Customer Service Delivery – A Mirage?

Customer Service Delivery – A Mirage?

No question could ever be so open ended as the one above. Ask any executive who is working as a CSD (Customer Service Delivery) executive in any of the product / service company and s/he would give you a bad stare in your face as if to point that it was indeed a stupid query and which doesn’t merit any answering. Such is the state of affairs that many consider it to be a “punishment posting” if they are asked to serve in the dreaded CSD unit by their peeved bosses. Why is this perceived so? With my personal experience I can deduce that in most of the cases the situation is not as bad as it eventually shapes into and the only reason of it getting into a rotten apple is when people try to run away from their dark silhouettes (read bad karmas) and when they simply can’t find an escape route they inadvertently end up going bonkers! Isn’t it true? Think of it. An organization which is into the profession of selling delicate services makes tall claims only to be exposed by one of its duped customers who refuses to take it lying down and that’s when the misery of this braggart’s CSD starts.

So what should a poor CSD executive do in this tricky scenario wherein s/he entirely relates to the client’s agony but at the same time has no option but to stick on to his/her ground first to evince loyalty to his/her employer and also to minimize the damage (which unfortunately always is thought in terms of its monetary value) thus earning some brownie points for his/her annual appraisal? It thus becomes a vicious circle and the aggrieved customer ends up bad mouthing about this insensitive culprit. The unfortunate part is that most of these culprits chose to ignore such customers and move on in their lives myopically thinking what damage a lone drop (the aggrieved customer) from the ocean (the entire target set) could do to its business interests! It’s a fallacy which is their undoing, of course in long run.

There are few CSD executives who take it on to them to make good a bad customer experience and would go out of their way to ensure that it eventually turns into an unforgettable (and possibly cherishable) experience for their life time. Such is the sensitivity & empathy of these CSD personnel that the hitherto irked customer becomes their best pal for the moment and s/he leaves handling of his/her grievances entirely in the hands of these brand ambassadors. This is how a CSD function should work and indeed be made enjoyable (unlike when the executive goes home and curses himself/herself for his/her professional miseries). Why should they pay the price for their organization’s compromised / unhealthy / unethical business practices / strategies? These executives should indeed earn the best rating points on pro-rata basis (for all such customers who got annoyed for some reason but became repeat customers later on) in their performance appraisal and should be made mentors to the rookies.

Long live the customer. Long live CSD.

(C) Rits Original

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