The horror of customer experience consistency that misses the mark

You are probably like me and my friends.  We are always quick to share a new find:  a doctor, a handyman, a great new boutique, an app or even a recipe.  Recently I referred a friend to a garage that I’ve used for years for car repairs and maintenance.  She wasn’t very happy when she called a few days later saying the receptionist was rude, the simple repair took the shop more than two days to finish and the mechanic left stains and garbage inside her vehicle.  I was truly shocked because I’ve always had a very positive experience.

In our world of call centers, inconsistency is the horror that we cast over our customers.  Many customers call in, reach a knowledgeable agent and have their issue resolved promptly and professionally.  It’s the other group we fear – the ones who have the opposite, scary experience!

Being an organization that consistently delivers a quality customer experience each and every time means you’ve figured out something your competitors have missed.  Are you checking in with your tenured agents to determine job satisfaction on a regular basis?  Do you have a customer experience insights that are captured using post-call surveys to analyze what is making your customers happy or not at the moment of truth?  Have you implemented speech analytics to uncover hidden issues within your processes?  Do you have what you need to create customer experience consistency in your call center?  

Here are some examples of companies that missed the mark with customer experience consistency:

“Yes, my issue was finally resolved on this call but I think the agent yesterday should have had this answer.  It wasn’t a very complicated question that required years of experience other than to just look it up.”

“One minute you’re calling me daily to offer me additional services and the next, when I actually need your service, I can’t get anyone to return my calls.”

“For two years you sent newsletters on the 15^th of every month and then where are you? I really look forward to reading your material but I haven’t received a newsletter in more than six months.”

“I got referred to your company by a former client of yours.  I expected first-class service and instead the agent I spoke to seem to have zero product knowledge.  I was so disgusted I hung up and called another company entirely.”

Happy Halloween!