How to take customer service from a cost centre to a competitive advantage

Customer service and business performance are inextricably linked. The big question is… Does your organisation view it primarily as a cost to be managed or a source of competitive advantage?

customer-service-cost-centre-vs-competitive-advantage

Before rushing to answer consider these contradictory findings from Zendesk's recently published CX Trends Report 2022. 

73% of business leaders say there's a direct link between customer service and business performance.

Moreover, 72% even go so far as to state that customer service is a critical business priority for them.

However, customers see things differently.

54% of customers say that it feels like customer service is an afterthought for most businesses they interact with.

And this despite the fact that 60% of customers now have higher expectations of customer service than before the pandemic.

This dichotomy between companies and their customers exposes a harsh truth.

Business leaders may say they recognise the value customer service can bring but all too often they continue to treat it as a cost to be minimised at all times. 

The good news is that this represents an opportunity for companies that truly invest in customer service to build stronger brand advocacy, increase customer lifetime value and create a long-term competitive advantage.

Our latest article delves further into the detriment of managing customer service as a pure cost centre.

Then, sets out a 5 step process to improve customer service.

Finally, we reveal how to use customer service to gain an enduring competitive edge.

You can read the article here:

And if you're working to transform your service operations from a cost centre to a value centre and would like to talk to us please don't hesitate to book your free online consultation.



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