What Do Employees Look For In Their HR Leaders?
As our preferences for how, where, and with whom we work have changed in the past three years, so have our expectations for our human resource departments. We now look at our HR leaders to build their policies in ways that support our wellbeing, purpose, skill development, and growth. Companies with a focus on growth are already conducting studies to find out how they can help their employees be productive while also leading fulfilled home and personal lives. All of these studies, though varied in their goals, deliver some resounding, unanimous findings. One of them is about employees expecting their companies to stand as the force of good in the world. We want our executives and leaders to champion diversity, inclusion, and acceptance. Here are 5 major expectations that the modern workforce has for its HR leaders in 2022 and beyond. 1. Employees Want to Join Strong, Compelling Brands Yes, we all need to be paid more and feel appreciated at work, but there’s another expectation that more and more employees have started to express. According to the Mercer leadership study published recently, employees want to feel connected with the organization on a more visceral level. They want to feel part of a compelling and future-driven brand. Part of some change, and meaning. But when I say brand and you think of creating a business logo, doling out a marketing campaign, and think great talent will flock to your doors, you’ve got your work cut out for you. While these outward brand expressions are important, it’s a mistake to consider them the entirety of the brand. To create a compelling and consistent brand, your organizational values, goals, and actions must all align. Your business purpose should be clear and clearly communicated both internally and externally. Make employee engagement an integral part of your operations. Make sure you are giving them the flexibility, freedom, and resources to thrive in their roles. Only then you can attract top talent that agrees with the values and objectives that you hold dear. These are the people who will dive into the passion wholeheartedly and commit to bringing about the changes you want in the world. 2. Workplace Strategies that Promote Inclusion and Equity As a people-focused department, it is time to champion employee concerns that relate to inclusion, diversity, and equality. The pandemic has given us a microscopic view of the many challenges and restrictions that workers of different minority groups face. It could be a barrier to fully accessing technology, lack of specialized training programs, unintentional biases rampant in the organizational structures, and many other things. To turn your company around and become an HR leader, not just a manager, you’ll have to make swift and definitive changes. MasterCard did this by addressing generational barriers within the organization. Its ‘YoPros’ (Young Professionals Business Resource Group) program mentors older employees in learning about social media and how to use it for business. Kaiser Permanente – a healthcare organization – is another employer with a commendable diversity record. The company’s labor force has no racial majority – 60% of it comprises people of color. Use these examples as the starting point to create and implement policies and systems that support people of different backgrounds and abilities to join your vision and help take your brand to the next level. 3. Competitive Pay is the Bare Minimum – You Need to Offer Perks and Benefits The perks and benefits being offered to the employees are looking a lot different post-pandemic. A significant chunk of employees has moved to remote work arrangements, resulting in their lack of access to company-offered perks such as healthy on-site meals, daycares, or gyms. The pandemic has also exposed the voids in our understanding and treatment of mental health problems. An alarmingly high number of employees have reported feeling stressed, anxious, depressed, and burnt out. Mental health issues have become the leading cause of disability in the country. A survey by Lyra Health and the National Alliance of Healthcare Purchaser Coalitions also reports that 40% of the American workforce suffers from the effects of burnout. Two-thirds of those surveyed also reported that poor mental health has diminished their productivity and performance at work. All of these topics point towards a need for a more well-rounded approach to employee benefits programs. It has to become bigger than paychecks and medical insurance. HR leaders need to think of delivering healthy meals and snacks to remote workers, subsiding their gym memberships, childcare assistance, providing financial wellbeing programs, virtual and otherwise mental healthcare offerings, flexible scheduling, and customized benefits packages. Conducting a company-wide survey to find out the kind of benefits that would serve your workforce the best is the most holistic way to approach the issue. It will help you guide your effort and investment to areas that are going to deliver the most value. 4. Create Up-Skilling and Re-Skilling Programs Up-skilling and re-skilling programs are another way for your HR department to look at the future with a more comprehensive lens. Training your workforce in education, technical knowledge, and skills that are required for future jobs helps you create a workforce that is more agile and can respond to sudden pivots (like a global pandemic) with more resilience and efficiency. Even before the pandemic, corporations like Walmart, Target, and Amazon had started tuition reimbursement programs where the companies cover either full or partial college costs for their workers. Google has a thriving volunteer community where peer-to-peer training and mentoring ensure that the company’s workforce learns from the best in a thriving and supportive environment. In 2021, Accenture invested $1 billion in its reskilling and training program for all of its employees of all levels and designations. Since March 2020, the company has trained more than 70,000 professionals and has increased its training hours by 6% while also reducing training costs. As employee appreciation efforts go, investing in their skills training is a great way to show your trust in their abilities and to root for their success. If you’re not a billion-dollar company yet and cannot afford pricey college tuitions or fancy digital training, platforms such as LinkedIn Learning and Coursera are available. You can also consider Google’s digital training courses from its platform, Digital Garage, for high-end, free technical education. 5. Make Work-From-Anywhere a Norm Remote work was already a thing for a large number of people around the globe way before the pandemic. According to stats, 17% of U.S. employees worked from home prior to 2020. Globally, this figure was at 21%. After Covid-19, these numbers have jumped to 44% and 56% respectively. With more and more people and companies feeling comfortable with the many benefits of WFH, it has started to become a staple of modern work offerings. So much so that many people resigned from their jobs when refused by their employers to be given flexible work situations. According to a Slack survey, 72% of the workforce is looking at companies that offer a hybrid work model. A combination of office + remote situation where employees can choose when to come to the office and when to stay at home and work from their living room. As an HR head, it’s your duty to sit down with employees and the management and figure out what your hybrid work model is going to look like. You can ask your entire staff to come to work some days of the week and work remotely on other days. You can also make some teams fully remote while others can be office-bound. Then there are companies that offer WFH when their employees have to take care of important things at home – childcare duties, a doctor’s appointment, household fixes, and such. Just figure out what works for you and your teams and get on with devising the strategy. With the most intuitive digital collaboration tools at your disposal, there really is no excuse to deprive your staff of the flexibility that remote work brings. 5. Effective Remote Team Introductions Remote employees need to meet their teammates just like any new employee would. Team introductions are easy to overlook when any new employee is remote. There are a few ways to integrate remote employees with the rest of your team: Have a group welcome video call. Schedule one-on-one introduction calls. Hold shadow sessions where your new employee sits in as others perform work processes on a screen share. Use recorded sessions like sales calls or customer service calls to familiarize new employees with your customers and messages. Give a virtual tour of your facilities. Employees perform best when they know they are valued teammates and share the same communication and collaboration tools and best practices with the rest of the team. While you cannot take a remote employee out to lunch in person, everyone has adapted to video coffee breaks, lunches, and happy hours. Conclusion The future of work demands HR representatives to show their value and relevance to their organization and people. The days of looking at HR as a bridge/connection to corporate/management are over. Employees now expect their HR leaders to champion change, pursue innovation, be proactive in their support of the workforce, and listen to employee concerns with the intent to solve their issues. About Author: Nina Hoffman I am a marketing and business development expert and have been a part of the industry for the past 5 years, providing strategies, content learning and access to peer networks. I am passionate about helping businesses build a professional online persona.
What do people chat about at work – workflow?
This article was initially published on diginomica.com , on March 6, 2019. The idea that company employees discuss and share their inner musings on corporate secrets when standing around the water cooler is probably more down to the movies than it is related to any form of reality. But if people are talking at work, one of the up-and-coming topics these days is their workflow – or lack of it.Regardless of whether people talk at the water cooler, the tea station, or while queuing for lunch, we all discuss our working life experiences with each other in an informal way. It’s a sort of supplement – or you might say antidote – to human resources … and it’s where the crux of working lives is really played out.So in an increasingly connected and digitized world, may we suggest that the thread of water cooler conversations might be shifting slightly? Armed with new tools to transform the way many company processes are being carried out, people may now actually start discussing the state of their digital workflows and measuring their job satisfaction as a result.A new yardstick for job satisfactionPeople are now looking at the way work really gets done inside their organization in a far more granular and analytical way. Regardless of whether or not an individual is fully aware and cognizant of the digital workflow that their role may fall into, they are probably in one nonetheless.What everyone will know, instinctively, is that there is a flow of work between customers, partners and other members of an organization. What we can do with digital workflows is more accurately locate areas where work can be carried out more efficiently.More than ever before we also know that people have more choice about the technology they use every day. We’ve witnessed the rise of Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) to work and the general consumerization of IT that came with it.These experiences should tell us that if you don’t give people the right tools, then they will go and look for them. Equally, if you don’t give people the right applications, engagement systems and wider workflow patterns, then they will instinctively go and look for them, or make them.Unrestrained innovation in a digitally native territoryThe shift to digital business brings with it new opportunities. Non-techie businesspeople are starting to embrace so-called low-code software application development platforms that allow them to build elements of app functionality that work just the way they want them to.As these new freedoms play out in the workplace, firms need to think about the unknown factors. Unbridled and unrestrained innovation is all very well, but the problem with custom-built point solutions is that they often do one well, but fail to provide scope for enterprise-wide scalability or an ability to integrate across the entire organisation.If we think about platform-level technologies, we can build that innovation factor into software that is digitally native to the cloud era and so ready for a more structured approach. Because these applications have been built in a digitally native territory, they will be able to leverage fully integrated native device capabilities, such as maps, camera, and so on.The virtuous circle of workflowsIf we hinge our business models around digital workflows that define which data lives where, then we can more easily react to change and uncover new streams of profitable operation. Digitizing workflows means we can use defined data where it has the right impact, but also channel unstructured data to the data lake.But even the information in the data lake need not go to waste – we can apply Machine Learning (ML) to these data resources and use algorithms to find patterns in business transactions where we weren’t even looking for them to drive new business outcomes. This can be a virtuous circle because workflows can be tuned and changed based upon the new insights uncovered.The business process you didn’t know aboutThe best work processes are very often the ones that you follow, but that you didn’t even know about. If we define digital workflows and build our operational models around them, then we can increase productivity and create great experiences for employees who want to work anywhere and at any time.A lot of employees have to take actions throughout the day that move the organization forward, but often these same actions prevent them from doing high-value work. It’s time to transform old, manual ways of working into modern digital workflows, so employees and customers get what they need, when they need it.Create a joined-up experienceKicking off digital workflow initiatives and getting your transformation started can be a real challenge and as a result, many companies struggle to even start their efforts. First of all, we all have disjointed internal systems and processes that make it hard to connect the dots. Trying to navigate these can feel like unravelling a ball of yarn, so the more you learn, the more complicated they seem.Once you make sense of the systems and processes, you have to figure out the myriad of tools and solutions that drive these. The end result you should be aiming for is a common, workflow-driven experience layer that is consistent across the systems in your organization.Your typical company employee might still be more likely to discuss holiday plans, managerial peeves and whether or not Bert or Marjorie (insert name of your choice) in accounts is being a pain about company car allowances, but the ‘how is your workflow?’ conversation is coming. Are you digitally hydrated yet?
What Does Customer First Truly Mean? 9 Strategic Tips
While many companies claim to put customers first, they often lack a deep understanding of what that truly entails.Prioritizing clients’ needs often results in consistent success. Businesses that are genuinely committed to this must actively and empathetically engage with customers.A customer-first strategy builds stronger connections, increases revenue, and cultivates a competitive edge.This blog highlights the importance of a customer-first culture in businesses and offers practical steps to enhance customer experiences and ensure future success. What does customer first mean?Customer first is a business philosophy and approach that prioritizes customers’ needs, preferences, and satisfaction above all else.With a customer-first mindset, businesses aim to understand their customers deeply, anticipate their needs, and deliver exceptional value and service at every touchpoint.It emphasizes creating products, services, and experiences that are tailored to meet customers’ specific expectations and requirements.This approach leads to increased customer loyalty, positive brand perception, and long-term business success.9 Ways to put the customer firstPutting customers first allows businesses to thrive in today’s competitive market. Here are some great ways to prioritize customers.Get to know your customersGet to know your customers before making decisions. Understand their preferences, pain points, and desires by directly and indirectly asking about them instead of assuming.One effective customer-first strategy is to create detailed buyer personas that include the demographics, behaviors, and motivations of your target audience.Utilizing these personas enables tailored marketing messages, product offerings, and services that resonate with customers.Empower your staff with consistent trainingAccording to SurveyMonkey findings, 73% of employees who believe that achieving customer satisfaction is a top priority for their company consider their work to be meaningful.To ensure your employees put customers first:Ensure your representatives are trained to prioritize serving customers and emphasize the importance of putting customers first in every interaction.Elevate service quality by empowering employees to address customers’ issues swiftly and effectively, minimizing unnecessary delays by equipping them with resources, tools, how-to videos, and manuals.In the long run, explicitly training employees on how to put the customer first keeps them focused.Listen actively to your customersA customer-first mindset requires companies to listen carefully and pay attention to customers’ responses, concerns, and suggestions.Utilize surveys, social media, reviews, ratings, testimonials, and referrals to monitor their perceptions of your brand, products, and services.Responding promptly and courteously to their issues will demonstrate your appreciation for their input.Be transparent and honest with your customersTo truly prioritize customers, transparency and honesty are key. This is achieved by effectively communicating pricing, policies, and any changes that may impact the customer experience.While you may not always please every customer, being honest about issues and keeping them informed can increase trust. Transparency is an essential component of a customer-first strategy.Give rewards to appreciate your customersBusinesses can reward loyal customers with incentives such as discounts, exclusive offers, and customer loyalty programs, showcasing appreciation and encouraging repeat engagement.Furthermore, personalized experiences and special bonuses can pleasantly surprise customers.Companies that embrace a generous approach can offer giveaways, exclusive resources, and valuable content, making customers feel good about doing business with them.Keep your customers updatedKeeping your customers updated demonstrates that you value communication in your relationship with them.Keep them informed about changes, improvements, and relevant information regarding your products or services.By prioritizing regular updates, you empower customers to make informed decisions and enhance their overall experience with your business.Focus on accessibilityMake it easy for customers to reach out for support through multiple channels, such as phone, email, chat, and social media.Being accessible and adapting to clients’ schedules outside of typical business hours positions businesses as helpful and concerned with their client’s success.Businesses should integrate round-the-clock support, like a customer self-service portal and knowledge base software containing diverse content.This ensures that information about their products and services is readily accessible, aligning with an effective implementation of a customer-first strategy.Value your customers’ feedbackHighlight the significance of your customers to your business by actively incorporating customer feedback into decision-making processes.Regularly conducting satisfaction surveys helps to gather insights and promote a customer-first approach.Businesses must utilize customers’ feedback to understand their needs and drive continuous improvement to products and operations.Respond quickly and politely to your customersDue to technology’s speed and accessibility, customers today expect prompt responses. Providing them aligns with a customer-first strategy.Including SLA reminders in support processes helps prevent escalations and ensure timely resolutions.This practice contributes significantly to maintaining professionalism and elevating the overall customer service experience.Businesses must prioritize addressing customer issues quickly, preferably within 24 hours, to demonstrate attentiveness and care.How a customer-first strategy can benefit your businessLoyal clients are the foundation of any successful firm in the competitive market of today. Here’s how this strategy may help your company.Improves customer retentionPositive customer experiences encourage repeat business. Customer-first strategies prioritize the customer experience, thereby improving customer retention and enhancing lifetime value.Enhances brand reputation and trustWord-of-mouth marketing remains a powerful tool. These days, it’s often word-of-fingers as people type their reviews.By striving to exceed customer expectations, you build a strong brand reputation through the disinterested reviews of your satisfied customers, cultivating trust in the market.Positive online reviews and social media mentions become free advertising, attracting new customers, and establishing you as a leader in your industry.Provides valuable customer insightsBy prioritizing customer feedback, you gain a goldmine of insight into their needs, wants, and pain points.This feedback loop helps you refine your offerings, improve your customer service, and identify new opportunities.Increases customer lifetime valueA happy customer is a spending customer. By focusing on building long-term relationships, a customer-first strategy encourages customers to not only return but also spend more on your products or services as their needs evolve.This translates to increased customer lifetime value.Aids in creating a competitive edgeA customer-first strategy increases your competitive edge. Exceptional customer service gains more customers who value high-quality service.Businesses that regularly provide exceptional customer service develop strong connections with their clients, leading to long-term success.Adopt a customer-first strategy for your businessA business culture that prioritizes the customer’s needs aims to enhance the customer experience and increase customer loyalty.Always make yourself accessible to customers, go above and beyond to address their concerns, and ensure that each interaction with them is helpful.Prioritizing your clients will enhance their interaction with your company and raise the likelihood that they will stick around and become lifelong customers.One way to put customers first is to choose customer service software that lets you serve them best. Please contact us to schedule a live demo of LIKE.TG, which provides your support team with a ticketing system and multiple tools to do their jobs right. Alternatively, sign up for a free trial to try it out right away.
What does Gen Z want at work?
For many employers, Gen Z is a bit of mystery.There’s no question that these young employees – between 18 and 24 – just entering office workplaces are driving the desire for more technology solutions integrated into the company.Communication, collaboration and scheduling tools are all on the list of what Gen Z wants. It’s not a surprise, given that these workers spend 10 hours on their mobile devices – every single day. And most of them want their tech experience at work to be as simple as it is at home.Unfortunately, for many, there’s still a gap in the solutions they’d like to see and what they’ve actually experienced.Beyond the desire for technology to make work easier, this mobile-savvy generation also appreciates flexibility in their office hours, even more than other perks like snacks. At the same time, they still crave the basics, like in-person interactions with their managers and regular feedback, so question your assumptions about these young employees.This generation is certainly feeling misunderstood. While Millennial, Gen X and Boomer coworkers think Gen Z can help them with their digital and social media skills, the youngest generation feels they can contribute to helping improve other skills, like open-mindedness and creative problem solving.Gen Z is still young but will soon make up a huge portion of the workforce – and Canadian offices need to get ready to meet their expectations.Check out our key Canadian findings to get a better sense of Gen Z at work.
What does LIKE.TG do?
From humble beginnings to becoming an enterprise with more than 20,000 employees globally, LIKE.TG has been through a lot of changes since its founding in 2004. Although it started as an IT service management company, it's grown to connect people, functions, and systems across organizations.Today, LIKE.TG offers solutions for IT service and operations management, the employee and customer experiences, low-code and hyperautomation, and a whole lot more—all built on a single, unifying platform that eliminates silos.If you think that sounds like a mouthful, you’re not alone. In the tech world, it can be tricky to explain what your company does, especially to nontech family and friends. We put our employees to the test and asked them, “What does LIKE.TG actually do?” Watch the video to see their responses:
What Gen Z’s really want from work – The intangibles
Gen Z's, who now represent a significant portion of the workforce, are bringing unique experiences and worldviews to the workplace. They're digitally native, socially conscious, and managed to survive a global pandemic and are starting their careers remotely. Snacks in the breakroom aren't their main concern. They're "conscious candidates," seeking passion and purpose to inspire their best work.After speaking with numerous LIKE.TG interns over the last few weeks, these are my top takeaways for companies looking to create the work culture Gen Z's want.Cultivate passion. Gen Z's don't only want to talk about work with their peers. They view the workplace as a space to engage with others around issues they're passionate about, inside and outside of work. Sharing passions with coworkers allows Gen Z's to feel more connected, especially in a digital setting."Being able to advocate for things we care about at work is beneficial to both the employees and the company," says Paco Wong, a quality engineer Intern from Indiana University.Connecting in this way can only happen if Gen Z's feel comfortable expressing themselves in the workplace. "Gen Z’s like us have slowly realized that we have to feel passionate and excited in order to produce our best work," says Wong. “This includes loving the work that we do but also not feeling the need to hide our authentic selves.” Leading by example is the best way for company leaders and managers to encourage workplace authenticity–have your own passions, encourage taking time to volunteer, and carve out time in meetings to discuss things besides work. And if there's a project that a Gen Z employees are particularly passionate about, encourage them to pursue it.Respond substantively to current events. Gen Z's are constantly engaging with big issues of the day, and not only on social media but also among their peers. Companies that ignore or fail to thoughtfully respond to signature issues and events can send the wrong signal to Gen Z's. Avoid this with clear communication and dialogue––and make sure that messaging is consistent at every level of the company, starting at the top."In my very first LIKE.TG All Hands meeting, I got to witness first-hand the accepting company culture. Employees were able to share their thoughts and opinions on pressing social issues, including the BLM movement and Pride Month," says Kylee Kim, a global talent HR care delivery intern from San Jose State University.Tangible actions in response to current events shows employees they belong, regardless of background or position. "When a company embraces core values of diversity, inclusion, and belonging, this allows me––and other employees––to feel comfortable, valued," says Byron Nelson, an ADR sales intern from the University of West Georgia.Know your why. "Whenever I'm recruiting, I always look at what the company stands for," says Wong. He's not alone. Why does the organization exist, beyond just making products or services? Purpose is becoming a make-or-break criterion for Gen Z’s when choosing a company.Purpose is not about donating or volunteering; it’s the reason why any company succeeds and what connects employees to leadership, and vice-versa. "At orientation, they talked to us about one of LIKE.TG's values––hungry and humble,” says Nelson. “I don't think I really understood its importance until I started working in the sales org and saw how passionate we are about our customers. Across the company, everyone I've met pretty much bleeds this value, and keeps me motivated, especially when I'm working remotely.In a digital environment, without that in-office buzz and inspiration, purpose is more important than ever to Gen Z's, because it provides a meaningful foundation to work when the bigger picture is harder to see. Great company culture can also be the difference between hiring qualified people and nailing down top Gen Z talent. “It’s so important to me that I not only enjoy what I do but where I do it and whom I do it with,” Kim says.With remote work becoming the norm for many organizations, these intangibles form an important part of what Gen Z’s really want from work. Creating the kind of culture that speaks to Gen Z’s will also unlock potential within employees of all generations.Our recent research, shows Gen Zs are defying some of these stereotypes in the workplace. Take a look at the study: Gen Zs and the Future of Work.
What is a Workflow and Why Do You Need It?
Are you still using a paper-based to-do list or project management system? Do you have a hard time staying up-to-date on your employee's work in real-time? Did you know that 85% of employees aren't engaged at work, costing billions of dollars in lost productivity? The experts agree this is due in large part to mismanagement. So, how can you improve your management skills and increase employee engagement? The answer is simple: you need automated workflows. But, what is a workflow? Don't worry if you don't know, as we're here to help you. Keep reading to learn everything you need to know about workflows and how to create them so you can stay competitive in your industry. Who Needs a Workflow Tool? If you have a team working together on any project, you need a workflow process. This allows everyone on your team to know what's expected of them and when. By using an automated workflow management software, you take yourself out of the equation when it comes to micromanaging your team. This gives everyone the autonomy to plan their schedules and ensure their work is done on time for the next person in the workflow process. Project management can be overwhelming and complicated, but when you create streamlined business processes that are followed every time, you create a simplified plan. This allows everyone on your team to see the plan and know when they need to complete their part. So, if you have a team that has problems with task management, then you need to create a workflow. However, you might be asking, what is a workflow? We answer that next. To learn more about Workmates features, download our ebook now. Download now What Is a Workflow? A workflow is a system or series of steps you need to take if you create a product, provide a service, or complete a repeatable task or project. Each time you or your team needs to work on this project or create this product, they need to know exactly what steps to complete and in what order. Your workflow management systems give this to them. It also allows you to duplicate yourself because you will no longer have to guide your team through the creation process. Everyone can see the series of steps required and where you are in the process. Workflow automation is a system you create to outline the process your team needs to follow every time they complete a certain project. For your web developers, this could be a workflow outlining client onboarding for each new project. For your accounting department, this encompasses business or accounting workflow management for both accounts receivable and payable. For your HR team, this can include employee onboarding or employee vacation requests, for example. Every time your company hires a new employee, there are certain forms that need to be filled out and education that needs to be completed. Does everyone on your team know what these are and what they need to do? If not, then you need to create this system for them, so you can stop micromanaging and get back to working on your business instead. So, a workflow is a system or process consisting of the exact steps for each time you work on a project or create a product. Why You Need to Create Automated Processes for Your Business You have a business to run, and you have many items on your to-do list already. And yet, here we are telling you that you need to take the time to make a checklist; it might sound redundant. But it's vital to running an efficient and streamlined company. Don't rely on a list in your head. This does two things: It creates an environment in which you're required to be present and involved in every project It leaves too much room for human error if you forget a step or can't remember if you've done it already and have to go back and check You don't want to risk either one of these scenarios for your business. You want to improve productivity. You want to create a business that allows you to be elsewhere working on your business. This empowers your team to do the work themselves. Let's say you run a managed IT services company. Every month you run certain processes and create reports for each of your clients. You must have a workflow created so everyone knows what needs to be done and where they can help. And for example, let's say your IT firm also offers a service to create new websites or apps for businesses. Creating a website or app is a long process with many steps. So, again, you need a checklist to ensure that nothing is forgotten. This is the basis for what a workflow is, so now let's show why they're important. By having a checklist they follow every time, they never need to wonder if they're doing the right thing or in the right order. Additionally, as other team members come into the project mid-way, everyone can instantly see what's already been completed and where they can help with the next step. How to Create a Workflow A good workflow not only tells your team what to do and when, but it also shows them the exact steps, or best practices, as outlined by senior management. It also helps management to see where the backlog can become a problem or where deficiencies in productivity may lie. That's all well and good; you know that you need to create workflows, but how? We've created a process workflow to help you create them for your own business. 1. Start With the End in Mind The best place to start is to know what your end goal is. This will ensure that at the end of the workflow, you've created the product or delivered the service as desired by the client or customer. So before you start outlining the steps, take the time to clearly define the finished product. 2. Brainstorm the Steps Next, you'll start to brainstorm the necessary steps to get from the beginning of your project to the final deliverable. Then map out each step in order; you can do this using an ideal model knowing that, in reality, it won't always be so neat and tidy. 3. Identify Resources Needed This is where you'll start to look at the details for each step in your brainstorming process. What will you and your team need to complete each step in your workflow? Who will complete each step in your workflow? Resources needed can include more employees if there is a bottleneck, more money if there is a budget, and more time if there is a tight deadline. 4. Determine Ownership and Provide Training Once you know the basic structure of your workflow and the resources necessary, you need to determine who will be responsible for each step. By clearly defining who the stakeholders are in the process, you don't have to worry about delegating or waiting for someone to pick up a project. Everyone knows what is expected of them and when. Clarity is key in this step. Everyone must be on the same page in order for automated workflows to flow seamlessly. 5. Test and Tweak Each Process Continually work through your business process management and work to improve productivity. Talk with everyone on your team and find out where their concerns or problems are. This allows you to define a problem and then start working to solve any issues that could be causing inefficiencies in your approval workflow. A Common Workflow Example Each time you hire someone new, are you sure they have all the information they need to succeed? Does each manager in your company follow the same process, or do they have their own way of doing things? With a uniform workflow, you don't have to worry about these scenarios. Instead, you know that every employee has what they need to succeed and that it's consistent across your company. Here is an example of an onboarding workflow your HR team could follow each time: Send an immediate automatic email to every new hire with the history and culture of your company Send an automatic email the day before every new hire's first day with pertinent information about their first day and where they need to go IT sets up their workspace before their first day with all the equipment they need to do their job First-day tour of the building or campus to ensure they feel comfortable and know where to go Share company goals and position benefits on the first day Have the first week, the first month, and first 90 days checklist available so everyone knows what is expected of them With this in place, you know the process you need to follow every time you hire someone new. And if you outsource any or all of these steps to your team, they know the process they need to follow. This is what a streamlined and efficient workflow looks like for your team. Now, you don't need to wonder if you're creating a workflow that will help or hinder your team. You know that you've followed the steps to create a system anyone can use at any time without you holding their hand or following up on whether or not it was done. This guide was designed to help you navigate through those difficult tasks and help determine the right software for your organization, download our ebook now. Download now Stop Wondering and Start Building Your Workflows Today This article has covered a monster topic and will change the way you run your business. If you follow each of the steps listed, you will see not only an increase in productivity but an increase in engagement as well. At the outset, we shared a shocking statistic, that the majority of workers by far aren't engaged in their jobs. But, when you empower your employees with clearly defined workflows and systematized processes, then you can put them back in the driver seats of their own careers. Now you don't have to wonder what is a workflow, instead you know how to create them and the power they will give to your business and team members. To learn more, watch our video or request a free demo, so you can see how creating automated forms and workflows can transform your business. About Author: This article is written by a marketing team member at LIKE.TG. LIKE.TG is a leading provider of proven HR solutions, including recruiting, onboarding, employee communications & engagement, and rewards & recognition. Our user-friendly software increases employee productivity, delivers time and cost savings, and minimizes compliance risk.
What Is an Intranet and How Is It Relevant to Your Organization?
As technology continues to advance, some people may think intranets are a thing of the past, but they are entirely relevant even today.Whether it is a website, a platform, or a tool, in this article, we’ll explain just what an intranet is, as well as how it has evolved, its application in modern-day organizations, and its advantages and disadvantages. Definition of the Intranet The definition of an intranet, in simple terms, is a private network within your organization that allows secure communication for you and your employees. It is used for multiple purposes depending on the structure and objectives. It mainly enables an organization to share information at an internal level. This information is inaccessible to outsiders. History of the intranets To understand company intranets, we must have a brief look at its history: Intranet websites first appeared along with the internet in the 1990s, when they were used in the form of a webpage. It was a single welcome page that contained general information about the company. When the intranet site was first introduced, it was flat, filled with text and hyperlinks, and didn’t offer much in terms of search, sharing, or other capabilities. In the 2000s, Intranets saw developments as the technology was advancing at a rapid pace. A help desk was introduced that helped in human resource functions. It included features like employee directories and other applications that helped them in day-to-day activities. By the 2010s, platform integration began as social media advanced. Intranet then became a platform that supported two-way communication or “conversations”. In recent years, the role of social media in intranets has grown significantly. Many social features have been added. These include mentions, comments, and hashtags. The websites can monitor real-time activities and can gain timely insights as user experience is the central focus. As a result, employee engagement, collaboration, and communication were significantly improved. No credit card needed Less then 5 min to set up Difference Between Intranet, Internet, and Extranet A lot of people assume that the internet, intranet, and extranet are the same, but they are actually three different types of networks. It’s important for those in human resources (HR) to know the differences between them so they can understand the business uses and security implications of each system. From a technological perspective the intranet, internet, and extranet are very similar, but what sets them apart is who can access them (privacy access) and what they aim to achieve. An Internet is a network that is available to everyone, while intranets are private networks designed for specific groups of people. An extranet is also a private network but as an extension of an intranet that allows controlled access to authorized external users, such as customers, suppliers, or business partners. Let’s break down the 3 nets and show some examples: Intranet: A company like Google uses an intranet called "MOMA" for internal communications, document sharing, and project management. Only employees can access this network, ensuring that sensitive information remains secure and internal operations run smoothly. Extranet: Walmart uses an extranet called "Retail Link" to share inventory and sales data with suppliers. This allows suppliers to manage their products more effectively and respond to demand changes, while Walmart retains control over who can access the data. Internet: Amazon's website is a prime example of the Internet. It's a public platform where anyone can browse, purchase products, and access services from anywhere in the world, demonstrating the openness and accessibility that characterize the Internet. What Are Intranets Used For? Let’s move towards the functionality and features of intranets. Broadly, the use of intranets can be grouped as follows: Communication, collaboration, information, and business processes. These four purposes will then be tailored for the organization according to its objectives and goals. The list below shows the most common uses: Source of connection: Companies are going global and require a smooth flow of information. An intranet will ensure this by connecting all the employees; hence it helps in building a virtual culture. Access to information: Intranets can be used to access documents, centrally host, and provide information that the employees need urgently and timely. Employee engagement: Intranets are used for onboarding and allocating tasks. They can also be used to gain insights into employee sentiments. In turn, organizations can respond to their concerns. Business objectives: Intranets play a leading role in supporting the strategic objectives of an organization. They help in building a virtual culture, employee engagement, and staff retention rates and ensure a smooth flow of communication. To learn more about the features and capabilities available in Workmates, download our ebook now. Download Now Popular features of the Intranet A company’s intranet is considered the base of employee communication. So, you will have to gather the right features to be well-integrated and improve collaboration. Some of the most popular Intranet features are: Document management Workflows and forms Event management Dynamic widgets Intuitive search Group channels Social tools Personalized content Mobile App versions Integration with cloud-based systems Advantages and disadvantages of intranet Intranets can revolutionize internal company communication and streamline operations, but they do come with some challenges. On one side, they offer centralized information access and improved collaboration, and on the other, they may face issues like maintenance costs and user adoption hurdles. Understanding both the benefits of intranet as well as challenges is crucial for making an informed decision. Advantages of Intranet Improved Employee Productivity - It will help you keep your employees and their work aligned with the company culture - values, vision, and mission - while also improving information flow. It leads to faster decision-making processes, which might contribute to increased sales. As an owner, you can also collect vital employee feedback that will help your company grow and thrive. It is essential to create an efficient digital workplace, especially considering the growing popularity of remote work. Easy and Secure Data Storage - It helps you manage all the important data and files, organize them, and store them in one place, which is easily accessible to anyone who needs it. Furthermore, all communications and information exchanges are saved in an intranet, so nothing will get lost. As such, a dedicated intranet can be an excellent alternative to document and content management systems. Improved Employee Experience - Your HR team will be able to onboard new employees more smoothly, leading to increased employee satisfaction. Easy access to company information, better internal communication and collaboration tools, and improved problem-solving processes will also reduce stress and frustration. It might all contribute to your employees’ loyalty and dedication, and as such, to their productivity. Additionally, an intranet can be a hopeful tool for recognition and rewards, which are both necessary to keep your encouraged employees feeling happy and satisfied. You can also go for something called social intranet - software designed to focus on emphasizing social networking. Disadvantages of Intranet Maintenance Costs - To make sure that your intranet is working smoothly and is always up to date, you will probably need someone to oversee it. What’s more, intranets usually require specialists who know all the system’s intricacies, so it can’t be just anyone. Information Overload - Due to digitalization, we are all being bombarded with information every step of the way. Professional life is no exception here. So, if your company already uses a variety of tools you can’t give up, introducing an intranet might only add up to the pile of information your employees need to get through every day. Security Risks - Even though an intranet is a secure private network, a hacker can use social engineering tactics to get inside, especially if your dedicated solution works on old-school platforms and systems. That’s why it’s vital to have an intranet designed to your preferences, needs, and possible risks. Why Intranets are the heart of the digital workplace Intranets have evolved and proved to adapt according to the demands of an organization. Their capability to turn a workplace into a virtual culture makes them the heart of the digital workplace. It is crucial to consider the potential that it holds and the role it plays in helping the organization in reaching its objectives. Traditional intranets with outdated features are of no use to an organization and are becoming obsolete. Modern intranets act as gateways to modern organizations with virtual cultures. So, it is vital to keep them updated and upgraded. Modern features should be added to enhance employee experience, workplace collaboration, and ROI. Try Workmates Interactive Demo Click through it yourself withinteractive demo. Try It Now Conclusion The intranet is an important tool for businesses and organizations to improve team productivity, collaboration, and communication within their internal network. Understanding what is intranet and how can intranet benefit your company can help you make informed decisions about implementing or improving your intranet solution. Whether you have an established intranet or are considering implementing one, it's important to regularly review and update it to ensure it remains an effective tool for your team. About Author: Christopher Mansfield is a content writer at Perfect Essay. He creates, edits, and manages the production of digital and print content that is consistent with the organization’s brand, style, and tone. Christopher works closely with the internal marketing team to ensure timely delivery of content via various marketing channels and mediums. He also develops and maintains an editorial calendar. He contributes to the webinar program to further thought leadership campaigns for different market segments. Twitter, Facebook, Instagram FAQ Frequently Asked Questions Have another question? We'd love to hear it. Book Your Free Demo Can an intranet function without the Internet? Yes, an intranet can function without the Internet, as long as all the users (and the server) are on the local network. It operates within a closed network, allowing employees to access internal resources, communicate, and collaborate without needing an external internet connection. However, internet access may be required for certain updates or external integrations. When is the intranet better than the Internet? For internal use, intranets are better than the Internet because they offer enhanced security, tailored content, and increased productivity. A secure system offers tools and information that are relevant to an organization and reduces distractions by limiting access to external content. How can an intranet be customized for different departments? An intranet can be tailored with tools, resources, and interfaces that are relevant to each department, making sure that all teams have access to important information. What are the costs associated with implementing an intranet? The cost of an intranet can vary depending on its size and complexity, including software licensing, customizations, maintenance, and training. $(document).ready(function () { $(".show-hide-faq").click(function () { var el = $(this).parent(); var answer = el.children(".answer"); if ($(this).hasClass("bg-plus")) { $(this).removeClass("bg-plus"); $(this).addClass("bg-minus"); } else { $(this).removeClass("bg-minus"); $(this).addClass("bg-plus"); } answer.toggle(); }); });
What is an Intranet? And How Can You Benefit from the Right One?
Company intranets have been a part of corporate life since the mid-'90s. But in the last half-decade or so, they've evolved to include many social, relationship-building features. Naturally, the merit of these developments is hotly debated. While we can all agree that strong company relationships are important, how these relationships are developed is a point of contention. Is social intranet software a productivity killer, or an important business tool? In this blog post, we'll explore the main benefits an intranet provides, and whether or not your company should invest in this type of application. No credit card needed Less then 5 min to set up 15 Benefits of Integrating a Company Intranet Wondering whether to use a company intranet platform or not? You're not alone. The topic has been picking up steam lately. Clear and concise communication is essential for any role in a business, and the quality of a company’s internal communication sets the stage for the future.Here are, in our opinion, the 15 biggest benefits: 1. Increased Productivity It’s easy to think that the availability of socializing or sharing personal information via social intranet may lead to distractions and decrease productivity. However, the reality is quite the opposite. The benefits of easier collaboration, efficient communication, and enhanced organization are far more important. Also, it should be noted that social intranet software allows for conversation monitoring. Making this known to employees will often discourage any inappropriate sharing without ruining company culture. In addition to serving as a central point of communication, the intranet ensures prompt distribution of key company updates and information, reducing employee search time. 2. Improved Collaboration Email, for all its advantages, is not an ideal internal correspondence tool. Messages are easily lost, buried beneath a mountain of other emails. Social intranets separate internal and external communications, allowing team members to easily send large files when necessary and respond to each other in a more timely fashion. Lastly, the community aspect of social intranet software encourages employees to share ideas in a transparent and streamlined way. Different thoughts and suggestions often make for better businesses. 3. Enhanced Employee Satisfaction Employee satisfaction is an important component of any organization. Studies show that the average employee tenure at a company is a mere four years, and employee turnover costs businesses an average of six to nine months' salary per departed worker. By implementing solutions like a social intranet, organizations can improve employee engagement and satisfaction, therefore reducing turnover rates. Studies have shown that 60% of companies found increases in employee engagement through intranet use. 4. Facilitates Internal Communication Communication Effective communication is the foundation for success within any organization. An effective company intranet solution encourages communication to flourish across your organization: Teams can have an open dialog Colleagues can share and contribute knowledge Leadership (managers/supervisors) can stay in touch Different departments can provide and share updates The best part is that communication moves in both directions. Anyone can share, comment, and provide feedback. An intranet both streamlines communication by bringing it into one place and entrusts individuals with a voice and company knowledge. It is important to note that intranets today not only facilitate information sharing between employees and the company but also encourage employees to collaborate and share information among themselves. 5. Personalized User Experiences Unlike traditional intranets restricted to a one-size-fits-all approach, modern social intranets customize channels, page content, and company portals based on employee roles, departments, or groups. Tailoring the intranet experience to individual employees according to relevant criteria increases their interest and engagement levels in the platform's information. 6. Builds a community of self-service Previous approaches to company intranets were made up of collections of web pages and links to disparate documents and systems. Over time documents would become outdated and links would be broken or expire, leading to frustration for employees and HR admins. Modern intranets are designed from the ground up to be a repository of vital company information—secure, accessible, and easy to maintain. The community approach to sharing and managing information gives employees self-service access to content and applications they need at any time and from anywhere. Social intranet by Workmates takes the community a step further, making information easy to find with powerful search capabilities and easy to promote with viral content sharing from intuitive libraries and repositories. Plus the integrated employee directory makes finding and sharing content with groups, teams, and individuals a snap. 7. Connecting Across Locations and Time Zones Globalization has led to an increase in organizations with remote workers or those who work across time zones. Companies now use intranets to connect remote employees, field-based teams, satellite offices, and any employee who may not be in corporate headquarters, keeping everyone aligned and improving overall employee performance. By serving as the central online hub for the company, intranets provide insights to employees across locations, enabling seamless communication regardless of physical distance. This connectivity, available through desktop and mobile apps, ensures that remote employees, field-based teams, and satellite offices can stay connected, leading to improved morale, productivity, and engagement. 8. Recognition and Rewards Employee recognition is a fundamental part of the employee experience, and it helps to improve employees’ engagement levels and overall satisfaction. According to the SHRM/Globoforce Employee Recognition Survey, effective peer-to-peer recognition is 35.7% more likely to have a positive impact on financial results than manager-only recognition. Employee recognition software empowers every employee to recognize and be recognized on an equal playing field. Employees can recognize and be recognized on an equal footing, ranging from peer shoutouts to tangible rewards. This culture of appreciation and motivation enhances the overall employee experience and boosts morale. 9. Boosts Employee Efficiency A unified communication system significantly enhances efficiency in the workplace. Nearly half of US workers prefer to communicate with their colleagues online, saving time and increasing productivity. Modern intranets eliminate the need for cumbersome email workflows, reducing time wasted on version control and confusion. By providing easy access to the latest documents and forms, intranets save valuable time and allow employees to focus on more strategic initiatives. 10. Comprehensive Content Management Intranets serve as comprehensive repositories of essential company information, encouraging community-driven content sharing and management. This approach empowers employees with self-service access to vital information, ensuring they have access to necessary content and applications whenever needed. Modern intranets like Workmates enhance content sharing with search capabilities, intuitive content libraries, company announcements, and integrated employee directories, simplifying content discovery and sharing among groups, teams, and individuals. 11. Cultivates a Culture of Workplace Happiness Amplify the office atmosphere and experience through increased employee recognition and engagement. A company is not a company without its people and most intranets are about the people. Bringing them together, bringing out the best in them, and enriching your company culture in the process. Transform your organization with intranets that cultivate connections, nurture talent, and enrich the company culture, leading to increased retention rates and improved performance. 12. Improves Employee Engagement Fully engaged employees are far more likely to be satisfied, motivated, and committed to their work and company. Overall, an engaged employee is more: Positive in their work approach Committed to developing and maintaining careers at their organization Creative in solving problems Motivated to meet and exceed goals Proactive about learning new skills and starting new projects Connected to the mission of the company By incorporating social features such as likes, comments, and sharing, social intranets promote interaction and engagement among employees. Gitnux report shows that 74% of intranet users access their intranet daily, and the shows that intranet can foster a sense of community and belonging, leading to higher employee morale and productivity. 13. Simplified Implementation and Usage Employees typically embrace social intranets because they mimic the same usability and features they are accustomed to with the social media sites they use every day. Like any new application, familiarity is critical to success and maximizing your company’s investment. Training is significantly reduced as a barrier to adoption, and employees are more likely to revisit the intranet regularly to explore the tools and information available to them. By offering centralized access to essential tools and information, social intranets drive collaboration and provide enhanced support by serving as engagement points for various department functions like HR documents or IT support processes. 14. Mitigated Security Risks It is crucial to address the security advantages provided by social intranets. Without an internal system for communicating and sharing important documents, employees will be forced to use other solutions such as Dropbox and Slack. These are wonderful tools, but they aren't controlled by your company's IT department and may be more susceptible to hacks than an internal system. By investing in a company intranet platform, your private company details will remain "in-house" and more secure. Isn't that worth the investment? 15. Seamless Integration Modern intranets make integrating critical applications like document management and payroll systems simple, enabling seamless information sharing and access. For instance, integrating intranets with payroll systems streamlines processes for HR teams, ensuring accurate and up-to-date employee data across all teams and applications. This integration fosters trust among employees regarding the security and accuracy of their data. Conclusion Today, intranets are a constant reality of the current workplace, and social intranets provide many benefits to companies, as we've just seen. To be productive and enhance corporate growth, intranets should be user-centered yet also designed such as to achieve corporate strategy. In addition to content delivery, intranets are used to enhance team collaboration and productivity, increase employee engagement, and minimize security risks, ultimately, developing a successful corporate strategy. About Author: This article is a collaboration between LIKE.TG and Ben Hadfield, a writer and editor who specializes in producing quality content across a wide spectrum of mediums. We hope you enjoyed the wealth of knowledge and experience that went into writing this post!
What is an SLA? How does an SLA improve productivity?
Business success depends heavily on an organization’s ability to understand and meet customer expectations. However, managing customer expectations can be complicated when service providers do not provide enough detail about what their customers can expect from them.To address this, businesses of all sizes use a service-level agreement (SLA). According to a recent study, 65% of businesses with a tightly aligned service level agreement achieve higher ROI from their inbound marketing efforts.By reading this blog, you will understand SLAs, their components, and their benefits. What is an SLA?A service level agreement is an agreement between the support team and customers regarding the response and resolution times to deliver products or services. It provides clarity to situations when problems arise and help set the response and resolution times in support tickets.SLAs can be configured to operate based on calendar hours (24/7) or specific business hours.A business can create multiple SLAs and map them to different support tickets to define the expectations for each SLA metric target.Obviously, this is an excellent choice for businesses with different tiers of customers who pay for different types of service plans.For example, you can create unique service-level agreements for customers with free, standard, and enterprise plans.Components of service-level agreementsThe components of an SLA depend on both the customer and the service provider. Here are some common components:Objective statementPerformance work statementTerms and conditionsAvailable servicesSLA breach conditionsObjective statementA service-level agreement should state the goals of both the customer support team and the customer. It clearly explains what level of service the customer expects.The customer support team’s target is to provide consistent, high-quality service while meeting expectations.Performance work statementPerformance standards state the expected quality of services defined by the customer. They include specific performance or service quality benchmarks.We should measure the actual service level against these benchmarks to ensure the achievement of the performance standards.Terms and conditionsService-level agreements must specify the terms and conditions of the service provided. For example, the customer should know the time period and frequency of service provision.The terms and conditions should also include the minimum and maximum time allotted to a service provider to respond to a request or resolve an issue.Available servicesThis section includes information about all the services provided to customers. In addition to the listed services, users may require additional services such as consulting, reporting, and ensuring smooth operations.As a result, you should include these additional services to create a transparent agreement.SLA breach conditionsThe SLA conditions breach when the service providers don’t complete their tasks within the allotted time. This section states the actions to be taken for the customers.For example, in the event of a breach, the support agent’s manager could receive a notification about it so that they can take steps to solve similar issues more quickly in the future.Keep in mind that if the conditions breach frequently, they can affect both parties’ relationships.Benefits of a help desk service level agreementAn SLA helps improve your organization’s customer service by providing the respective timeline for their work. The service provider works within clearly defined responsibilities and tasks, and the customer receives guaranteed service quality.Using the agreement in a ticket management system ensures:Predictable resources.Quick issue resolution.Consecutive customer experience.Increased productivity.Let’s see some benefits of a help desk SLA in brief:Strengthen relationships between customers and the support teamTo ensure long-term success, companies should handle internal and external connections well. A service-level agreement is an incredible tool to establish trust between a company and its customers, ensure quality service, and satisfy customers.The agreement provides a transparent contract between customers and the support team. When both parties accept it, there will be a lower chance of misunderstanding while service is provided.A service level agreement is an essential step toward creating a transparent, commonly beneficial, and dependable relationship.Increases productivityAn SLA ticketing system sets response and resolution times for issues created through tickets. A proper SLA will establish priority rules for categorizing issues so the support team can quickly solve the most pressing issues.With clearly defined priorities and time frames, support team members work more productively and efficiently, allowing them to better meet their SLAs.As a result, the company is more likely to receive satisfactory help desk service level agreement compliance ratings.Avoids misunderstandings and conflictsThe agreement provides a reliable information source for avoiding misunderstandings or confusion about what each party needs to do.Since customers know the details about when to expect their issues to be resolved, there is a mutual understanding between customers and support team members.Reduces burden on staffA company can set unique agreements for different customers with different plans. The SLA conditions work based on the calendar or business hours you set to manage the work pressure on staff effectively.New support agents can easily adapt to the assigned help desk SLA conditions, helping them complete their work in the allotted time.Helps analyze support team performanceAn SLA ticketing system helps track and analyze how many ticket responses (for example, first responses and next responses) and resolutions are provided within the SLA.From this information, a dashboard provides visualized data of the SLA-achieved tickets against the breached tickets over a time period.Being able to see this data allows managers to scale their teams’ effectiveness to meet customer expectations.Helps avoid service failuresWhen a large number of tickets are received on a daily basis, the support team finds it difficult to keep track of closed and pending tickets.SLAs allow the team to track all KPI parameters that contribute to delayed ticket resolutions, such as the time elapsed for:First response.Ticket to be assigned to an agent.Each response after the first.Customers to respond to the support team.Tickets need to resolve.Support teams should set competitive goals for these parameters and receive real-time notifications when a ticket is on the verge of being escalated.There is no chance of customer dissatisfaction when tickets are resolved well in advance.Why is SLA necessary for ticket management systems?Following is an example illustrating the importance of incorporating a service level agreement into your ticket management system.Imagine that you have just launched a new product, and you start receiving a surge of customer inquiries and technical issues. Without a clear service level agreement in place, your support team might struggle to keep up with these tickets, leading to delayed responses and unresolved issues.This, in turn, could result in customer dissatisfaction, negative reviews, and potential revenue loss.By implementing a well-defined service level agreement in your help desk, you can establish clear expectations for:Response timesResolution timesTicket prioritizationCommunication protocolsSetting up your help desk so that notifications are sent whenever SLA-determined deadlines to respond to tickets are nearly reached, for example, keeps those tickets from being overlooked.Such SLA integration better equips your support team to handle an influx of tickets in an organized and efficient manner, ensuring that no ticket falls through the cracks and customers receive timely updates.ConclusionAn organization that develops and implements a service level agreement improves productivity and smooths customer relationships.Try using LIKE.TG, a comprehensive ticketing management software that enables you to incorporate personalized SLAs.Contact us to set up a 30-minute live demo to discover how LIKE.TG’s features can be customized to accommodate your business’s needs. Sign up for a 15-day free trial today.Related articles6 Reasons You Need an SLA for Customer ServiceTop 7 SLA Best Practices to Improve Customer Service
What is Average Handle Time and How to Minimize It
Customers are increasingly drawn to companies that can quickly and effectively handle their issues or queries. In a world where time is of the essence and patience wears thin, the speed at which a business responds to its clients can make or break its reputation.Therefore, businesses need to evaluate their support team’s ability to handle its workload efficiently. One way to do this is to measure the average handle time.In this blog, we will discuss what average handle time is, how to calculate it, and tips to reduce it. What does average handle time mean?Average handle time (AHT) is a metric used in customer service departments that measures the average time it takes for a support agent to handle customer issues or resolve tickets.It takes into account all the time spent on an issue, not just the time spent actively talking to customers. It includes the time customers are on hold and the time agents spend working on the issue outside of support calls.A lower AHT indicates a knowledgeable and well-prepared staff capable of promptly addressing customer issues, while a higher AHT indicates the need for additional training to close knowledge gaps or, at worst, deficiencies in the product.AHT is employed to assess the effectiveness and productivity of customer support agents and the overall success of a customer service team.What is a good average handle time?A good AHT varies depending on the company, customer interaction methods, the complexity of issues to be resolved, the products or services offered, and the company’s perception of a satisfactory customer experience.Other factors that determine a good AHT includes:The size of the businessThe unique challenges of the industryThe business’s customer service strategyHow to calculate average handle timeAHT is determined for each communication channel offered by a business due to the complexity and interaction dynamics involved in delivering support.For example, the AHT for phone support is calculated as follows:In the previous equation, the:Total talk time refers to the combined durations of the agent actively conversing with the customer in a call.Total hold time is the total time a customer is placed on hold across all conversations regarding the issue.Total after-call work time is the total time agents spend on tasks associated with a call, such as updating records or documentation.Total calls handled is the number of customer support calls, encompassing both incoming and outgoing calls.The following table lists the AHT formulas for other communication channels:Communication channelAHT formulaEmailAHT = Total time from issue start to resolution / Total number of emailsLive ChatAHT = Total time from chat start to issue resolution / Total number of chatsAHT exampleIf a support agent had 5 phone calls from customers and spent a total of 20 minutes talking to them, put them on hold for a total of 5 minutes, and took a total of 5 minutes to follow up, then the average handle time would be:(20 minutes + 5 minutes + 5 minutes) / 5 calls = 6 minutes per call7 Tips to reduce average handle timeEvery client wishes for the issue they present to the support agents for resolution to be handled in the shortest time possible. The following are some ways a company can reduce its average handle time to improve the customer experience:Enhance access to informationThis involves ensuring that your agents have easy access to all the information they need to resolve a customer’s issue.Providing quick and easy access to comprehensive information can be done with the help of:Knowledge basesContact management systemsCustomer historiesProduct detailsThese reduce the time agents spend searching for relevant data during customer interactions, leading to a shorter AHT.Monitor each support agent’s performanceThis average handle time tip involves carefully keeping track of each support agents AHT to know how fast and efficient they are at providing necessary responses and resolutions to customers.Support agent performance can be monitored using the following the metrics:Hold timeTalk timeNumber of transfersNumber of missed callsBy watching each support agent’s performance, you can identify and address their weaknesses to improve their AHT.Train your support agents frequentlyRegular training sessions keep your support agents up to date with the latest product or service information and support techniques, leading to a reduction in AHT as they are able address issues accurately and promptly.Invest in efficient support toolsProvide agents with advanced and user-friendly support tools, such as:Internal help desk service software: Enhances customer interactions by providing a comprehensive platform for addressing queries and resolving issues. It often includes a ticketing system, knowledge base, automation features, and customization options, enabling businesses to offer prompt and efficient support.Contact management software: Helps businesses manage customer relationships by providing instant access to relevant customer data so that agents can tailor interactions to customer needs, preferences, and expectations.Omnichannel communication: Integrates communication channels like email and social media into a unified system. This enables consistent and seamless communication, allowing businesses to engage with customers on their preferred platforms and in their preferred languages to maintain a cohesive experience.With the aid of these tools, agents can effortlessly manage customer interactions, which improves efficiency in the resolution process and lowers AHT.Implement self-service optionsImplementing self-service options can effectively reduce average handling time by allowing customers to handle simple issues on their own.This can be done by providing the following resources to handle common and repetitive customer queries:Frequently asked questions (FAQs)Community forumKnowledge baseAccording to Higher Logic, 77% of customers have a more favorable perception of organizations that provide self-service options to assist customers seeking support.By encouraging self-help, routine questions can be resolved without customers needing to interact with an agent, resulting in a decrease in AHT as support agents can focus on more complex issues.Utilize workflow automationWith the right help desk software, you can automate repetitive tasks and workflow processes, expediting issue resolution and allowing agents to focus on more intricate aspects of customer interactions.Automation can be used in several different forms:Canned responses: For frequently asked customer questions, canned responses can be used to allow customer support agents to respond quickly and consistently, reducing time spent on each customer interaction.Follow-up actions: Certain follow-up tasks, such as sending updates, email notifications, reminders, and alerts to customers can be automated by defining a service-level agreement (SLA) and enforcing it with your customer support software. This keeps agents from missing support deadlines, decreases overall handle time, and allows agents to focus on the next customer.Provide proactive assistanceCompanies can improve service efficiency and customer satisfaction by being proactive in customer support.This involves anticipating needs and resolving issues before they become larger problems. By addressing potential issues ahead of time, the number of inquiries decreases and issues are resolved quicker. This leads to decreased AHT and increased customer loyalty and trust.Why is average handling time important?When a company strives for an excellent AHT, it enjoys the following outcomes:Increased customer satisfactionCustomers appreciate having their issues resolved in a timely manner. In Time To Win: The Consumer Patience Study, customer experience expert Jay Baer found that 62% of customers feel disappointed when a business responds slower than they expect.Therefore, extending waiting periods and rushing customer interactions just to reduce AHT are likely to result in customer dissatisfaction, potentially leading customers to consider switching to a competitor.A well-managed average handling time is crucial. It demonstrates to customers that their satisfaction is at the heart of the company’s customer service ethos, setting the stage for a successful, long-term customer relationship.Improved customer service team efficiencyAHT helps determine how efficiently customer inquiries are handled by the support team. A lower AHT indicates that agents are resolving issues quickly, leading to more customers being served in less time.By monitoring AHT, companies can identify opportunities to streamline processes and offer better support agent training. This can lead to cost savings for the organization.Better allocation of resourcesUnderstanding AHT can assist in the allocation of resources, management of the workforce, and the creation of appropriate customer support schedules.Observing AHT and its contributing factors ensure that the correct number of agents is present at all times, avoiding the issue of excessive or insufficient staff. Such measures directly influence service levels and operational expenses.Improved customer experienceImproving the quality of customer interactions is a crucial aspect of reducing average handling time for businesses.According to Salesforce, 89% of customer are willing to make another purchase after a positive customer service experience.When customers consistently have positive experiences, they are more likely to become loyal to the brand and may even recommend the company to others.Therefore, it is important to minimize hold time, reduce post-call work time, and resolve issues quickly. All of these lower AHT and result in an enhanced customer experience.Accurate evaluation of agent performanceAHT is just one tool that businesses can use to evaluate the promptness and effectiveness of their support agents in resolving inquiries.AHT can be determined for the entire team or an individual agent. It serves as a useful starting point for defining future training goals and identifying areas for improvement.Combine quality with speed to reduce average handle timeTo improve customer service, organizations need to measure AHT because it provides critical insight into support efficiency, customer satisfaction, and business performance.Optimizing average handle time supports operational objectives and a commitment to excellent service.To provide better customer service and improve the customer experience, use LIKE.TG. For a live demonstration or to discover the benefits LIKE.TG can offer your support team, start a free trial. Please contact the LIKE.TG support team if you have any questions.Related articles10 Key Customer Satisfaction Metrics to Measure in 202410 Important Customer Service KPIs to Track9 Effective Metrics to Measure Customer Loyalty
What Is Customer Happiness and Ways to Improve It
Meeting customers’ basic needs and resolving complaints is no longer enough for businesses. They need to go above and beyond to create a sense of happiness customers associate with their brand.Every touchpoint a customer has with your brand offers a chance to increase their happiness with it.Fortunately, businesses have several ways to increase client happiness, building relationships with clients. This blog will look at some of the best strategies for raising customer happiness with your brand and why it is important. What is customer happiness?Customer happiness refers to the emotional state of customers when they interact with a brand or business.Understanding what makes a customer happy will help you address potential problems that might lead to discontent.Happy customers are more likely to come back to your company, recommend it to others, and help your business succeed as a whole.This calls for businesses to take the necessary steps to ensure they know what exactly their customers need and provide it the way they want.The list of factors that can lead to customer happiness is endless, including:Smooth transactionsHelpful customer serviceGood productsKeep in mind that many products and services may not generate the level of emotional connection required for this feeling, so this blog may not apply to your company.What is the difference between customer happiness and customer satisfaction?Customer happiness refers to the emotional connection of customers when they interact with a brand or its products or services. It reflects the joy that goes beyond meeting basic needs and can involve building strong relationships and creating memorable moments.Customer satisfaction, on the other hand, is a measure of how well a company’s products or services meet or exceed customer expectations. It focuses on whether customers’ needs have been fulfilled adequately.Happy customers usually come back and tell others about the brand, feeling a sense of loyalty. However, even though customers are satisfied, they might switch to another brand if someone tells them it’s better. They don’t feel an emotional connection or obligation to one brand.Companies use surveys, net promoter scores (NPS), and sentiment analysis to determine customers’ happiness. You can measure how satisfied customers are by looking at numbers on customer satisfaction surveys (CSAT) and feedback ratings.There is a narrow difference between customer happiness and customer satisfaction. One cannot do without the other, though, because you will have to satisfy customers on several levels to achieve customer happiness.7 Ways to achieve and improve customers’ happinessKeeping your customers happy is not a one-day thing. It is a journey that needs dedication.Listen to and understand your customersListening to your customers is not just about what you hear them say but truly understanding their needs and what they expect.Understanding your customers is something your customers service teams need to work on and practice.When you know what your customers want, you can figure out what they’ll expect before they say it. They should know that their voices matter and that you genuinely care about their opinions.When customers feel valued and heard, they are more likely to develop a sense of loyalty towards your brand.To achieve customer happiness and demonstrate that you listen and understand your customers, consider the following actions:Provide a platform for communication: Offer multiple communication channels such as live chat, email, social media, and web forms.Put yourself in their shoes and try to see things from their perspective. Understand their challenges, preferences, and priorities to tailor your products or services to meet their needs better.Act on their concerns: It’s not enough to listen; you must also act on the feedback and concerns raised by your customers.Create a relationship with your customersCustomers feel better about a brand when they feel they can relate to the people behind it. A good way to do this is to add a personal touch, like telling your story and showing pictures of your team on your website’s About Us page.When your customer service representatives are interacting with customers, they should try to create a rapport. Especially for a company with a smaller number of high-value customers, keeping notes on anything personal the customer reveals can help agents connect more easily in their next interaction.Deliver fast and quality service to your customersWhen you deliver fast and quality service to your customers, it makes them happy. It shows that you care about their time and satisfaction.Providing quality customer service is when you:Quickly address your customers’ inquiries.Provide a real-time live chat support feature on your app or website so people can get help instantly.Offer 24/7 customer support to ensure help is available at all times.Appreciate and reward your loyal customersA loyalty program is a great way to keep your customers happy. This is where you show appreciation by rewarding your customers to increase customer loyalty. You can reward them when:You introduce discounts, giveaways, or points your loyal customers can redeem on their next purchase.You create referral links that your customers can share with incentives for a successful purchase.You create an affiliate program in which customers who are also resellers can contribute to your business’s growth.Celebrate your wins with your customers and create special offers on special dates like birthdays, anniversaries, or even public holidays.Train your staff to have deep product knowledgeCustomers want to talk to people who will answer their questions correctly about your products or services. Your employees need to have deep knowledge of the products and services your company offers to ensure your customers receive accurate solutions to their issues, keeping customers happy. You can:Train your staff to understand what your company offers.Hold regular staff meetings to discuss any updates.Use the right kind of words and toneYour customers’ happiness with your company also depends on how you talk to them, how you handle frustrating issues, how you accept your mistakes, and what you say when you apologize.You can get yourself a happy customer when:You are cautious with your words and use positive language. This prevents you from hurting your customers.Admit if something goes wrong to show accountability.Show empathy and make use of thank you notes.Collect and act on customers’ feedbackYou can create happy customers when you collect and act on customer feedback. This will show that you have taken their suggestions seriously and you value and understand their opinions.You should:React to customer comments online to show that you’re paying attentionListen carefully and show that you care about what customers sayUse their ideas to improve your product or serviceFix any problems that come up fastWhy is customer happiness important?Customer happiness can build or break a business. In addition to being content with their interactions, happy consumers are also emotionally invested, loyal, and more likely to recommend your business to others.Helps in building customer advocacyWhen customers are happy with a brand, they often tell others about it. They might write good reviews, talk about it on their social media pages, or recommend it to friends. This helps the brand look good and brings in more customers who trust the brand.According to Medill Spiegel Research Center, a product with even just five reviews is 270% more likely to be purchased than a product with no reviews.Boosts sales and profitsHappy customers are more likely to use the brand again and recommend it to others, which leads to an increase in sales over time.According to Forbes research, 86% of customers will pay more for a fantastic customer experience. Revenue growth means businesses succeed in the marketplace in the long run.To boost your sales, you need to:Work on building trustAlways provide excellent customer serviceImproves agent productivityWhen agents deal with happy customers regularly, it creates a positive work environment. Positive feedback and gestures of gratitude from happy customers can boost the morale and motivation of agents.A positive mindset can lead to higher productivity since it makes agents feel happier and more satisfied in their work.This can be done by:Agents figuring out which methods and strategies worked best to satisfy customers.Always providing outstanding customer service.Determining your areas of weakness and fix them.Customer happiness equals a successful businessIt’s important for your customers to feel happy about doing business with your company. Your customers’ happiness should be the primary focus of your customer service teams.A happy customer will be a loyal customer and recommend your business to others.Invest in turning your customers into loyal ones. LIKE.TG is a toolkit to help your customer support team improve customer happiness through quick, organized resolution of issues.You can start a free trial or schedule a live demo to learn more. You can also contact the LIKE.TG support team for further assistance.We hope you found this blog on customer happiness helpful. Kindly share your insights and experiences in the comments section below. Your feedback is greatly appreciated!Related reads What Is Customer Service Experience? Definition, Tips, and ExamplesImportance of Customer Support OperationsCustomer Communication: Everything You Need to Know!
What is Customer Intelligence? Benefits and Best Practices
In the information age, understanding your customers has never been more critical.With an ever-increasing amount of data at their fingertips, businesses can no longer afford to make decisions based on hunches, since their competitors certainly are not.Customer intelligence (CI) is a powerful tool that can assist businesses in truly understanding their customer base’s needs, behaviors, and preferences.This article will dig into the concept of customer intelligence, its importance, its different types, and how to use it to drive your business forward. What is customer intelligence?Customer intelligence refers to collecting and analyzing information related to customer behavior, needs, and preferences to understand them better.It involves collecting data from various sources, such as transaction records, social media interactions, and customer feedback.This data is processed using analytical tools to provide actionable insights that form marketing strategies, product development, and customer service improvements.Types of data used in customer intelligence and use casesCustomer intelligence analyzes various data types that help businesses understand their customers better.Following is an overview of each type and strategies to utilize them.Transactional dataTransactional data is any information about the purchasing history of customers. This information includes:What they boughtWhen they boughtHow much they spentPreferred payment methodsUse case: Use transactional data to create loyalty programs or offer tailored discounts. Companies can also predict future buying behavior based on past transactions.Behavioral dataThis data tells how customers interact with your products, services, and websites. These include:Purchasing patternsBrowsing historyUsage frequencyUse case: Implement personalized recommendations based on past behavior.For example, an e-commerce site can suggest products like or related to those a customer has previously bought or viewed.Psychographic dataPsychographic data provides insight into customers’ needs and preferences, which helps businesses create more targeted marketing strategies.Some kinds of psychographic data include:LifestyleInterestsValuesAttitudesMotivationsPersonality traitsUse case: Craft marketing campaigns that resonate with specific psychographic segments.For instance, a company selling outdoor gear might target adventurous and nature-loving individuals by aligning its messaging with these values.Demographic dataDemographic data is any information about the personal and essential characteristics of customers.These characteristics include:AgeGenderIncomeEducationMarital statusOccupationLocationUse case: Tailor marketing messages and product offerings based on demographic segments.For instance, if a company sells skincare products, it might create different marketing campaigns targeting different age groups or genders.Attitudinal dataAttitudinal data provides information about customers’ sentiments on the company, its brand, its products and services, and its support team.Some kinds of attitudinal data include:Customers’ explicit opinionsCustomers’ perceptions about product or service qualitySatisfaction levelsUse case: Gather feedback through surveys, reviews, or social media interactions to understand customer sentiment.Utilize this data to improve products and services or tailor customer support experiences to address expectations.How to collect customer intelligence dataThe method used to collect customer intelligence data depends on the nature of the business, industry, and the specific information needed.Following are some common methods.Surveys and questionnairesEmploy online or offline surveys to gather valuable customer insight.Craft concise questions to extract specific feedback, preferences, and opinions, and ensure an efficient and user-friendly experience.Implement feedback forms strategically at various touchpoints, such as post-purchase, on your company website.Collecting immediate feedback allows for real-time adjustments and improves the customer experience.Social media listeningLeverage social media platforms to track and analyze customer sentiments, comments, and discussions.Use advanced tools to monitor brand mentions, identify trends, and promptly respond to customer feedback.Customer interaction historyExtract insights from the stored history of all customer interactions with support teams. Analyze common customer questions, issues, and feedback to address concerns and enhance customer satisfaction.Online reviews and ratings monitoringYou can also collect customer intelligence data by monitoring and analyzing online reviews and ratings on your company websites, industry review sites, and community forums.Use customer feedback to identify strengths and weaknesses, address concerns, and showcase positive experiences.Loyalty programs and data analysisAnalyze loyalty program data, such as repeat purchases, reward redemptions, and engagement levels.More than 83% of customers globally responded that being part of a loyalty program affects their choice in making repeat purchases from the same brand.Monitor the data to see if that’s true for your program.How to use customer intelligence analyticsBusinesses can use customer intelligence analytics to gain a deeper understanding of their customer base and tailor their products to them.Here are several ways that businesses can utilize customer intelligence analytics to drive success.To segment your customers and customize offeringsDelve into customer intelligence data to categorize your audience based on their actions, preferences, and demographic details.By doing so, you can customize marketing initiatives and create personalized interactions, leading to heightened satisfaction and more active engagement among customers.Anticipate customer actionsEmploy predictive analytics to forecast customers’ future actions and preferences. This forward-looking approach aids in:Identifying upcoming trendsPinpointing customer requirementsSpotting potential attritionEnabling preventative actions to be takenEnhance your products and servicesGain insight into customers’ likes and dislikes by examining their feedback and how different customers interact with the brands.These valuable revelations about customers’ preferences can help you improve your products and services to match customers’ expectations.Create and refine effective marketing strategiesEvaluate the effectiveness of your marketing tactics across various platforms.Pinpoint the mediums or campaigns that deliver the highest returns on investment and refine your marketing strategies to enhance efficiency and reduce expenditure.Boost customer retention and loyaltyDetermine the elements instrumental in retaining customers and nurturing their loyalty. Harness this information to design loyalty schemes or initiatives that resonate with your customers, cultivating enduring connections.Customer intelligence best practicesThe following are customer intelligence best practices that companies in a variety of sectors can apply.Develop a complete strategyDevelop a comprehensive plan to collect relevant data from various sources, identify the best tools and methods to analyze the data, and then schedule time to examine and discuss the results.By having a complete strategy for collecting, analyzing, and utilizing customer intelligence data, you can aid its adoption and benefits to your company.Collect customer dataGather information about your customers from different sources to help you understand their behaviors, preferences, and needs. Customer data can be collected from sources such as:Interactions with customer serviceSurveysSocial mediaPurchasing patterns and website usageBusinesses should not only gather valuable customer data but also ensure it’s used responsibly.Analyze customer intelligence dataIn analyzing customer intelligence data, businesses can gain deeper insights into their customers’ behaviors and preferences, leading to more personalized and effective strategies that drive customer satisfaction and business success.Utilize insights from customer intelligence analyticsProvide your organization with useful conclusions after the analysis stage.Dashboards and reports facilitate the revelation and exchange of customer intelligence insights.To inform future marketing and customer care initiatives, analytics findings should be discussed and solutions both implemented and tracked to test their efficacy.Build a customer-centric cultureMake sure your team always has the consumers at the center of everything they do.This involves prioritizing the needs and preferences of the consumers, or at least knowing how to make them feel you do.Businesses with happy customers yield greater profitability, attract more consumers, and improve customer satisfaction.For this reason, before executing actions that may affect customer experience, firms should evaluate customer intelligence.Privacy and complianceCustomers have very high expectations when it comes to how you secure their data. Prioritize ethical use of consumer information by following data protection standards and respecting customer privacy.This is crucial for preserving your reputation and building trust with clients. Mishandling data can harm your business on many fronts.How can customer intelligence benefit your business?Customer intelligence in a business can significantly impact various aspects of operations. Following are some key advantages.Increases customer loyaltyCustomers are more likely to stick with a brand that understands their needs and consistently meets or exceeds their expectations.Personalization of experiences based on customer intelligence and ensuring customer satisfaction leads to increased customer loyalty.Enhances customer experienceBy understanding customer desires and behaviors from customer intelligence data, businesses can tailor their marketing, services, and interactions to meet customers’ individual preferences, leading to personalized and satisfying experiences.Better customer serviceMetrics of customer intelligence data help highlight common support issues and customer pain points, enabling support teams to plan faster and more effective resolutions.Analytics results also help form training and development programs for customer service representatives to improve their skills and knowledge.Informed decision-makingInsights derived from data empower companies to make well-informed choices regarding their marketing tactics, product innovation, and the distribution of resources.Understand customers betterCustomer intelligence offers in-depth insight into customers’ interactions with a business, helping these businesses to know their clients better.This enables businesses to accurately forecast the motives driving their customers’ actions and purchasing decisions.For instance, by grasping why customers initiate calls, a company can better anticipate (and strategize to diminish) the calls received in a call center.Competitive advantageBusinesses that leverage customer intelligence platforms effectively gain a competitive edge.By staying aware of market trends and consumer preferences, companies can anticipate changes in the industry and adapt their strategies more rapidly than competitors.Increases sales and revenueBy understanding and predicting their customers, businesses can take advantage of and upsell, cross-sell, and promote repeat purchases.This leads to more sales opportunities and ultimately increased revenue.Embrace customer intelligence as a cornerstone of your strategyIn a commercial environment, possessing customer intelligence is not merely a benefit but essential.Grasping the subtle details of how customers act and what they prefer enables companies to lay the groundwork for ongoing expansion, enhanced customer contentment, and a distinct competitive advantage in the marketplace.Organize a live demo to experience how LIKE.TG can help your company enhance its customer intelligence. Start a free trial to experience its many capabilities. If you have any questions, feel free to contact the LIKE.TG support team.Did you find this article to be useful? How should we use customer intelligence analytics to collect and analyze customer data to improve customer service?Please feel free to leave comments in the space provided below with your thoughts and recommendations.Related articlesCustomer satisfaction survey questions in customer serviceWays to build and organize customer support team
What is Customer Lifetime Value and How to Find It
In business operations today, acquiring new customers is often more expensive than retaining existing ones.When you provide your customers with high-quality products or services, you can earn their trust and build long-lasting relationships with them.This, in turn, can increase the overall customer lifetime value.In this blog, we will explore customer lifetime value in detail, its significance to the customer experience (CX), and how to use it to increase brand loyalty. What is customer lifetime value?Customer lifetime value (CLV) is a metric that businesses use to estimate the total revenue a customer will generate throughout their entire relationship with the company.This metric helps asses the customer’s value over time rather than just focusing on the value of a single purchase.Calculating customer lifetime value can be complicated, involving several factors, such as products, costs, purchase frequency, and volume.However, it can be simplified with the right tools, and strategies can be developed to increase it.How to calculate customer lifetime valueBefore you calculate customer lifetime value, you need to determine the following values.The average customer valueThe average annual number of purchasesThe average retention timeMultiply the three values to find the overall lifetime value. On the other hand, estimating a customer’s expenditure over time could not provide a precise picture.Since many consumers do not find businesses independently, customer lifetime value estimates should account for market research and client acquisition, engagement, and retention costs.Customer valueThis is the average amount of money a customer spends with your business in a given period.The formula to find customer value is:The average value of sales = Total sales/The number of days The Average value of transactions = Sales/TransactionsAverage customer lifespanThis is the average length of time a customer continues to do business with your company.By multiplying these two factors together, you get an estimate of the total revenue a customer can be expected to generate.Customer lifetime value examplesTo calculate CLV, let’s use a potential SaaS business as an example. We’ll show you how to apply the formula and use CLV to target top customers.The pricing structure for subscription-based services is $10, $20, and $30 per month, with an average purchase value as 18.The SaaS company targets middle-aged adults, specifically married individuals aged 35-55, who stay customers for an average of two years and spend an average of $20 per purchase. This is how you calculate the customer profile.The customer lifetime value will be calculated as follows:Now let’s calculate the CLV in example 12. The SaaS company is targeting another young adult customer profile aged 18-30, who typically stay customers for 1.5 years and have an average purchase amount of $30.Now let’s calculate CLV in example 2In conclusion, the middle-aged customer profile has a higher CLV of $960 compared to $810 for younger individuals, indicating that the SaaS business should target this group (the first customer profile).How to increase customer lifetime valueYour organization can increase its revenue by prioritizing CLV and identifying more chances to offer your clients additional value. Here are some strategies to consider.Put the needs of the consumer firstRather than concentrating on goods or profits, a customer-first attitude places the customer’s needs at the heart of business decision-making.Businesses that use a customer-first strategy can consistently provide excellent support at each stage of the customer journey.This can be achieved by:Consistently delivering valueProviding personalized experiences tailored to customer preferencesIncreasing customer satisfactionAdditionally, prioritizing customer needs builds positive word-of-mouth recommendations and referrals, attracting new customers who are likely to show similar loyalty traits, further enhancing the overall customer lifetime value.Enhance your customer onboarding processWhen you have the right customer onboarding processes, you can establish a strong relationship and trust.Providing personalized welcome emails, how-to videos, and ongoing support can educate customers on the value of a product and how to utilize it to its full potential.This investment in onboarding keeps customers engaged and happy, and more likely to become loyal, long-term customers who will spend more with your business.Pay attention to your customersYou’re aware of what your customers say about your brand if you’re proactive and use customer service analytics to track and understand your audience.Are they satisfied with your products or services? Dissatisfied customers tend to voice their complaints, particularly in product evaluations and social media remarks.Show them you’re paying attention, understand their concerns, and are working to find solutions.Gathering direct customer feedback through surveys can assist you in converting customer complaints into opportunities for improving customer service.Elevate the value of your average orderOne effective strategy to increase your customer lifetime value is to raise your average order value.When customers are nearing the completion of their purchases, you have the opportunity to suggest additional products that complement the ones they are already purchasing.By recommending complementary items, you can help boost the overall value of their order and increase the likelihood that they’ll return to make future purchases.Create a loyalty programCreating a customer loyalty program incentivizes repeat purchases and builds a stronger emotional connection between the brand and the customer.Offering rewards, gifts, and exclusive benefits encourages customers to remain loyal, leading to increased retention rates and higher overall spending over the customer’s lifetime.Additionally, loyal customers are more likely to advocate for the brand, attracting new customers through word-of-mouth referrals and further amplifying the impact on customer lifetime value.Businesses should offer incentives to effectively turn high-value customers into brand advocates.A formal referral program can reward customers for bringing in new business, and incentives may include discounts, early access to services, or upgrades.Reach clients with a smooth omnichannel strategyRather than making assumptions about the channels your particular client group prefers, research to find out.Customers become used to utilizing services and goods across multiple platforms and devices without giving channel challenges a second thought.They anticipate that businesses will be reachable across all channels and provide support at all times. Businesses can connect with them on several communication channels, such as community forums, websites, mobile apps, email, or social media.Prevent customer churn through seamless omnichannel support across preferred channels.Invest in customer experienceCustomers are often dissatisfied when their issues are not resolved on time. Consider investing in customer experience tools like customer portal software that allows customers to track and submit tickets through a user-friendly interface easily.An outstanding customer service experience not only pleases your customers but also encourages them to stay loyal to your brand.Build strong long-lasting relationships with customers. Establishing trust is essential for building long-term customer relationships since it requires dedication to continuous engagement and communication.Customers will return if they perceive your company as offering the best prices for the products and services they desire.However, in today’s digital age, customers seek more than just transactional interactions. They desire a personal connection that goes beyond business objectives and fosters a sense of value and importance.This can be achieved by:Staying in touch with customers through personalized contentAsking for customer feedback for improvementReaching out to inactive customersUtilizing customer data platformsBy consistently following these steps, you can deliver exactly what your customers need, thus increasing their customer value.Why is customer lifetime value important?We calculated the average lifetime value of a client for a SaaS company in the previous example. But why is customer lifetime value important to businesses?Here are a few of the main reasons for tracking customer lifetime value.Helps in focusing on who your customers areCompanies may create advertisements targeting high-value clients by categorizing them based on their expected value, behavior, and interests.This focused strategy ensures the efficient use of outreach funds, which allows businesses to invest more to attract clients with better lifetime values.As a result, marketing campaigns are more successful, customers are happier, and long-term profitability rises.Assists in boosting incomeMore consumer spending at your business leads to higher income. Through upselling and cross-selling, companies may use customer data to design product offers for their target market and boost customer lifetime value.When carried out successfully, this boosts your company’s earnings.Assists in targeting the customers you serveCompanies may enhance their outreach initiatives by grouping customers according to their expected value, behavior, and sentiments using customer lifetime value.By using a customer focused strategy, marketing money may be allocated more efficiently and businesses can focus more on gaining high-value clients.Long-term profitability rises, customer happiness rises, and marketing initiatives become more successful.Determines what needs to be improvedBy examining customer lifetime value and associated indicators like average order value, frequency of purchases, customer turnover rate, and total revenue, businesses may get important insights into client relationships.Organizations can use this data to pinpoint areas for development and possible roadblocks in their day-to-day operations.A decline in customer lifetime value (CLV) often indicates issues with the message, customer experience, or product quality.Boost Customer Lifetime Value with Comprehensive CX CollaborationCompanies that determine and study their customer lifetime value have an advantage in forecasting revenue growth and determining the most effective strategies for allocating marketing funds.LIKE.TG is dedicated to helping other businesses generate leads and in supporting them at every turn to convert customers into devoted clients with high customer lifetime values.We use data-driven strategies, real-time information, and omnichannel support to satisfy your customers and build lasting connections with them.Contact us to arrange a live demo and experience how LIKE.TG features can increase customer lifetime value. Or sign up for our free trial for immediate access.I hope you found the article useful. Do you have any more ideas or recommendations? Kindly leave your comments in the section below.
What is Customer Retention? (10 Powerful Strategies & Metrics)
A company’s successful growth depends on creating loyal customers by following certain customer retention strategies.A first step to high customer retention is to find the reasons why customers are turning away from your company.This lets you generate focused strategies to form loyal customers who will purchase your products often.Moreover, you can learn what features of your offerings excite and encourage your customers.Maintaining an old customer is more cost-effective than acquiring new customers. With this in mind, we will go through some strategies and metrics you can track for customer retention. What is customer retention?Customer retention is an organization’s ability to hold on to customers after they approach your brand, product, or service.Retention of customers reflects how well the organization, and its offerings satisfy customers.Difference between customer acquisition and retentionCustomer acquisition describes the procedure of or efforts to attract new customers to a company’s products or services. This usually involves marketing efforts.Conversely, customer retention occurs after the customers approach you. Your goal is to form customer loyalty and promote repeat business once they make a purchase.Customer retention strategies to considerCustomer retention strategies will change and develop continuously as your company grows.Here are some practical concepts for improving customer retention:1. Analyze customer surveys regularlySending out surveys and analyzing them regularly, as customer retention strategies, help you understand how customers perceive your brand and inform your steps to improve.For example, NPS (net promoter score) surveys estimate a customer’s likelihood of endorsing your product or service.You’ll understand better how much of your business is coming through word of mouth and why.The CSAT score exposes the quality of support service you provided your customers.A CSAT survey occurs after a ticket resolution to gather customer opinions.Generally, it requests customers rate their support experience on a scale ranging from very satisfied to very bad.This helps agents improve their service. In fact, good customer support leads to higher retention of customers.2. Implement customer service toolsIn the starting stage of your company, you have a small number of customers and customer issues.Later, the arrival of more customers makes your number of customer issues grow, too.Therefore, everything done manually will take time, and you need to put more effort into handling these situations.To overcome this, you can adopt customer service tools like help desk software to maintain an efficient workflow in your support team.Help desk software streamlines urgent issues and lets your team fix them in a timely fashion.Moreover, it aids team collaboration, which improves your support team efficiency. Quicker response and resolution times will drastically reduce your churn rate.3. Educate your customersEducating your clients can make your clients’ experience with your products smooth and pleasant.Having no or poor instructions on your product’s usage can frustrate your customers.Besides, customers will value your effort to ensure their purchase is easy to implement and thus, remaining loyal for many years.Additionally, let customers educate themselves by providing a knowledge base.If you provide adequate instructions and tips on your website, they can solve their issues on their own and feel self-sufficient, too.Accordingly, tutorials, documentation, life hacks, and forums are all great ways to keep customers informed. Then, customers may continue using your product or brand for long.4. Provide customers an easy way to contact youA consumer is already having a less-than-ideal experience when they ask for assistance or ask a question.So, don’t make things worse by making them figure out how to contact you.Make it incredibly simple for customers to contact you, either by prominently displaying contact information on your website or by including a support link on each page, or offering livechat support.Therefore, this enables your customers to request assistance from anywhere.5. Improve your customer supportMost customers repeat the same product or service when they have a positive experience with its customer service.Purchasing a product or service with a new company is always a risk. Therefore, you must prove to your customers that you back up your offerings by providing excellent customer service.They will know going forward that, even if they do have issues, they can rely on your company to sort them out.A Microsoft study reveals that a poor customer experience has led 56% of respondents to cease doing business with a particular brand.Additionally, you have to ensure a fast response to customer inquiries.You can meet the communication expectations of your customers by properly training your staff and monitoring their performance with benchmarks.6. Implement a customer loyalty programOne of the most effective strategies for retaining clients is rewarding loyalty. Customers appreciate when brands acknowledge their loyalty and provide them incentives to remain loyal.Brand-loyal customers are more likely to:Make repeat purchasesRefer othersProvide valuable feedbackRewarding loyalty is a way of acknowledging and appreciating this commitment, which in turn encourages clients to continue their patronage.A loyalty rewards program is a structured way of rewarding clients for their continued business. These programs provide customers with incentives to remain loyal to the brand.The more a customer purchases, the more rewards they receive. This could be in the form of points that can be exchanged for products or services, exclusive discounts, or members-only offers.This not only encourages them to stay but also motivates them to spend more. However, it’s important to regularly evaluate the program and make adjustments as necessary to ensure its success.7. Quickly address customer support inquiriesOne key strategy to improve customer retention is to provide a quick response to support inquiries.According to a report commissioned by Emplifi, 52% of customers anticipate a response from a brand within an hour.When users reach out with a support inquiry, they are looking for immediate assistance.Delays in response can lead to frustration and dissatisfaction, which can, in turn, impact their loyalty to your brand.By promptly addressing support inquiries, you can demonstrate your commitment to customers’ needs and enhance their overall experience.8. Utilize personalizationPersonalization is a compelling tool that businesses can use to retain their clients. It is the process of tailoring services or products to meet the unique requirements and preferences of individual clients.The more you know about your clients and their needs, the better you can use personalization to keep them engaged and loyal to your brand.Encouraging customers to set up an account is an effective strategy to gather more information about them.With the right strategies and tools, you can use personalization to build strong, long-lasting relationships with your clients.Personalization involves understanding the client’s behavior, preferences, and needs, and then customizing your offerings accordingly.It can be as simple as addressing the client by their name in communications, or as complex as offering product recommendations based on previous purchases.Remember, personalization should be implemented in a way that respects customer privacy and complies with data protection regulations.9. Provide excellent after-sales serviceAfter-sales service is a vital component in establishing a loyal customer base. It refers to all the support and services provided to clients after they have purchased or started using a product or service.This includes services like product installation, repair and maintenance, customer support, warranties and returns, product upgrades, and replacements.Here are a few strategies for providing excellent after-sales service:Regular follow-ups: Regularly check in with customers to ensure they are satisfied with their purchase.Offer ongoing support: Even after the sale is completed, offer your clients ongoing support. This could be in the form of technical support, advice, or training.Show appreciation: Show your appreciation to your clients with a thank you note.The primary goal of after-sales service is to ensure client satisfaction and build a long-term relationship with them.10. Offer competitive pricing and dealsCompetitive pricing and deals are essential tools for businesses to retain their clients.By offering them, businesses can ensure that clients feel like they’re receiving good value for their money and are less likely to switch to competitors.Implementing competitive pricing involves a thorough understanding of the market and the pricing strategies of competitors.Businesses should conduct regular market research to stay updated on the pricing trends in their industry. This will help them set prices that are competitive yet profitable.Remember, the goal of these strategies is not just to compete on price but to provide value to your customers.Building a relationship with your customers, understanding their needs, and delivering quality service are just as important for customer retention.Why is customer retention important?There are many ways to benefit from the customer retention strategies. Below is why customer retention is important:Reduce customer acquisition costLearn more about your target customersIncrease the purchase value of each saleIncrease referrals and loyaltyCreate a more stable revenue streamCustomer retention metricsDifferent metrics for retention of customers help you analyze which method reaches your customers more.Using these metrics, you can decide which customer retention strategies to emphasize with your work force.First, let’s see some of the metrics that help you to realize the strength of the current customer base.Customer retention rateEvaluates the capability of an organization to hold on to its customers for a specific period of time.How to measure customer retention rateTo estimate the customer retention rate, set the time period you want to measure (last year, quarter, month, week) and collect the number of customers:At the start of the time.At the end of the time.Newly arrived during the time.Formula:Customer lifetime value (CLV)Customer lifetime value denotes the total predictable revenue a customer will bring throughout their dealings with a business. CLV enables you to determine a customer’s potential lifetime value rather than just the value they bring at the time of their initial purchase.How to calculate customer lifetime value (CLV)Calculate the averages of the following:Customer lifespanPurchase valueNumber of purchasesMultiply the average purchase value by an average number of purchases, and then multiply the obtained value by the average customer lifespan.Formula:Customer satisfactionA customer satisfaction survey states a customer’s level of satisfaction with your brand, product, or service.How to calculate customer satisfaction (CSAT)To calculate the CSAT score, gather the number of positive responses and the total number of responses obtained from customers.Formula:Customer attrition rateThis rate describes the number of customers a company loses over a certain period of time. They no longer use the company’s product or service.How to calculate attrition rateTo compute the attrition rate, take the number of customers your company has left at the end of the time period and divide it by the number of customers at the start.Formula:Net promoter scoreA net promoter score (NPS) gauges your customers’ desire to recommend your product, brand, or service.How to calculate net promoter score (NPS)Estimate your NPS by subtracting the percentage of detractors from the percentage of promoters in your customer feedback.Formula:What is a customer retention program?A customer retention program is a strategic approach implemented by businesses to maintain and enhance relationships with existing customers. The primary goal is to reduce customer churn and increase customer loyalty.A customer retention program emphasizes the importance of nurturing and retaining existing customers to drive repeat purchases, increase lifetime customer value, and ultimately maximize profitability.Here are some tactics used in customer retention programs:Customer loyalty programs: Reward customers for repeat business with points, discounts, or exclusive rewards.Customer advocacy initiatives: Encourage satisfied customers to become brand advocates by incentivizing referrals, reviews, or testimonials.Proactive customer support: Provide proactive customer support by reaching out to customers about issues or concerns before they escalate.Subscription services: Offer subscription models that provide ongoing value and convenience to customers.Personalized communication: Tailor communication and offers to individual customer needs and preferences, when appropriate.Exceptional customer service: Provide prompt, helpful, and friendly customer service to build trust and loyalty.Customer feedback mechanisms: Actively seek customer feedback and act on it.Exclusive content and offers: Provide exclusive content, discounts, or early access to new features for loyal customers.6 customer retention examplesHere are some customer retention examples featuring real brands, showcasing various strategies to keep customers engaged and loyal.Sephora Beauty Insider—Loyalty rewardsSephora’s tiered loyalty program offers a compelling case study. Customers earn points for purchases, receive birthday gifts, and gain access to exclusive sales and events. This encourages repeat business and personalizes the shopping experience for beauty enthusiasts.Amazon Prime— Subscription perks and convenienceThe Amazon Prime subscription service offers a collection of benefits like free, fast shipping; exclusive deals; a streaming service; and early access to deals. This value proposition incentivizes customers to become Prime members, leading to increased spending and brand loyalty.Spotify Premium—Personalized music experience and ad-free listeningSpotify Premium provides an ad-free listening experience, on-demand music selection, and the ability to download music for offline playback. These features address key desires of music lovers and justify the subscription fee compared to the free, ad-supported version. This approach encourages users to upgrade and maintain their premium subscriptions.Peloton All-Access Membership— Interactive fitness and community engagementPeloton offers high-tech bikes and treadmills with built-in screens that allow users to participate in live and on-demand fitness classes. Peloton bikes are a significant investment, but the Peloton all-access membership further strengthens customer retention. This membership provides access to live and on-demand fitness classes, instructor interaction, and a sense of community for Peloton users. This combination of premium equipment, interactive classes, and a supportive community creates an experience that keeps users coming back for more.Nintendo Switch Online—Enhanced functionality and online playNintendo Switch Online offers a paid subscription service that enhances the online gaming experience for Switch users. Features like online play, cloud saves, and access to a library of retro games provide value beyond the initial console purchase. This strategy encourages continued engagement with the platform and incentivizes players to maintain their subscriptions.REI Co-Op membership—Long-term investment and shared ownershipREI’s unique lifetime membership program requires a one-time fee that unlocks annual dividends on purchases, gear rentals, and exclusive discounts on products and events. This upfront investment for long-term benefits fosters a sense of ownership in the company and rewards loyal customers.Future-proof your business with effective customer retention strategiesUse these customer retention tactics as a roadmap to develop customer experiences that increase retention so that both your customer base and your revenue continue to grow.Help desk software enhances the capacity of the retention of customers for your organization.Moreover, it helps you send quick responses to your customers, resolve customer issues fast, analyze your customer support data, and get accurate customer feedback.Book a live demo to discover how LIKE.TG can assist you show excellent customer care to your clients every time they reach out to you.Start a free trial to explore its numerous features.For any questions, please contact us through our support system, built on LIKE.TG.Related blogsBest techniques for reducing customer service response timeMost essential customer service skillsGuidelines for customer service for any business8 Strategies to Provide Efficient Customer Service10 Creative Ways to Avoid Common Customer Service Mistakes Automated Customer Service: Examples and Benefits10 Practical Tips to Improve First Response Time in Customer Service
What is Customer Satisfaction Score (CSAT)?
Most companies strive to offer a good customer experience so that they can increase their customer retention rate and customer loyalty. According to Zippia, 89% of companies primarily compete based on customer experience.Companies can measure how good their customer experience is by determining the customer satisfaction score (CSAT).In this article we will discuss what customer satisfaction score is, how to calculate CSAT score, how to use CSAT score, ways to improve CSAT score and key customer satisfaction metrics. What is a customer satisfaction score?The customer satisfaction score is a metric used by businesses to gauge the feelings and level of contentment customers have with a company, product, or service.It also shows satisfaction regarding a particular interaction or experience.According to Salesforce, 91% of customers are more likely to repeat a purchase after a good experience. Therefore, it’s crucial for you to understand your customers’ perceptions.You need to get in line with your customers’ wants to maintain a good purchase history with them.What is a good CSAT score?A good CSAT score differs among companies due to their different services or products. Therefore, a score ranging from 75% to 85% is considered excellent.What is the difference between CSAT and NPS?Customer satisfaction scores (CSAT) and net promoter scores (NPS) are two widely used metrics in customer experience measurement, but they serve different purposes and focus on different aspects of the customer journey. CSAT measures customers’ satisfaction with their interactions, transactions, and experiences with a company and its products and services.On the other hand, NPS measures customer loyalty and the likelihood of advocacy by asking clients a single question: “How likely are you to recommend this company/service/product to a friend or colleague?” Clients respond on a scale from 0 to 10, with 0 being not likely and 10 being extremely likely. NPS categorizes respondents into promoters (score 9–10), passives (score 7–8), and detractors (score 0–6), and calculates the score by deducting the detractors from the promoters.While CSAT provides insight into specific customer interactions, NPS offers a broader view of customer loyalty and advocacy, making it a valuable tool for assessing overall customer sentiment and identifying areas for improvement in customer experience.How to calculate CSAT scoreCSAT score can be calculated by obtaining feedback from customers through a simple survey, such as asking customers to rate their level of satisfaction with a company’s product or service and equipping them with a corresponding survey scale.The CSAT score can also be calculated by taking the sum of all positive responses, dividing it by the total number of responses collected, and then multiplying it by 100 to get the overall percentage of satisfied customers.When should you measure customer satisfaction? To obtain the most accurate and useful result, there are several key moments when you should assess the score. They include:After support interaction: Measuring customer satisfaction after an agent interaction offers an understanding of how a customer feels about the quality of support or the customer experience being offered to them.After serval interactions: This helps to monitor the progress of customer experience.After six months: By conducting a six-month survey, you assess satisfaction over a longer period and gather valuable feedback to enhance customer contentment.How to use customer satisfaction score surveysThe information collected from surveys used to measure customer satisfaction scores can be useful in the following ways:Measuring the quality of a businessBusinesses can pinpoint their strengths and weaknesses by routinely administering customer satisfaction surveys and studying the results.If a company has a low CSAT score, it could suggest that customers are unhappy with the quality of its products or services.The company can then initiate measures to enhance the quality of its offerings, such as responding to frequent customer complaints or upgrading its manufacturing techniques.Improving products and servicesCustomer satisfaction scores can utilize the knowledge gained from the survey to make improvements to products or services.This may include addressing frequent complaints, improving customer service, or implementing modifications to a product based on customer response.Enhancing understanding of competitorsSince most companies experience competition from different companies, a CSAT survey can be undertaken to collect feedback on customer satisfaction from those who prefer other brands or services.By examining customer feedback, your brand development team can make the required adjustments to improve how customers’ needs are being met.Providing employees with customer insightUtilizing customer satisfaction score benefits employees by providing them with an opportunity to understand customer’s concerns and behaviors, understanding trends and addressing negative feedback effectively.Ensuring effective communication and customer follow-upTo improve relationships with customers who are not actively involved with a company, it is important to engage them in conversation individually, asking for feedback that helps to enhance product or service quality.How to improve CSAT scoreImprove your customer satisfaction score through the following:Gather feedback and act upon itRegularly collecting feedback and implementing it should be an essential aspect of your company’s operations. This will consistently improve your products and services according to your customers’ preferences.By collecting your customers’ feedback, you can get a deeper understanding of your customers’ experiences.Additionally, you can utilize your findings to enhance and maintain effective practices while also addressing and improving any aspects that fail to meet customer satisfaction.Reduce customer service response timeIf customers perceive that their inquiries are being addressed quickly, they are motivated to provide positive feedback regarding the product or services.To guarantee customer satisfaction, strive to respond to their inquiries promptly and effectively. This will demonstrate that you appreciate your customer’s time.By increasing speed or dedicating time to optimize the processes through which your team interacts with customers, you can reduce customer service response time.Understand your customersTo effectively provide customers with solutions, it is essential to have a deep understanding of your customer base.By knowing who you customers are, it is easy to know what kind of service or product they require and the challenges they face when using your services or products.Provide multichannel supportMultichannel customer support involves providing various support channels and platforms that enable customers to engage with your business.This facilitates smooth management of all conversations across these channels, ensuring that customers receive consistent support at every contact.Establish a customer-focused cultureTo advance a culture focusing on customer service satisfaction, a company can provide customer service training to all teams, enabling them to consistently bring value to customers in their interactions.Provide customers with the option of self-serviceBy offering customers the option of self-service, their satisfaction can be enhanced as they are empowered to resolve their own issues, decreasing waiting time, and increasing trust in the product or service.5 Key customer satisfaction metricsCustomer satisfaction metrics measure a company’s success with customers. Here are some of the CSAT metrics:Customer satisfaction score (CSS): This metric gauges the level of customer satisfactions with a company’s product or service. It is usually measured via customer feedback and represented as a percentage.Customer effort score (CES): It evaluates the amount of effort customers must exert to conduct business with a company.Customer churn rate (CCR): This metric gauges the frequency at which customers cease their business transactions with a company.Customer lifetime value (CLV): Is a customer satisfaction metric used to estimate the total revenue a company will generate from a single customer throughout all their interactions with the business.Net promoter score (NPS): This metric gauges the level of customer loyalty, satisfaction, and enthusiasm toward a company.What is customer satisfaction index?The customer satisfaction index (CSI) is a measurement that combines satisfaction scores from various business attributes to create an overall satisfaction indicator.For example, in a company of three attributes—where the CSAT score for customer service is 60%, brand quality is 70%, and price is 40%—to calculate the customer satisfaction index, use the following formula:CSI = (Sum of Each Identified Attribute/The Total Number of Attributes)CSI = (Customer service + brand quality + Price)/Total number of attributes= (60 + 70 + 40)/3= 56.67%Therefore, your company’s CSI is 56.67%CSI is related to customer satisfaction in that both metrics assess customer satisfaction. However, CSAT score focuses on satisfaction with a particular attribute while CSI is the average CSAT score of different attributes.Utilize customer satisfaction score to improve your customer serviceCustomers prefer a company that offers a good customer experience. Using a CSAT score to provide insight on how to meet customer concerns and improve your customer support contributes to a company’s growth.To improve your customer satisfaction score, consider using LIKE.TG, which offers customer satisfaction survey features. Check out the LIKE.TG free trial or book a live demo. Feel free to contact the LIKE.TG support team in case of any questions.Related articlesBenefits of Using LIKE.TG Customer Satisfaction SurveysTop 15 Customer Service Metrics to Measure and Track7 Essential Knowledge Base Metrics for Enhancing Self-Service
What is Customer Service Experience? Definition, Tips, and Examples
The failure or success of a customer relationship depends on the customer’s overall experience with the company’s customer service. Customers tend to stay when they have positive experiences and leave for a competitor when the service was inadequate or frustrating. According to Zippia, 91% of customers are willing to leave a business for a competitor after one poor customer service.So, aiming your support team toward meeting or exceeding customer service expectations is key. But do you know what the customer service experience is or how to implement the most effective strategies?In this article, we will take you through creating a strategy for the best customer service experience and the benefits of implementing one. What is customer service experience?The customer service experience refers to customers’ overall feeling and perception of a company throughout their interactions with it.It involves every touchpoint a customer has with the business, both online and offline. This includes:Ease of use and completeness of a company’s websiteAny pre-purchase contact initiationThe purchasing processIssue triage, problem resolution, and customer supportCustomer follow-up, feedback, and post-service relationsCompanies that prioritize excellent customer service are more likely to establish brand loyalty in their clients and create a positive brand image. Conversely, poor customer service can lead to customer dissatisfaction, negative reviews, and potential loss of customers.Tips for delivering the best customer service experienceImprovement of the customer service experience is an ongoing commitment that involves consistent dedication rather than a one-time attempt. Thus, it is important to plan effectively.Following are a few steps and strategies to implement in order to enhance your customer service experience.Understanding customer needsThis strategy involves identifying, meeting, and having thorough awareness of the wants, preferences, and pain points of your clients.This can be achieved by:Collecting and analyzing customer feedbackSending out customer satisfaction surveysConducting market research and interviewsChecking social media mentions and commentsOnce you’ve identified your customers’ needs, you can discuss them with the appropriate teams and departments, tailor product features, and implement customer experience optimization strategies. This can help you meet your customers’ expectations and gain insight into what drives your customers’ satisfaction.Going beyond your customers’ expectationsBusinesses can exceed customers’ expectations and leave a lasting positive impression on customers through:Delivering a product earlier than promisedProviding an extra level of service that the customer didn’t expectGoing the extra mile in helping customers when neededBuilding a customer-centric cultureTo develop a customer-centric culture, ensure that all staff members prioritize and value customer concerns and happiness.This involves:Aligning your core values, procedures, and goals with customer satisfactionPersonalizing interactionsTraining agents to understand client needs as well as take responsibilityPromoting active listening and empathy in customer serviceEmpowering your employeesProvide your employees with the resources, confidence, and time to complete tasks and tackle responsibilities. Confident employees are proactive and productive, and they’re not afraid of sharing new ideas or making mistakes.Therefore, providing comprehensive training and ongoing support will ensure that your frontline staff have the knowledge, skills, and tools to address customer inquiries, resolve issues, and make decisions autonomously.Additionally, encourage a culture where employees feel valued, trusted, and empowered to take ownership of customer interactions. This leads to faster resolutions and higher levels of customer and employee satisfaction.Offering proactive customer supportAnticipate the needs and concerns of customers throughout their journey and provide solutions to common difficulties that they may face. Employ preventive measures to minimize their impact.Proactive customer service can include:Analyzing customer data for predictive patternsIntegrating technology such as AI in customer supportTracking and implementing customer feedbackProviding timely updates on order statusesImplementing solutions like knowledge basesAnnouncing product releases, service changes, and relevant industry newsBy adopting a proactive customer support approach, you can prove to your customers how dedicated you are to customer satisfaction.Providing seamless multichannel supportOffering multichannel support lets clients get same level of support via the means of contact with which they are most comfortable. Customers expect to communicate with businesses over a range of channels. Therefore, you need to provide 24/7 customer support on multiple communication channels to ensure customers receive assistance when they need it.These channels can be:EmailLive chatSocial mediaWeb formsImportance of an exceptional customer service experienceEnsuring you deliver the best customer service experience has the following advantages:Boosts word-of-mouth marketing and brand reputationWhen customers are satisfied, they willingly share their positive experiences with people they know and online platforms. Positive experiences shared by the customers improve a brand’s reputation, fostering trust and credibility.Additionally, positive customer service experiences acts as a key differentiator in competitive markets and often become the deciding factor in a customer’s purchasing decision.Reduces customer churnAccording to Khoros’s survey, 65% of customers leave for a competitor after a poor customer service experience.Offering empathy and quick resolution of customer concerns can build customer confidence in your brand and significantly reduce customer churn.This contributes to the sustainability and success of a business.Builds customer trust and loyaltyDelivering outstanding customer service is essential to gaining lasting customer loyalty and trust.When customers feel valued, heard, and supported, they are more likely to feel lasting affinity toward a brand. They will keep coming back to make more purchases.Enhances employee satisfactionInvesting in the training, recognition, and support that give employees the ability to deliver excellent customer service also contributes to higher job satisfaction and morale within the business. Most people like being able to do their job well.This leads to better customer interactions, positive attitudes, and favorable customer relations.Examples of great customer service experiencesThe following are the real-life examples of businesses that have proved to offer the best when it comes to delivering customer service experiences.ZapposZappos is an online retailer for shoes and clothing that is known for its exceptional customer service.According to this customer story on Consumerist, a customer named Jay purchased shoes on Zappos (since they were the cheapest) for a wedding he was to be the best man in. Unfortunately, his package was routed to the wrong location and couldn’t arrive on the day he was supposed to travel to the wedding location.He called Zappos and shared his dilemma. The customer service agent immediately solved his issue by upgrading his account to VIP in order to send another pair of shoes to his destination.He then said, “On top of completely taking care of my problem and adding the “VIP” bonus, she then issued a complete refund. Free shoes. Unbelievable. Zappos has earned a customer for life.”This is a customer blown away by the great customer service experience he received. By sacrificing a small amount of profit in one transaction, Zappos earned a raving review from a newly loyal customer whose story was spread across the internet. That’s cheap, excellent marketing.DisneyDisney is known for its magical experiences and exceptional customer service. They always go above and beyond to exceed guest expectations, whether it’s at their theme parks or on their cruise lines.One example of their outstanding service is a story posted on LinkedIn by Liz Richardson, a Disney fan who had a disappointing experience with customer service at Disney World resorts.Concerned, she sent a thoughtful email detailing her experience to the designated customer feedback address, but also, on a whim, to the president of Disney. Surprisingly, she received a call from the VP of Disney World within an hour.The VP apologized and promised additional employee training.Additionally, as compensation, Disney gifted her family a four-night stay, including park tickets and free dining. Richardson’s family were annual visitors to the parks, and this immediate response taking full responsibility and offering rectification not only kept them as annual visitors but maintained Disney’s top reputation with anyone who read her story.Revive your business with outstanding customer service experienceThe key to a great customer service experience is to make your customers feel valued at every touchpoint.Therefore, it is important to perfect your customer service by implementing key strategies.To enjoy the fruits of an enhanced customer service experience, you can also try using LIKE.TG. LIKE.TG is sophisticated help desk software that transforms your customer support system.Organize your customer emails into tickets automatically, implement safeguards to make sure no customer falls between the cracks, and provide knowledge bases to let your agents and customers easily access information they need.Schedule a 30-minute live demo to discuss and see for yourself how LIKE.TG can improve your support team’s workflow and customer service. Or start a 15-day free trial to let your team test out LIKE.TG’s features. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact LIKE.TG’s support team.Please share your thoughts and experiences with different customer service strategies in the comments section. Your feedback is highly valued!
What Is Employee Burnout? How Can You Help Employees Struggling With It?
Have you noticed an uptick in requests for sick days? Reduced productivity in employees that used to be top performers? Or even a lack of motivation to start and complete a task? Well, these could all be symptoms of burnout. Employee burnout is an upshot of work-related stress that creates a state of physical and mental exhaustion, manifesting as absenteeism, emotional drain, lack of enthusiasm, detachment from work, or depression. The World Health Organization also describes it as a syndrome from chronic workplace stress that has not been successfully managed. When an organization is evasive towards burnout, it saps out liveliness from their employees and affects the ability to retain talents. In this article, we highlight burnout warning signs and suggest actionable tips to help employees experiencing burnout. How to Recognize Burnout Warning Signs Burnout warning signs are physical, behavioral, and psychological indicators that an employee suffers from burnout. To help employees experiencing burnout, first, you need to learn how to spot these indicators. Burnout experience can be a little different from one employee to another, but here’s a breakdown of typical indicators: Physical burnout warning signs Headaches Illness Chronic fatigue Heart disease Loss of appetite Substance abuse Muscle tension Psychological burnout warning signs Depression Anxiety Sleep deprivation Irritability Emotional fragility Behavioral burnout warning signs Lack of motivation Cynicism Absenteeism Helping Employees Struggling With Employee Burnout Now that you can spot burnout warning signs, the next step is to be supportive. Here’s a rundown of how to help burnout employees. Identify burnout as a workplace phenomenon We often see workplace burnout as an individual problem, solvable with “self-help hacks” such as journaling, deep breathing techniques, yoga, and meditation. However, these solutions are only band-aids to an ever-growing workplace phenomenon. Jennifer Moss in her book describes burnout as a: “Complex constellation of poor workplace practices and policies, antiquated institutional legacies, roles and personalities at higher risk, and system, societal issues that have been unchanged, plaguing us for too long.” Most burnouts are from work stress. Employees endure poor workplace practices/policies like tight deadlines, massive workloads, micromanagement, and disorganized team structures till they hit the breaking point (burnout). So, employers should start seeing workplace burnout as a phenomenon that stems from working in a place, instead of an individual problem. Prioritize mental wellness Poor working environments pose a serious threat to mental health. Employees dealing with toxic work environments, unfair treatment, inequalities, and discrimination can experience mental illness. While it’s understandable that your priorities are growth and the smooth running of your organization, if your employees’ mental health is in shambles, you may start struggling with absenteeism, decreased productivity, and employee turnover. Dr Sarah Watson, a psychologist and Chief Operating Officer at BPTLAB suggests some ways to prioritize mental wellness without being intrusive: Open Communication: You can encourage your teams to open up about their mental health concerns and well-being without fear of judgment or consequences. This makes employees feel comfortable and find the support they need. You can also promote a culture of open communication anonymously. Employees might choose to voice their concerns without the risk of exposing their identity. This is where Worksmates comes in. Workmates is an intranet solution that gives you insight into your employees’ feelings and concerns using anonymous custom survey forms. The custom survey forms have multiple questions formats such as: Different question fields Single choice Multiple choice Yes/no answers Short answers Star ratings Flexibility: Offering flexible work hours and remote/hybrid work options can create a more balanced and controlled environment for employees. This may also help prevent burnout by allowing workers to maintain a healthy work-life balance. Training for Managers: Chances are your managers are not mental health professionals. But equipping managers with the knowledge and tools to spot the burnout warning signs early on can position them to help employees struggling with depression and anxiety. Mental Health Days: You can also set aside mental health days for recharging and refreshment. The mental health days should be separate from vacation or sick days. Employee Assistance Programs: Providing access to professional counseling service or therapy as part of an Employee Assistance Program (EAP) can give employees the support they need to prevent or deal with burnout. Wellness Programs: Implement workplace wellness initiatives like workshops and seminars on stress management. Also, providing access to fitness facilities can help employees maintain their mental and physical well-being. Implementing a 4-day workweek A trial by the University of Cambridge & Boston shows that a 4-day workweek can improve employees’ feelings of burnout and stress. The workweek pilot follows a 100-80-100 model: 100% of the pay. 80% of the time. 100% productivity. Literal Humans, a Content marketing agency is an example of an organization operational as a 4-day workweek pilot. According to the Co-founder, Paul David, since they’ve swung to the model, the result has been rewarding: “Our team now knows they have less time to get roughly the same amount of work done at a high level of quality. Well-being has improved because our team has more time for themselves and their families/friends, it's fairly simple. We also see how our team carries themselves in the workplace (their demeanor). Now they take fewer sick days because they have more time for self-care.” To sum it up: Implementing a 4-day workweek model is a great way to help employees experiencing burnout. When it’s done right, it can improve your productivity while ensuring that your employees have a healthy work-life balance. You can also provide a flexible working schedule that allows employees to maintain productivity while working from home. Invest in employee management software When an organization recognizes its employees’ hard work, it instills a sense of communality and makes the team feel valued and appreciated. Investing in employee management software can increase employee engagement and boost workforce productivity. Employee management software like Workmates streamlines employee recognition and rewards. With customized kudos badges, you can reward and recognize your employees’ efforts. Here are other notable features of Workmates: Simplifies team communication and collaboration Lets you gather feedback with polls and anonymous survey forms Responsive customer support One-on-one interaction features Streamlines communication with announcement tools Provide Support for Burnout Employees Burnout is never an “employee’s” problem, it also affects you, the employer. While burnout takes a toll on your employee's well-being and happiness, it slowly erodes your organization’s potential to actualize its objectives. The bottom line: Employers and the human resource department should provide support to employees experiencing burnout instead of leaving them to handle it on their own. Is Your Company's CultureWorking Against You? Find out how to improve your companyculture with our short quiz. Take the Quiz
What is Employee Recognition (Plus Examples)
Your employees are your greatest asset. They play a pivotal role in the success of your company. As with any other valuable asset, you should nurture and protect them. Bob Nelson, PhD, a motivational speaker and best-selling author once said, "Take time to appreciate employees and they will reciprocate in a thousand ways." This reciprocation includes higher productivity and greater loyalty. According to a survey from Great Place to Work, 63% of employees who were regularly recognized indicated they would be unlikely to leave their job. Recognition also increased productivity, employee engagement, and performance by 14%. Wondering where to start? Or what an effective employee recognition program would entail? Read on to find out more. Overview of Employee Recognition When employees do great work, they deserve to be appreciated for their efforts. Employee recognition is a way to acknowledge the exceptional work of members of your staff: Quality of work Initiative Attitude Personal growth Leadership skills Problem-solving Adaptability One way to do this is through an employee recognition program, a structured company initiative that rewards employees on their: Individual achievements Work anniversaries Milestones Contributions Performance achievements Your recognition program should align with your company's mission, vision, and values. This helps reinforce the company culture you've created. Based on your values, this may be a culture of excellence, success, honesty, and teamwork (see more about company culture software here). Your employees should have a clear idea of their individual goals and how this affects company goals, ideally starting at the time of onboarding. Periodic positive reinforcement and constructive feedback helps them strive toward attaining them, promoting a culture of success and continuous self-improvement. Benefits of Employee Recognition Employee recognition is a win-win situation for both employers and employees. For employees, it fosters pride in their work and gives them a reason to keep on putting forth their best. This increases their level of productivity and sense of loyalty. An employee who trusts their organization is more inclined to contribute to company goals. They look at it as a team effort. They know they have an employer that cares about their welfare as much as the bottom line. In fact, about 90% of employees who received recognition trusted their bosses more as a result, according to the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM), while only 48% of employees who didn't receive recognition trusted their leaders. The result? Companies with highly engaged workforces are 21% more profitable. Conversely, an employee that resigns because they're unhappy can cost you a lot. It costs just over $4,000 to hire a new employee and an additional $1,000 to onboard them. That's roughly $5,000 for every new employee you hire, according to the SHRM. Fortunately, recognition usually has a rippling effect: It encourages other employees to work together to achieve individual and company goals. Plus, rewarding employees is an effective way to increase productivity, especially if you’re working toward sales goals. Other benefits include: Increasing employee engagement Enhancing company culture Strengthening work relationships Boosting customer service Increasing profitability Increasing employee retention, particularly of top-talent Improving job satisfaction Reducing staff sick days Lowering stress levels at work Inspiring other companies Workmates Self-Guided Tour We’ll show you how Workmates can engage everyone in your organization, recognize their milestones, and drive productivity to new heights. Start Now How to Recognize Your Employees Traditionally, employee recognition is top-down. A manager or supervisor acknowledges the great performance of an employee. It can also involve staff recognition where a team lead recognizes the stellar performance of his/her team or workgroup. You can also expand this to include peer-to-peer recognition as well. This allows co-workers or teammates to recognize each other. Ideally, recognition should involve all the above. However, regardless of the type of recognition in the workplace and whether it’s private, public, or anonymous, it should have the following criteria: Ample resources committed Straightforward and easily understood by all involved Aligned with your company's mission, vision, and values Rewards commensurate with the achievements Take place soon after the employee attains the achievement Well-executed Continuously evaluated for relevance Clear communication of the program is also important. You should introduce new hires to your recognition program during employee onboarding. Managers can then reinforce the program's elements and clarify any uncertainty. Most importantly, an employee recognition program should never be static. It should evolve as both internal and external changes take place. Don't be afraid to get input. Employee surveys are a great way to do that. You can alter your program based on their feedback. For example, whether an employee prefers to be recognized privately or publicly. It’s also important to find out what type of work employees wish to be rewarded for. Do they want to be celebrated for doing a great job on a project or for achieving years of service to the company? If you’ve already implemented a rewards system into your company, see how your employees react when they are recognized. If there is a lukewarm reaction, then you’ll need to tailor your employee recognition program to achieve optimal benefits. Even simple acts of recognition can improve employee morale. This can include expressing heartfelt thanks or apologizing for any miscommunication. Non-work-related gestures also go a long way. Ask a new mother how she is coping with being away from her newborn. Find out how your new employee is adjusting after moving to a new city. Let them suggest ways that you can help with the transition. The key to successful employee recognition is to be authentic. Genuine appreciation efforts are more likely to be welcomed by your staff. All these gestures foster a caring work environment. It's one that any employee will enjoy being a part of. It will make them less likely to leave. “Our staff has praised the increased communication level Workmates delivers. We use it to communicate important project matters and give staff specific ‘kudos’ or even recognize their birthdays. More importantly, we use Workmates to clarify important project details that needed rapid dissemination among the entire team.” Christopher Baggott Chief Executive Officerator of Medlinks Cost Containment, Inc. and Medlinks Staffing, LLC. Learn More Examples of Employee Recognition Understanding what type of recognition employees want can be a challenge. After all, there’s no one right answer to this question. In general, there are several ways to show your appreciation. We’ve outlined a few of them below. Remember, the better you know your staff, the better chance you have of rewarding them. Bonuses: Monetary rewards can be a great incentive. However, you should tie them to specific performance measurements. Care Package: This can include gift certificates, snacks, games, and a handwritten note from you. It’s even better if the items reflect their personality and interests. Appreciation Days or Events: More formal programs can highlight an employee for a month or quarter. Public Acknowledgement: This can be as simple as a company- or department-wide email, or something more involved like a trophy, plaque, or digital photo display. However, be careful: Some members of staff shy away from public recognition, while others bask in it. Performance Feedback: Giving regular feedback on your employees’ performance helps to boost their confidence. You can deliver individual feedback on a one-to-one level or hold team meetings to offer performance feedback on team projects. Social Media Shout-Outs: Providing shout-outs on your social media platforms is a great way to recognize employees in a public manner. Rewards Platform: You could also create a rewards marketplace where top-performing employees can gain gift cards or subscriptions to magazines or media. Workmates has an integrated newsfeed where the kudo badges are shown and employees can exchange the points for rewards. Coworker Recognition Program: Implement a program that allows peer-to-peer recognition. The recognition doesn't even have to be work-related. It could be something a fellow employee did to get them through a difficult day. Extra Time Off: This could involve giving an employee the day off on their birthday or giving an extended paid holiday over Christmas and New Year. Alternatively, you could offer staff extra paid hours off for achieving specific milestones. Professional Development: Provide professional development, including workshops, training programs, free books and their own training courses. Small Gesture: Gift a bouquet of flowers, offer book tokens, send a thank you note/card, buy a box of chocolates or buy a gift card. Wellness Programs: Providing free gym time boosts employee wellness, as well as productivity levels. It’s a great way to lower stress and anxiety and promote a healthy work-life balance for your employees. Lunch or Dinner: Taking your employees out for lunch or dinner can create some memorable moments for your team. For shyer employees, a one-on-one lunch is a perfect way to say thank you. Make it about them by choosing a location they enjoy. Team Happy Hour: Going for team drinks at the end of the week is a popular way to show your appreciation. Offer to purchase the first round of drinks or plan drinks around a pub event, such as quiz night or karaoke. It’s a great bonding exercise! Team-Building Activity: Paintballing, kayaking, river rafting, rock climbing or other sports are events that show that you value your employees alongside wanting to build relationships between them. Virtual team-building activities are a good way to include and recognize remote employees. Outdoor Activity: Rewarding employees with outdoor activity provides a change of scenery from the four walls of the office and allows employees to engage with each other in another environment. Donating: Find out if an employee would appreciate you donating to a non-profit instead of any monetary reward. This will send the message that you're interested in the things they care about and show that you are willing to help make a difference. Try Workmates Interactive Demo Click through it yourself withinteractive demo. Try It Now Author Bio: Auria Heanley is co-founder of Oriel Partners, a boutique PA and administrative recruitment consultancy based in Central London. She is extremely passionate about providing the highest quality of service to both clients and candidates. Oriel Partners’ clients range from global multinationals to small boutique firms, all requiring the same personal service and high-caliber support
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