Stewart Lockie has enjoyed a long and successful career in the Retail Banking arena. He has worked globally leading teams to successful outcomes, which has provided him with unique insights into how teams perform and how the Cultural landscape can change to certain markets. Stewart holds a double Masters in Cultural leadership and Chartered Banking. As a fellow of the Chartered Institute of Bankers in the UK, Stewart provides support and mentorships to future leaders in the financial services arena. Currently working with Qorurs (formerly EFMA) supporting Banks & Insurance companies in the Middle East & Africa to deliver against their strategic & budgetary objectives.
If you look through most Financial Services, and indeed most customer-oriented industries you will read all about how Customer Service and experience are at the top of the Company’s agenda.
LinkedIn is full of CXO & CEO articles about the need to deliver exceptional service experience, and how it’s their number 1 priority.
How their investment into AI, Machine learning, and other digital advancements are all for the betterment of the end user.
Is this truly the reality?
Corporate Ghosting
There seems to be a growing trend across industries which people are noticing and commenting upon. Time again I am hearing examples of.
‘I got no reply’, ‘they never reply to my emails’, or ‘I was waiting for 40 minutes to get through to an agent’
Ghosting to my mind has been long associated with relationships and how one party will suddenly cease communication with the other.
Corporate ghosting is now something of a rising trend.
Talk to most people and there will be examples of no response to emails, no returning of calls, constant chasing to be able to speak to a person. Lack of opportunities for a face-to-face conversation.
In my area, Financial Services there seems to be an uneasy relationship between banks and the customer, has the rise of technology impacted the customer/company relationship positively or hindered it?
Has the balance been lost between Cost/Profit v Service?
A recent survey that I noticed stated that 47% of respondents felt less valued from their financial service provider. Often stating difficulty in reaching or talking with service agents as the main issue.
Ghosting in customer service is generally considered poor customer service practice and can have negative consequences for both the customer and the company. It can lead to a loss of trust, customer dissatisfaction, and even damage to the company’s reputation.
So, what can be done to reverse this growing view and trend?
To avoid ghosting in customer service, companies should realign their Strategies to truly become CX-focused.
The initiatives should all link back to this one focus. The Customer
Listed below are just some basic ideas that are not new but maybe have given way or been lost in the desire to be, the cheapest, quickest, or first to market.
Time needs to be taken to get some of the basics right.
Communication being the key theme throughout.
- Implement clear communication channels: Provide multiple channels for customers to reach out, such as phone, email, live chat, or social media. Clearly communicate the expected response time for each channel.
- Set realistic response time expectations: Clearly communicate the expected response time to customers and make sure that it aligns with the company’s capacity to handle customer inquiries.
- Use automation and self-service options: Implement automated responses or self-service options to acknowledge customer inquiries and provide relevant information while a representative is being assigned or is unavailable.
- Prioritize customer inquiries: Implement a system to prioritize customer inquiries based on urgency or importance. This ensures that critical issues are addressed promptly.
- Provide regular updates: If there is a delay in responding to a customer, proactively communicate the reason for the delay and provide an estimated time for resolution.
- Train customer service representatives: Provide comprehensive training to customer service representatives on effective communication, empathy, and problem-solving skills. Ensure they understand the importance of timely and helpful responses to customers.
- Monitor and measure customer service performance: Regularly monitor response times and customer feedback to identify areas for improvement and address any instances of ghosting.
Some of these things may seem obvious, however as a Professional with 30 years in the field, I am never surprised by the most successful companies that
- Keep it simple.
- Communicate well.
- Challenge themselves to be better.
And truly have the customer at the top of their list.
By prioritizing effective communication and timely responses, companies can avoid ghosting in customer service and provide a positive experience for their customers.