In case you’re just now joining us, we’re here at Field Service event at the JW Marriott Hotel in Palm Springs with field service professionals, after-sales service innovators and solution providers coming together for the perfect learning and networking environment for organizations looking to advance modern service together.
It’s day two, and first up to the podium was Gary Brooks, Chief Marketing Officer at Syncron, sharing his thoughts on the importance of making the transition from delivering products to delivering business outcomes. And, continuing on this message toward customer-driven service, we’re hearing from Moe Mustafa, AT&T Vice President Technical Field Services on building a culture around the customer experience, and Laura Laltrello, VP and GM of Lenovo Datacenter Services, discussing the transformation from a product to a customer experience company.
Building a Culture Around the Customer Experience
On their journey toward revolutionizing service, AT&T has developed a cultural practice around empowering exceptional service experiences called CODE.
- Care about our customers.
- Own it
- Deliver with Confidence
- Exceed Expectations
This transformation begins with showing that they care for their customers. By making a connection, they are establishing that necessary trust in order to move forward together. Then, by Owning the process, they’re not passing the buck, but instead finding the right resources to find solutions with their customers. The key to this is to deliver with confidence, which requires clear and open communication. And, finally to exceed expectations, they’re training their technicians to go above and beyond to create “wow” moments for their customers.
All of this, of course, required training and a communication strategy, along with a major cultural shift. From strong initial implementation, to senior leadership endorsement, creative communication, effective recognition and regular reminders – it took intentional design to make this transition a reality.
And, with a consistent approach to customer interaction, improved employee engagement and strategic training, AT&T saw huge improvements – improved quality metrics of up to 20%, improved customer NPS up to 30% and significant customer referrals across the board.
Transforming from a Product Company to a Customer Experience Company
But, a big part of change management is sustainability. With intentional and deliberate reinforcement, it’s crucial to make sure this transformation is something that can last. And, for Lenovo, the transformation from a product to a customer experience company took very deliberate steps.
Simply put, a customer is liable to leave after one bad experience. And, the cost of acquiring a new customer is nearly seven times as expensive as it is to keep a loyal customer alive. So how do we solve this?
- Avoid Extinction. Make customers and data your most valuable assets. After all, without customers, you don’t have a business.
- Define and Align. Create a clear path and designation of the role and significance of each type of customer.
- Invest in the Right Technology. 80% of companies are maintaining legacy tech instead of reevaluating to move the business forward.
- Build Real-Time Workflow Analytics. Workflow analytics, not dashboards, are for decision-makers, not executives. Build wisely.
- Empower Employees to Protect Customers. Build a structured data platform from your customer’s point of view and take quick action to protect your customers.
Ultimately, as we learn more about transforming your field service business, it’s clear that the same can be said for the aftermarket part of your business. The adoption of a new after-sales strategy isn’t changed overnight — you have to start by influencing from within to, in turn, better your customers. This transformation is all about leveraging your own people to drive a better customer experience.
FOLLOW ALONG!
Join us as we live blog our experience during the performance workshops, interactive working groups, and so much more. With nearly a week’s worth of networking, technology and strategy, we’re sure to walk away with some of the best tools in field service support and customer experience today!
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