When we talk about customer service, we often reduce the conversation to response times and SLAs. But the truth is that our customer service team is sitting on a goldmine of knowledge that we as management sometimes ignore or underestimate. They are the ones who talk to customers every day and understand what really matters.
The front line as our most honest mirror
No report can replace the insight we gain by listening to our agents. They know which features customers never use, and which processes create frustration. According to Zendesk, 74% of support staff want better access to tools in order to contribute strategically. Before we can even give them the tools, we need to create a culture where their input is heard and taken seriously.
From data to business development
Our customer service is already sitting on one of our most valuable sets of data. In systems such as Zendesk, we can extract patterns on everything from product errors to customer behaviour. If we only use this data to measure response time, we are wasting the potential. By actively analysing trends, customer service can become our earliest warning system and strongest innovation engine.
It requires structure and ownership
Using this feedback requires a structured process:
- Collect and categorise insights from customer cases on an ongoing basis.
- Share them with relevant departments such as product, sales and marketing.
- Close the feedback loop: Tell the agents what was done, and what effect it had.
When our agents see that their input leads to real changes, their role is transformed from answering enquiries to developing our business.
Make customer service your most important advisor
At Available, we help companies lift customer service from an operational function to a strategic business driver. We build Zendesk solutions that gather data and give management insight into what customers actually experience. Are you ready to hear what your front line already knows? Contact us so we can have a chat about it..
Read the full article at: https://www.available.dk/mere-end-zendesk/feedback-fra-frontlinjen-hvad-agenterne-ved-som-ledelsen-ofte-overser