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Where Does Cable Stand on Customer Care?
April 19, 2007
I just returned from a meeting with cable’s customer care leaders and I’m optimistic that the building blocks, resources and support are converging to better serve our customers.
As a veteran of the successful On-Time Guarantee program, I can attest to the power of focus. Although the Guarantee was very specific, the extended benefit of improved customer service was evident on multiple fronts and our research proved that customers noticed.
Harvard Business School Professor Earl Sasser, a leader in the study of service in many industries, told attendees that he often sees a disconnect between the words leaders use -- “customer care is our top priority” -- and their actions -- “but your rewards, compensation and promotion depend on making budget.”
Cable’s customer care leaders report that their companies are eliminating this disconnect.More senior and experienced executives are being tapped to head customer care initiatives and many companies are broadening the definition of care beyond the call center to all customer touch points. In addition, they’re taking advantage of the technology innovations now available in both call processing and field operations. A number of cable companies report that they are tracking Net Promoter Scores as advocated by CTAM Summit ’06 speaker Fred Reichheld, author of The Ultimate Question.Most important of all, they are starting to build service metrics and satisfaction scores into executive bonus plans.
Another clear lesson learned was that the best way to serve the customer is to prevent phone calls or trouble calls via DIRFT -- do it right the first time.When the customer does call, friendly automated systems are highly effective for those who choose to use them.
The bottom line is cable’s increased focus on customer care is being noticed -- and both cable companies and customers stand to benefit over the long term.
Posted by Char Beales on April 19, 2007 | Comments (1)
