The technology behind the service with a smile
Behind good customer service there is always some form of information and communication technology. However, the human element remains just as important as the technology used.This, in a nutshell, is one of the conclusions of a conference held recently...
Behind good customer service there is always some form of information and communication technology. However, the human element remains just as important as the technology used.
This, in a nutshell, is one of the conclusions of a conference held recently on customer service organised by CSQM International Ltd and sponsored by Dial-It Call Centre, a subsidiary of Maltacom.
"As ICT services become more and more complex, most ICT operators today face a mammoth task to service their clients. Lack of inter-departmental communications, internal fiefdoms, lack of empowerment and a general need for better managerial support have been identified," commented to i-Tech Joe Meilak, managing director of CSQM International.
CSQM is offering new certification for Malta in the field of customer service, a quality mark that certifies a level of customer service across any industry or any type of organisational set-up. The certification is based on a minimum set of criteria and makes extensive use of ICT tools.
In the morning the conference was addressed by several high-profile speakers from different sectors of industry.
In the afternoon the conference participants were divided into different groups to discuss different aspects of customer care. Simon Gatt, editor of the publication Malta Economic Update, led the ICT work stream which focused on the complexities of trouble shooting client enquiries across a number of departments and how communication across companies can help communication with the end user. Managing attitudes helps to focus people on client requirements.
"In a complex environment typical of the telecommunications industry where different technologies are being packaged into offers for customers, IT systems play an important role in coordinating workflows and automating the most frequent tasks. It is only in this way that new services can be provisioned in the shortest time possible and problems solved in a reasonable timeframe," insists Jason Vella, operations director of the Dial-It Call Centre by Telepage Limited.
"It is very difficult for me to imagine giving any sort of customer support without having a solid ICT infrastructure as a back up," admits Ivan Pierre Vella, customer operations senior manager at Vodafone Malta. "ICT helps our agents deal with customer requests quickly and efficiently. It also empowers our representatives to action requests on the spot."
Michael Balzan, customer care senior executive at Go Mobile sees two distinct aspects for the use of ICT to provide the best customer care support possible.
"ICT helps achieve this in a number of ways - perhaps most importantly, by providing the necessary tools in order to provide services to the customer. Other ways include offering timely support to the customer should a problem arise, as well as facilitating communication with the customer (by means of telephony, e-mail and so forth). Another point that must be mentioned is the automation of internal processes: this aspect also forms part of the responsibilities of the ICT department and facilitates the efficient flow and exchange of information. Finally, ICT facilitates the exchange of information and enables customer care representatives to have immediate access to the latest information."
The discussion in the ICT stream of the conference harped on the importance of the human element and not just the technological aspect of ICT in customer care.
Mr Vella insists that "mobile services are technology based, which technology is being improved at an incredibly fast rate. The challenge lies with ensuring that our agents are kept abreast of these developments at all times."
Alan Zammit, ICT senior executive at Go Mobile, goes further.
"The major issue when it comes to ICT and customer support services is probably the human resources. By this I mean that we're very dependent on the actual people who make up the ICT departments. Given that both employees and customers within a company tend to rely on the services provided by ICT departments, getting the right team together is of paramount importance.
"Moreover, in today's technology-biased society, it is not a matter of whether you do ICT or not, it is a question of the more IT-related effort you put into the equation the better chances you have of reaching your ultimate goal - that of customer satisfaction."
CSQM's Mr Meilak refocuses on the main objective of customer care and the need to achieve it with the help of ICT.
"All parties involved in ICT need to brush up their act. As more competitive pressure builds up, the main difference between entities will be the level and approach they put into their customer service function. The customer service interface is a surrogate of perceived quality."
He refers to a survey conducted recently by CSQM where most issues raised by clients were related to the waiting time when they call their internet service provider (ISP) or being put around when calling their mobile operator or longish waiting time for hardware support
"The underlying deliverables were not a major issue, customer service interface was," he stressed.
Perhaps one of the most telling facts revealed at the conference was that complaints reaching the client affairs department within the Consumer and Competition Division is on the decrease year on year. It seems ICT is leaving its mark after all.
At the beginning of the conference the Minister for Competitiveness and Communication Censu Galea presented the first CSQM Certified entities with the copy of the standard. These where the CEO at Telepage, Antoine P. Portelli; Alan Miller, business development manager at St Philips Hospital; Ana Vella, director at Transpak Ltd; and Stephen A. Petroni, managing director at Phoenix Domestic Appliances Ltd.
Another conference about customer service as a strategic imperative is already earmarked for 2008.
This, in a nutshell, is one of the conclusions of a conference held recently on customer service organised by CSQM International Ltd and sponsored by Dial-It Call Centre, a subsidiary of Maltacom.
"As ICT services become more and more complex, most ICT operators today face a mammoth task to service their clients. Lack of inter-departmental communications, internal fiefdoms, lack of empowerment and a general need for better managerial support have been identified," commented to i-Tech Joe Meilak, managing director of CSQM International.
CSQM is offering new certification for Malta in the field of customer service, a quality mark that certifies a level of customer service across any industry or any type of organisational set-up. The certification is based on a minimum set of criteria and makes extensive use of ICT tools.
In the morning the conference was addressed by several high-profile speakers from different sectors of industry.
In the afternoon the conference participants were divided into different groups to discuss different aspects of customer care. Simon Gatt, editor of the publication Malta Economic Update, led the ICT work stream which focused on the complexities of trouble shooting client enquiries across a number of departments and how communication across companies can help communication with the end user. Managing attitudes helps to focus people on client requirements.
"In a complex environment typical of the telecommunications industry where different technologies are being packaged into offers for customers, IT systems play an important role in coordinating workflows and automating the most frequent tasks. It is only in this way that new services can be provisioned in the shortest time possible and problems solved in a reasonable timeframe," insists Jason Vella, operations director of the Dial-It Call Centre by Telepage Limited.
"It is very difficult for me to imagine giving any sort of customer support without having a solid ICT infrastructure as a back up," admits Ivan Pierre Vella, customer operations senior manager at Vodafone Malta. "ICT helps our agents deal with customer requests quickly and efficiently. It also empowers our representatives to action requests on the spot."
Michael Balzan, customer care senior executive at Go Mobile sees two distinct aspects for the use of ICT to provide the best customer care support possible.
"ICT helps achieve this in a number of ways - perhaps most importantly, by providing the necessary tools in order to provide services to the customer. Other ways include offering timely support to the customer should a problem arise, as well as facilitating communication with the customer (by means of telephony, e-mail and so forth). Another point that must be mentioned is the automation of internal processes: this aspect also forms part of the responsibilities of the ICT department and facilitates the efficient flow and exchange of information. Finally, ICT facilitates the exchange of information and enables customer care representatives to have immediate access to the latest information."
The discussion in the ICT stream of the conference harped on the importance of the human element and not just the technological aspect of ICT in customer care.
Mr Vella insists that "mobile services are technology based, which technology is being improved at an incredibly fast rate. The challenge lies with ensuring that our agents are kept abreast of these developments at all times."
Alan Zammit, ICT senior executive at Go Mobile, goes further.
"The major issue when it comes to ICT and customer support services is probably the human resources. By this I mean that we're very dependent on the actual people who make up the ICT departments. Given that both employees and customers within a company tend to rely on the services provided by ICT departments, getting the right team together is of paramount importance.
"Moreover, in today's technology-biased society, it is not a matter of whether you do ICT or not, it is a question of the more IT-related effort you put into the equation the better chances you have of reaching your ultimate goal - that of customer satisfaction."
CSQM's Mr Meilak refocuses on the main objective of customer care and the need to achieve it with the help of ICT.
"All parties involved in ICT need to brush up their act. As more competitive pressure builds up, the main difference between entities will be the level and approach they put into their customer service function. The customer service interface is a surrogate of perceived quality."
He refers to a survey conducted recently by CSQM where most issues raised by clients were related to the waiting time when they call their internet service provider (ISP) or being put around when calling their mobile operator or longish waiting time for hardware support
"The underlying deliverables were not a major issue, customer service interface was," he stressed.
Perhaps one of the most telling facts revealed at the conference was that complaints reaching the client affairs department within the Consumer and Competition Division is on the decrease year on year. It seems ICT is leaving its mark after all.
At the beginning of the conference the Minister for Competitiveness and Communication Censu Galea presented the first CSQM Certified entities with the copy of the standard. These where the CEO at Telepage, Antoine P. Portelli; Alan Miller, business development manager at St Philips Hospital; Ana Vella, director at Transpak Ltd; and Stephen A. Petroni, managing director at Phoenix Domestic Appliances Ltd.
Another conference about customer service as a strategic imperative is already earmarked for 2008.