If there is one thing call center and customer experience executives are beginning to unanimously appreciate, it is that customer management metrics, though important, cannot exist in isolation.
They must measure—and drive—the impact the customer support function is having on the greater business.
"We have to move from [call center metrics]. We have got to talk about organizational metrics and do things that drive performance in the call center to meet the overall goals and objectives, not just our immediate ones within the center," explains Marilyn Elledge, the former vice president of donor experience for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.
Though the connection makes perfect sense within the corporate world, when it comes to the public sector, far too many organizations are struggling with the "business" concept. They have the same—if not greater—emphasis on cost containment, but their ability to maximize their resources is often lacking.
But Elledge, a speaker at the 2012 Customer Experience for Public Sector Summit, is not content to let the definitional distinction between the public and private sectors prevent public sector organizations from structuring themselves to best satisfy their "customers."
One fool-proof means of doing so, one backed unquestionably by research, is an emphasis on creating a positive, "affirmational" work environment for customer experience team members. Elledge shares details on this approach in this exclusive Customer Management IQ podcast.
Businesses say they "get" culture, and they point to cultural icons like Zappos and Disney as inspiration, but when it comes to implementation within their own organizations, their leaders consistently miss the boat.
"They’ve got to wake up and realize that the culture of the organization, a culture of respect and appreciation, are what is going to truly drive exceptional performance," says Elledge.
Awaken yourself to the reality of driving a customer-centric culture in your public sector organization at our upcoming event, and get a glimpse of the key insights in this exclusive podcast.