How to Perform Action Research to Improve Customer Service
Action research, typically undertaken as a reflective process, encourages participants to collaboratively discuss and work together to solve everyday problems. Rather than rely on theoretical advice, team members consult each other for input. Improving customer service usually involves devising troubleshooting procedures that address customer problems more efficiently.
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Instructions
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Identify a metric for your customer service group that currently reflects performance below expectations. If customer-satisfaction ratings for a particular product or service fall below acceptable levels, plan to use action research with your peers to identify ways you can improve processes related to solving customer problems by deploying specific actions.
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Gather data from reports and other sources. Examine quantitative measures, including response time, resolution time and number of calls required to fix problems. Examine qualitative data, such as anecdotal feedback from customers. Get this data from customer-satisfaction surveys, focus group reports, or customer interviews. Schedule brainstorming meetings with your team members to scrutinize the findings. Encourage all participants to offer theories regarding resolution. Actively solicit input from all levels of your company instead of relying on industry research.
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Propose changes to processes to resolve problems. Try out the new policies and procedures on a small group before implementing on a wider scale. For example, set up a troubleshooting flow chart for use in diagnosing problems with a defective printer. Designate a few members of the customer-service team to use the flow chart with selected customers. Record conversations and get feedback from both customers and representatives on the usefulness of the new tool. Ideally, establishing a consistent method for diagnosing problems results in more effective customer service.
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Adjust your formal work procedure documents to incorporate use of the revised policies and procedures. Monitor performance measures to ensure your process improvement success. Create awareness of the results of your action research by producing newsletters, multimedia announcements and social media technology, such as wikis, blogs or forums.
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Implement changes in software systems to support the way customer service representatives really work. For example, ensure that support representatives do not have to ask for customer demographic information more than once. If spare parts or software upgrades can fix the problem, enable the method for ordering and shipping the solution in a timely manner.
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References
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