Itesa Feed

Flyswatters vs Beekeepers - Bee Social

webmaster@itesa.com (Administrator) — Thu, 19 May 2011 07:04:00 GMT

There is a lot of buzz going around with social media and customer experience these days. Busy people, are buzzing to build communities, with sticky strategies that capture the hearts and minds of customers. The use of platforms, voice of the customer (VOC), analytics, software integration, etc., is huge.

Turning your Customer Journey Map into a Navigation System

kfiveson@itesa.com (Nancy Porte) — Thu, 19 May 2011 04:00:00 GMT

Maps are defined as a representation of the features of an area. They’re very useful when establishing where you are, identifying landmarks and the many possibilities for reaching your destination. Navigation systems take mapping to the next level, providing step-by-step guidance for the most efficient route to your destination.

A customer experience wheel – or customer journey map - is a visual depiction of the steps customers take to interact and, hopefully, engage with a company. The map can depict a timeline of the series of interactions across the entire customer lifecycle. Or it can depict the detailed processes within a specific interaction (Onboarding, Customer Support) or channel (online, in-store or by phone).

Building a customer experience wheel, customer journey map or customer lifecycle diagram is a valuable experience but, once it is complete, there are some critical areas that build that value. So, once you have gone through all the processes to build one, what do you do with it?

Share the customer experience wheel with the organization. Stakeholders across the organization need to understand the insights so they can work together to improve customer-facing processes. It also helps build a common vocabulary around customer insights – moments of truth, building company champions, raving fans, etc.
Make progress for the customer. The customer experience wheel is a way to prioritize which processes need to be improved and how they should integrate across the organization.
Embed continuous improvement in the company culture. The customer experience wheel can provide organizational motivation as improvements are seen and celebrated.

Building a customer experience wheel and understanding the organization from the customer’s viewpoint is just the beginning. As a living document, the result of customer journey mapping can become the organization’s navigation system.

The Customer Experience IS Your Brand

kfiveson@itesa.com (Nancy Porte) — Thu, 12 May 2011 12:47:00 GMT

Ensuring consistent delivery of the brand experience on the front lines of customer service has remained elusive for many companies. Airlines promise no-hassle travelling, and then make their customers deal with short-tempered flight attendants and customer service agents who cannot offer acceptable solutions. Software companies promise unparalleled customer experience, then only provide online access to solutions. Large home supply companies promise one-stop shopping for novice to experienced home-owners, then under staff their customer facing teams.

Like many business situations where practice becomes policy - whether customer service and the brand are in- or out-of-sync, customer service becomes the brand. Raising customer expectations through advertising campaigns – only to have them dashed through actual interaction – erodes the power of a brand. Customers simply need solutions and their satisfaction declines when they feel the process is difficult or ineffective. Companies can take three steps to assure their brand is delivered consistently to customers.

Provide multiple service channel options. Nowhere is the need for customer service options more apparent than when talking about generational differences. Baby Boomers (1946-1964) like individualist interaction. They like the human touch and are likely to pick up a phone when they need help. Gen X (1965-1980) needs communication to be direct and immediate. They are comfortable with booth traditional customer service and technology so will determine which channel will give them the best result and use it. Generation Y or Nexters (1981-1995) are predicted to be the most challenging of all for us in the customer service world. They have grown up in an interactive, fast paced, technology savvy, multi-tasking world using cell phones, voice mail and email. They are used to instant gratification. They prefer online resources (don’t forget chat) and want direct and to the point communication. Remember, this generation is driven by speed. Getting their loyalty means providing the fastest service – every time. The bottom line is that unless a company plans to serve only one generation, multiple channels are necessary for customer satisfaction.
Choose authentic rather than unique experiences. Customer satisfaction is not earned with one interaction. Rather it is built over a number of consistently positive experiences. Many customer service departments work to achieve the uniqueness of the Zappos.com experience by creating a surprise or WOW moment. However, when it comes right down to it, the delight of the Zappos great customer experience is its consistency and authenticity! While the representatives work very hard to offer customer solutions, they do it without scripts and with very few boundaries. Each team member is encouraged to use his or her own style while focusing on the customer – which makes it authentic.
Measure your brand experience from the customer’s perspective. Many customer service departments mistake operational efficiency metrics for customer loyalty metrics. When asked about customer loyalty, they may recite their track record on response and resolution times. But, what if the most important part of the interaction for the customer is the first cal resolution or the quality of the online portal? Focusing on improving the response and resolution times will make the department more productive, but that may not be enough for the customer to become a repeat buyer or advocate your company’s products and services. Savvy customer service departments know the top drivers of customer satisfaction and make those the priority for monitoring and improvement.

In this time of social media proliferation a customer’s experience can be sent to thousands or tens of thousands of people in a few seconds. By assuring that your customer expectations are understood and met, your brand and customer experience become synonymous.

WHO WE ARE

kfiveson@itesa.com (Keith Fiveson, CEO, Managing Consultant ) — Tue, 10 May 2011 16:09:26 GMT

Located in New York City, Manchester, UK, alliance partners in India, Philippines, Mexico and Central America, IT Enabled Service Alliance (ITESA) solves communication problems and helps clients create "sacred moments of truth."

ITESA works closely with clients to implement process and accountable measures, to evaluate & engage and improve customer experiences. Assessments, experiential, strategic and vision workshops, along with training, technology, voice and text analytics are some of the tools. Problem solvers, ITESA helps clients to gain efficiency and effectiveness throughout all of the touch points (web, chat, collaboration, voice and back office processing); to support sales, marketing, customer service, human resources, training, global sourcing, strategy and business services. ITESA executives work with mid-market companies, global service providers and emerging companies to empower executives to make the right decisions, engage and prioritize efficient and effective changes, while growing and capturing market share, profits from new or existing customers.

ITESA advises organizations that wish to leverage and engage their employees to deliver an exceptional customer experience with the right people, processes and technology globally. Backed by industry thought leaders, subject matter experts and practitioners, ITESA amalgamates deep domain knowledge and actionable advice into a unique result-oriented consulting model.

AREAS OF FOUS:
PEOPLE CONVERGENCE: Since 2001, ITESA has seen the power of the web, chat, mobile and technology convergence to enable organizations to communicate and connect with customers for incredible experiences globally. ITESA's core focus continues to be convergence of people, from around the world, regardless of economic conditions, connecting opportunities for jobs and a better way of life.

CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE: How you are seen, heard and recognized, the conversation or interaction (be it live or digital) is an essential part of your every day experience. Can you afford bad service in today's environment; loss of market share, employee dissatisfaction or bad social media buzz. Creating "sacred moments of truth" is essential to leverage every interaction. Getting good Word of Mouth (WOM) is essential

CONSULTING: We help our clients leverage the knowledge and expertise needed to achieve their goals. A strategic process can be as simple as a conversation, a presentation, an on-site review, gap analysis, benchmark or full scale implementation. Our services can be customized to meet your needs, given the size of your company, be it small, medium or large. We act as trusted advisers to CEO's, CMO's or VP's to help them envision and act.

Emotional Intelligence and the Customer Experience

webmaster@itesa.com (Administrator) — Wed, 20 Apr 2011 06:57:00 GMT

Consciously we express anxieties in a variety of unconscious ways. We also measure our experiences in a variety of ways. How they evoke, communicate and connect to us emotionally is one way. Is it pleasing, satisfying, fun, happy, sad, miserable, etc.? Emotional Quotient/Intelligence (EQ-i) is all about our ability to understand emotions and act appropriately.

The Leadership Spirit and the Wow Experience

webmaster@itesa.com (Administrator) — Fri, 25 Mar 2011 09:40:00 GMT

Over 97 percent of American people are well familiar with Starbucks brand. This goes to show that more Americans know the Starbucks name than the name our Vice-president.

Let’s Get Physical – Influencing the Conscious Customer Experience

webmaster@itesa.com (Administrator) — Fri, 18 Mar 2011 11:34:00 GMT

The world is a stage and we are all but players in the experience. Lights, action, music, costumes. Conscious and unconscious experiences are often unspoken and unnoticed; yet they are a subjective and a real part of how we experience the world. The physical relationship we have in regards to color, lighting and décor play a major role in influencing how we all perceive, behave and react to the world around us.

Consciousness and the Customer Experience

webmaster@itesa.com (Administrator) — Mon, 21 Feb 2011 09:39:00 GMT

We humans think and connect more than ever before. We consume information. We network on social sites; research our buying decisions, assess our social values. We value products and services based on experiences. We offer commentary and vote with our dollars and sense. We score the experience, with use and accessibility to websites, visits to stores, conversations, chats or emails. Was it pleasing, did it inspire, tire, or serve to frustrate us?

Mobility and the Customer Experience

webmaster@itesa.com (Administrator) — Mon, 07 Feb 2011 07:02:00 GMT

In less then five years, the face of communication and connection has been changed. We have moved from an Internet connected society, to a world that is connected through Mobility. Morgan Stanely recently outlined this growth by a factor of 10x over the traditional PC or Desktop Internet device. Continued growth through 2020 and beyond is certain, so be prepared.

VideoBio

kfiveson@itesa.com (Keith Fiveson, CEO, Managing Consultant ) — Thu, 02 Dec 2010 19:54:21 GMT