We know too well what keeps people up at night, from technical glitches to communication conflicts, we care about the challenges our clients face, and customer satisfaction is one of them. The potential impact of a below par customer experience on a company’s reputation and customer relationships is a constant concern, and in 2024 there are many obstacles we’re having to dodge in order to survive, let alone thrive – customers nowadays have no qualms about making their expectations clear, and little patience for poor service.
At smart/tasking we believe that people are what makes a business great, and it’s why we invest so much time and care in our own employees, but also the clients that we build relationships with. We’re passionate about the way we work with our clients; becoming an extension of their team and bringing people along with us, and we know that engaged and satisfied employees play a crucial role in delivering exceptional customer experiences. As Richard Branson famously once said (and has continued to say since): “If you take care of your employees, they will take care of the clients.”
Take our client as an example, a combined utilities supplier, who aims to provide a seamless customer experience across all its services and products, whilst saving customers money and ‘hassle’. After rapid growth, the business found itself ill-equipped to effectively handle the customer experience due to inadequate infrastructure. The lack of transparency among service divisions made it challenging for employees to track the customer journey, leading to a decline in service quality. While implementing a new customer management system seemed like an ideal solution, the potential disruption it would cause to service delivery posed a significant concern.
We needed to find a way to improve how our client handled its customer journeys without impacting its growth ambitions and existing services. This would mean relying hugely on its employees – engaging and motivating them during what was already a stressful time. We quickly agreed that our three primary objectives would be:
- To agree an “end-state vision” and get support & engagement for this
- To retain people, and gain buy-in and commitment
- To act as the go-to for their new CIO, guiding change and transition activities.
The first two lead our Discovery phase, where we took the time to meet with and engage various business divisions, and the next phase, the Design phase, saw us combine everything we’d observed, challenge the existing business processes and develop a Target Operating Model that would work across the business. The optimal way we felt the organisation should function to achieve its goals efficiently and effectively.
After gaining approval from key stakeholders, we effectively communicated our objectives throughout the organisation, garnering support and active participation. The implementation of new processes and technologies was phased to ensure minimal disruption to daily operations, following a highly planned approach. We conducted employee workshops to provide thorough training on the new systems and emphasising the importance of aligning with the organisation’s values and expected behaviours, and this inclusive approach aimed to secure employee buy-in and engagement. Our message was clear: we recognised the critical role employees play in shaping customer experiences and driving operational success.
This was an important piece for us, considering how heavily employee experience impacts customer experience. When transition and change is communicated effectively, employees feel more able to take ownership and deliver on commitments, go the extra mile and take pride in the service they provide. Thanks to both our smart/consult and smart/hands solutions, our client has since built a strong reputation in its sector as a provider of great customer service and great value. Their customer base has continued to grow, and employees are fully engaged behind the business’s journey – they play a strong part in building the business.
This is a brilliant example of how reimagining culture and communication can improve the customer experience, thus easing those ever-present concerns. Do you have something keeping you up at night? We love a challenge – get in touch with us for a chat and we’ll see how we can help.
