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What to Do When Customer Service Asks “Where’s the Data?”
By
Lauren Weiss
This is the third
article in a series on managing and using customer data.
See related articles:
Easy
access to accurate data is essential for front-line customer
service representatives. They need all pertinent information at
their fingertips while they are conversing with customers. So when
they complain that they don’t have the data they need, what do you
do?
The
first step is to understand what the real issue is. Possibilities
include:
-
Data
is there, but care representatives don’t know it
-
Data
is known to be there, but it takes too long for care
representatives to find it
-
Data
can be found, but it is often wrong and can’t be trusted
-
Data
is in a system that care representatives cannot access
-
Data
is not captured anywhere
Once
the root issue has been determined, the best solution can then be
identified.
Case
1: Data is there, but care representatives don’t know it.
This is the easiest scenario to address. No system or process work
is necessary; all that is required is training. Educate the care
staff where to find the information they need.
Case
2: Data is known to be there, but it takes too long for care
representatives to find it
This could be one of 2 problems: (1) the system is too slow, or
(2) the screen flow is not optimal. In the first case, the system
work required might be as simple as adding database indexes to
accelerate certain data queries. Alternatively, it might require
investing in higher performing hardware or software engines. In
the second case, there needs to be process analysis, likely
followed by some amount of system work. Work with the care staff
to understand what data flow is most beneficial to them. In other
words, how should data be organized to best support their process
flow? Based on this analysis, fields and screens (the interface)
can be modified within the system. If other groups use the system,
however, be sure to consult them on proposed changes. It would be
a shame to improve one area only to inadvertently cause negative
impact to another group.
Case
3: Data can be found, but it is often wrong and can’t be
trusted
This is a process issue. As mentioned in an earlier article in
this series, data owners should be identified for each data
element. Those owners are responsible for ensuring the data is
complete and accurate. Processes should be put in place to support
this, and systems should be used to enhance the processes (for
example, to prevent blank fields, or to automate data
validations).
Case
4: Data is in a system that care representatives cannot access
This is a larger systems issue. How it is addressed can depend on
things like systems infrastructure and organizational politics.
Ideally, care representatives would be given direct, seamless
access to systems they need. Alternatively, data fields can be
added to the system(s) they can access. It then becomes a
challenge to populate the data correctly. If possible, the data
should come from whatever system is primary for that data. This
means additional system work to establish or augment system data
feeds. Avoid creating new data fields that aren’t linked to their
primary systems; inevitably those data elements will become
inaccurate and useless.
Case
5: Data is not captured anywhere
Addressing this will require a little of everything. New required
data elements should be analyzed in conjunction with existing
processes, and should be added to the system in a way that best
supports these processes. As mentioned earlier, data owners should
be identified, and these new data elements should be incorporated
into existing data maintenance processes. Training should be
provided to make everyone aware of the new data.
Ensuring care representatives have the data they need is
important, but it is not always difficult. Understanding the true
data issue will help determine the complexity of the problem and
its solution.
In our
next Newsletter, we’ll review the basic, minimum customer data
needed to provide effective service.
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