Following a convention I just lately attended in London, I used to be invited to a dinner hosted by Quiq, a conversational AI and enterprise messaging platform supplier.
In the course of the dinner, a sequence of dialog subjects have been launched for dialogue.
A type of was: Does customer support want a rebrand?
Query
It’s a very fascinating query, however sadly, this explicit query was launched proper in direction of the top of the dinner, so we didn’t have the prospect to debate it and ruminate on it correctly.
The underlying premise of the query, I imagine, is that the perform of customer support is commonly ignored and undervalued. Furthermore, given the significance of the work they do and the quantity of knowledge, perception and experience that exists in lots of customer support groups and techniques, this can be a downside.
Now, whereas I agree, with the underlying premise of the query, I don’t assume that customer support wants a rebrand.
Personally, I feel customer support leaders must take duty for the way their perform and space of the enterprise is seen and valued.
I wrote about this in my 2021 e book Punk XL, within the observe referred to as: Advocate.
In it I wrote:
Many organisations and their workers take the work that customer support groups do without any consideration.
This isn’t as a result of they do not care.
I feel it comes about as a result of they do not perceive the size and the character of the work being completed.
As such, they default to anticipating issues to work and issues to be solved.
The issue is that this lack of awareness additionally implies that customer support groups and departments usually get ignored, are under-funded and resourced and will not be valued or consulted on vital and related points.
The fact, nevertheless, is that contact centres are sometimes the hidden gem in an organisation. They maintain unbelievable quantities of knowledge, perception and expertise that may assist construct a model and ship progress and profitability.
However, here is the factor.
Individuals not understanding and valuing the work that customer support groups do shouldn’t be their downside.
It’s a downside for the customer support groups themselves and their leaders.
And, in case you are studying this, then it’s probably that makes it your downside.
However, understanding and consciousness don’t simply magically occur. They require effort and advocacy.
One buyer chief I do know began to sort out this downside by launching a month-to-month inside e-newsletter. It lined every thing from their satisfaction scores, what number of clients that they had served that month, the massive questions they have been asking, how that they had carried out in serving to them, constructive quotes from clients, and information of recent initiatives they have been engaged on.
And, you understand what occurred?
A lot of their colleagues, after studying the e-newsletter, wrote to them saying issues like…
“Thanks a lot for the work that you just do”
“I did not notice…..”
“I did not know the way a lot work…..”
“Wow….”
Then, month by month as they continued to provide their month-to-month overview….
Individuals began to concentrate.
The visibility and significance of the work they did went up.
Their work gained elevated respect.
Initiatives obtained funded.
The crew obtained consulted on extra points.
The crew felt extra valued.
That is what one chief did.
What are you going to do?
So, that’s what I wrote in Punk XL.
What’s ironic, nevertheless, is that if customer support leaders did begin to advocate extra for his or her groups and the significance of the work they do and, by way of that, achieved a higher degree of visibility, acknowledgement and respect, then they’d have achieved a rebrand.