minute Manager belongs here.

And a third signal, my favorite, is: I know what the genre looks like, AND this book is in that genre, BUT, this book is a bestseller and so it is stretching the boundaries in a way that only an important new book can.

It’s worth noting that your cover will almost certainly NOT sell even one copy of the book, but it can certainly unsell someone who might have considered your cover. So there’s not a lot of room for risky, daring maneuvers. You don’t need them.

When in doubt, check out this gallery of movie posters

A lot of people spent a lot of time arguing at the meeting, but it doesn’t change how people engage with the movie. Unless you go too far away from the genre.

No matter how great your product or service is, the success of your contact center largely depends on the customer service you provide. Ultimately, if customers don’t have a good experience, they’re likely not going to call back.
According to research from Khoros, 86% of clients say they’re more likely to turn into lifetime brand advocates if they receive exceptional customer care. That’s great news because your current customers are the most affordable marketing resource you can tap into — loyal customers are more likely to tell their network to buy from your business.
The Secret Sauce for Increasing Customer Happiness
Your best plan of action? Develop a strong customer care strategy.

Your current clients are your most affordable #marketing resource, since loyal customers are more likely to tell their network to buy from your #business. #customerservice #customerexperienceClick To Tweet

A customer care strategy should be put in place to ensure the service your agents provide is always top notch and that the customer experience stays consistent throughout your organization. If customers receive the same high-quality service every time they get in touch, they’re more likely to keep calling back.
Developing a customer care strategy can be overwhelming, but when you break it down, it becomes a lot more manageable.
Start by creating a customer care vision and set goals.
What does top-tier customer service look like in your call center? How should a customer feel before they get connected to an agent, during their call, and after? You should ask yourself these questions and many more while you start thinking about your customer care vision.
A fundamental part of any service strategy is goal setting. Having both short-term and long-term goals can help agents sharpen their customer service skills while tracking your overall progress over time. You might set goals that include:

Earning a high average score on a customer satisfaction survey.
Improving inbound call wait times.
Monitoring customer interactions to ensure each agent knows the basics.
Increasing your social media following to build brand engagement

DID YOU KNOW?
58% of consumers have higher standards when it comes to customer service because of COVID-19.

Ensure your agents receive effective customer service training.
In any industry, excellent customer service begins with exceptional communication. If your agents are unable to properly communicate resolutions every step of the way, customers will likely not receive the help they require and leave the call with a negative impression of the interaction.
Start by offering agents customer-focused communication training that provides them with empathetic phrases they can use during calls. For example, responses like “am I understanding you correctly?” and “thank you for your patience”, show that your agent is actively listening and respectful of a customer’s time and opinion.
7 Call Center Empathy Phrases Every Agent Should Use with Their Customers
Support customer service efforts with appropriate technology.
Fast response times play a major role in effective contact center customer care. Even the longest standing gold-star agent can get overwhelmed on a busy day. It’s important to equip your call center with tools that can help agents keep up with high call volumes. Tools like call-back technology and smart routing ensure call loads stay manageable for your agents, and prevent customers from waiting on hold for extended periods.
Automated reports are another tool you should add to your arsenal. Knowing stats like how many issues agents are resolving, how quickly they’re resolving them, and how many customers are hanging up while waiting, can help you find and fix holes in your customer service strategy.
Put customer feedback at the forefront.
When it comes to information about your contact center’s customer service, who better to ask than the customers themselves? At the end of every call, it’s best practice for agents to ask customers if they have time to participate in a quick satisfaction survey. You’ll get a pulse on where your customer service stands and your customers will feel more heard at the end of their interactions, adding to their experience.

At the end of every call, have agents ask customers to participate in a satisfaction survey. You’ll get a pulse on how strong customer service is in your #contactcenter and your customers will feel more heard at the end of their…Click To Tweet

You may have noticed companies addressing comments and concerns on social media channels like Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter. Being quick to publicly respond to issues posted on your pages can help you show off your company’s dedication to diligent customer care. Think about hiring a support team or person who manages social media in all respects — posting, keeping up with trends and promptly addressing customer feedback.
7 Things Your Customers Want Your Contact Center to Know
Prioritize agent wellness for improved customer service.
A happy employee makes for an engaged employee. If your agents are provided with the tools they need to succeed, benefits to take care of their mental health, and plenty of opportunities to grow within the company, they’re more likely to respond to issues calmly and positively. Both joy and tension can be felt even on a phone call, so the happier your team members are, the more likely they are to have positive interactions with their customers.
How Your Call Center Can Overcome Agent Burnout
Continue to invest in customer service even after you’ve nailed down your strategy.
The needs of your customers are always changing, so your customer care strategy should be as well. Continue to set goals and find ways to improve customer interactions — your employees will stay engaged and your customers will experience the difference every time they call.The post Blog first appeared on Fonolo.

Once you’re in a slot, it’s harder and harder to move out of it. The status quo is here because it’s good at persisting.

One option, particularly if you’re on your own, is to take your development seriously. Instead of simply clearing the incoming and reacting to what’s knocking on your door, you can invest the time to learn and the effort to practice.

My friends at Akimbo have a few workshops that are worth considering:

The Freelancer’s Workshop begins tomorrow. It’s about one simple idea: becoming the sort of freelancer who gets better clients. Because better clients change your work and your standing as well.

Bernadette Jiwa’s Story Skills Workshop is back beginning tomorrow as well. The story we tell ourselves (and others) drives how we spend our days and who responds to us.

The breakthrough Real Skills Conference (truly a conference, no speeches!) is back on August 19th but you’ll need to get tickets in advance.

And, if you haven’t already, I hope you’ll consider the altMBA. Six years in, it’s proven itself, and now it’s your turn to leap.