Mike’s Blog

Hi

In my spare time I play the drums.  A few weeks ago I was grappling with a really tricky piece – all four limbs flailing around, playing apparently disconnected rhythms. Yet when brought together those distinct rhythms create a fantastic overall effect with each arm and leg playing a vital role and complimenting the others….at least that’s the theory, the reality may take a bit longer!!

As I was playing along, it occurred to me that this simple exercise in coordination is relevant to the work we do at ABCG to help clients develop their service performance and customer experience.  Sounds a bit far-fetched I know but bear with me.

As we investigate a company’s service experience, it’s not unusual to find that different parts of the organisation are working to entirely different agendas.  Sure, everyone’s working hard, but their efforts don’t add up to a coherent overall experience for the customer (come to think of it, that’s a bit like my drumming).  Often, what’s missing is a shared vision of what the customer experience should actually look like, a plan that defines how each part of the organisation should contribute to its delivery and clear communications to explain it to everyone.

In a survey of leading service companies, 86% of customers who were dissatisfied with their experience felt that way because the service they received was not what the brand promised.  Yet in those same organisations, only 1 in 4 CMOs had an INTERNAL marketing plan setting out the brand promise and what was expected of each department.

Without a shared vision, an agreed set of priorities and clear, consistent communications it’s almost impossible for different parts of an organisation to pull together in the same direction.  And the result can be so damaging…internal frustrations, poor customer service and even sales decline.

If you’d like to talk about this why not post a comment with your views or give me a call.