Today, customer service is an integral part of every organization, as a company’s most vital asset is its customers. Without customers, companies could not exist in business.

Recent research conducted by the Customer Contact Association (CCA), the UK's independent authority on customer contact strategies and operations, and sponsored by KANA Software, Inc., a global provider of customer service solutions, has revealed areas where organizations are falling short in addressing growing expectations and demands for customer service. Turn outs, more alignment is needed between the board room, marketing and customer service professionals, as well as in the metrics applied to measure customer experience activities, for organizations to succeed in an “always-on” multi-channel customer service environment.

Based on a survey of CCA members and interviews with senior customer service professionals, the study examined call center tactics and strategies as well as organizational dynamics as part of an investigation of considerations influencing the delivery of customer service.

"Organizations are operating in a fiercely challenging business environment and customer contact teams are dealing with increasingly complex customer needs," said Anne Marie Forsyth, chief executive of the Customer Contact Association (CCA), in a statement. "Our research reveals a pressing need for greater cross-department collaboration and better representation for customer service at the board level in order to deliver a truly customer-centric service strategy."

The study identified challenges that threaten the ability to provide "smart" customer service. Companies are using new channels to support customer engagement, but they don't understand how and why customers are using those channels. Also, while organizations are deploying multi-channel engagement strategies to support consistent customer experiences, respondents indicated a lack of understanding of when and why customers use certain channels.

"The advent of new channels is giving customers the option to interact with brands differently," said Steven Thurlow, worldwide head of Product Strategy, KANA Software. "As the critical moments of interaction, or touch points, between companies and customers are increasingly being spread across different channels and different parts of the organization, companies are forced to support more channels; however they are struggling to get their arms around the picture of how and why customers are leveraging particular channels to ensure they are organized to deliver the information customers seek from each interaction."

The survey shed light on the fact that customer service and contact center functions lack adequate board representation, with almost one in ten stating that the board is out of touch with contact center and customer service issues.

"Putting customers first will necessitate transforming contact center agents into customer advocates, which will require strong organizational and executive support," explained Forsyth. "As customers become more vocal, particularly in evolving channels such as social, it's vital for the contact center to acquire greater visibility and influence within the organization."

The research also highlights conflicting views about the relationship between marketing and customer service. While some argue the marketing function is well positioned to assist in orchestrating customer experience for the entire organization, there is a disconnect between marketing and customer service investment.

"Organizations must forge closer links between marketing and customer service and move beyond their function-by-function view of the customer experience," said James Norwood, chief marketing officer, KANA Software. "A consistent experience requires complete coordination of activities across all touch points."

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