What is best? To be really good in one or two disciplines out of many, or quite good at all of the disciplines what not top of line in anyone?
Well, this is really a long standing issue facing Dynamics 365 Customer service. I know how I would and do argue this but lets first start by looking at what Service motion is.
Customer service is a multi layered, multi channel that has the primary objective to service customers and potential customers in their pre- and post buying experiences. Already here the opinionaters start to differ as many see customer service as just a post-purchase activity. But to me, in a 360 degree customer journey approach it is incomplete to have this viewing angle. For two reasons, a ”service activity” is as much a sales activity in that if it is messed up, the company risks losing its next sale or repeat purchase. Or rightly handled it is a good way to keep the customer happy and possibly make even more satisfied – possibly an ambassadeur. The second reason is that if you use your ”helpdesk” or customer service personal in the right way, they will be a cost effective way to support prospects in purchasing decisions. Since you invest in training for these people they are often times the most skilled in knowing the products and services you offer. They are also trained in handling people, and it would be a shame not to let skilled people advise your potentials customer.
To be cost effective these days means you most likely engage in a omni-channel approach to customer service. It means you mean customers and potential customers in several arenas, possibly not all listed below, but more likely than not in most of these. Important thing to remember here is to both have your own idea where you want to meet your customers, in which channels, but also listen objectively and open-minded to those you will service, where they want to communicate.Interestingly enough, although it is not ”one size fits all”, I am still surprised that companies still are locked in one or two channels – and or not paying attention to all target audience needs and wishes. And just to be perfectly clear, it is not an age thing. I was part of conducting a survey and there where as many ”elderly” that wanted chat and self-service as there where youngsters. Probably for different reasons but still. Don’t get caught in old habits or presumptious ideas abour your target audience. Ask them or analyze properly be other means.
The service motion means you handle end-to-end communication of cases, through the entire motion until a resolution is reached, and you understand how the motion performed, ie customer survey and understanding to which degree the respondant was happy with your service in the case. The handling of the service motion is important since regardless of the origin, regardless of channel, regardless of time of day and what agent is currently handling the case it needs to be omni-channel driven. This means that a case could start as a webform activity or facebook comment, be handled in a chat or through one or more phone calls, just to have a resolution sent via email to the customer. Just to take one of a huge number of different possibilities.
So, if this is a real world example, would you rather have one system in place that is best in breed in one category, say hanbdling phone calls, but not so much the other ones? Or would you go for one that piuts the customer and the agent interaction in the middle and then was really could at information management as well communicating well in all disciplines of the service motion. What you will find, is that once people understand that the latter really saves time and energy there is no one that will chose the first alternative.
I listened to a company the other day that said the trend right now was to go for best-in-breed products in all categories. And then integrate. That is not what I am finding. I say that is old-school stuff. Funny enough it turned out that what the company primarily was selling was…. integrations. But there have been lack of capabilities in the past, but it is not true anymore.
With a holistic view of your information management, you want to avoid integrations and you would your customer data updated on the customer card – to give agents and all staff the full scope of the customers engagement. That is also how you can do really could full end-to-end customer service, regardless of who is on deck throughout the case duration.