Customer Service Week 2020: The Newfound Value of CX

 

Like many things this year, Customer Service Week 2020 looks and feels a bit different. There are no celebrations on the call center floor or guest speakers brought in for a special session, but that does not mean we should let the week go by unacknowledged. In fact, it’s particularly important this year — of all years — to celebrate the value of customer service and those who are on the frontlines. So, from mail carriers and bank tellers, to servers and call center agents, we thank you and we celebrate you!

 

At Cogito, we have the opportunity to work very closely with thousands of customer service representatives on a daily basis. It’s clear that these workers and their supervisors enjoy solving others’ challenges and providing quality service, even in the most challenging circumstances. And while the past several months have been a trying time for everyone, frontline customer service workers have been in a unique position where many not only shifted to a work-at-home model but were also forced to take on the emotional burden of a distressed customer base. This was especially true in the call center — in fact, from February 4 to May 31, Cogito’s behavioral science unit analyzed approximately four million contact center calls from leading healthcare and insurance companies to determine the pandemic’s effect on frontline customer engagement. Over this time frame, as a result, prompts for call center agents to display further energy rose by 38 percent and prompts for empathy rose by 8 percent. These increases highlight the impact these trying months have had on employees — and their dedication to providing quality service in spite of it.

 

Organizations have learned how quickly things can change, how the future can be called into question, and how uncertainty can take over every aspect of a business. But in that time, people and organizations alike have re-learned the value of human communication. For organizations, this realization often takes the form of call center agents, who are on the phone day-in and day-out, patiently listening to customer concerns and fielding their questions with empathy. The value they have brought to customers during the pandemic will ultimately be a contributing factor in which organizations pull through and which do not.

 

In keeping with this year’s theme, “Ignite a CX Celebration,” we encourage organizations around the country to look for new ways to empower and celebrate their workforce — not just this week, but year-round! From virtual happy hours that promote a positive work environment to technology that provides guidance and emotional support, it’s time to acknowledge and invest in the face of your organization. Taking the time for a CX Celebration can have a tremendous impact on uplifting the energy of the teams, especially during this time, and will ultimately improve the service customers receive.

 

Thank you to our own Cogito customer service team, and thank you to all the customer service workers dedicated to exceptional service every day! 

 

To learn more about Customer Service Week 2020 visit here.