Customer service : utility style : proven strategies for improving customer service and reducing customer care costs

325 Pages·2006·1.05 MB·English

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CUSTOMER
SERVICE:
UTILITY
STYLE
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CUSTOMER
SERVICE:
UTILITY
STYLE
Proven Strategies For Improving
Customer Service and Reducing
Customer Care Costs
Penni McLean-Conner
McLean-Conner 00FM (i-xvi).qxd 2/18/06 1:51 PM Page iv
Disclaimer
The recommendations,advice,descriptions,and the methods in this book
are presented solely for educational purposes. The author and publisher
assume no liability whatsoever for any loss or damage that results from
the use ofany ofthe material in this book.Use ofthe material in this book
is solely at the risk of the user.
Copyright 2006 by
PennWell Corporation
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www.pennwell.com
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Managing Editor: Steve Hill
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Cover Designer: Mike Reeder
Book Designer: Brigitte Pumford-Coffman
McLean-Conner,Penni.
Customer service :utility style :proven strategies for improving customer service and
reducing customer care costs / Penni McLean-Conner.
p.cm.
Includes index.
ISBN-13:978-1-59370-053-9 (hardcover)
ISBN-10:1-59370-053-9 (hardcover)
1. Customer services--Management.2. Public utilities--Management. I.Title.
HF5415.5.M395 2006
363.6068'8--dc22
2006003629
All rights reserved.No part ofthis book may be reproduced,stored in a retrieval system,
or transcribed in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including
photocopying and recording,without the prior written permission ofthe publisher.
Printed in the United States ofAmerica
1 2 3 4 5 10 09 08 07 06
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To my husband Nick and my son McLean
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CONTENTS
Foreword.....................................................................................................xi
Preface.......................................................................................................xiii
Acknowledgments.....................................................................................xv
PART I CREATE A CUSTOMER-FOCUSED CULTURE
1 Build a High-Performance Team........................................................1
Effective leadership ...............................................................................5
Common mission................................................................................13
Communications.................................................................................16
Union partnership...............................................................................19
2 Hire,Train,and Retain the Best
Customer Service Professionals........................................................23
Hiring strategies..................................................................................23
Training strategies...............................................................................30
Retention strategies.............................................................................37
3 Discover the Magic ofCustomer Complaints.................................49
Create a culture where complaints are gifts.......................................50
Establish a complaint resolution process...........................................51
Track,trend,and measure complaint data........................................56
Improve the process based on the data..............................................57
4 Listen and Respond to the Voice ofthe Customer .........................65
Methods to gather customer feedback...............................................66
Common pitfalls to avoid...................................................................71
Establish a customer listening post....................................................78
5 Offer New Services and Products to
Meet the Customers’Needs...............................................................83
Product and service development cycle.............................................83
Core products and services.................................................................93
Emerging products and services ........................................................99
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Customer Service: Utility Style
PART II REDUCE BUSINESS COSTS
6 Reduce Unbilled Losses in the Meter-to-Cash Cycle ...................107
What is the revenue cycle?................................................................109
Record all customers in the CIS.......................................................111
Read all meters..................................................................................117
Account for all usage.........................................................................122
Bill all customers on the right rate...................................................128
Collect all receivables........................................................................131
Identify and prioritize meter-to-cash opportunities.......................135
7 Outsourcing .....................................................................................141
Why do utilities outsource?..............................................................142
What do utilities outsource?.............................................................144
How to evaluate outsourcing............................................................150
Steps to outsourcing..........................................................................154
Customer service business process outsourcing..............................157
8 Reduce Bad Debt .............................................................................163
Strategies for current accounts.........................................................165
Strategies for delinquent accounts...................................................172
Strategies for finaled accounts..........................................................178
Common mistakes to avoid..............................................................182
9 Create Effective Channel Management .........................................191
Common channels............................................................................191
Channel management by customer service process........................200
PART III MAXIMIZE TECHNOLOGY, PROCESSES, AND
EFFICIENCY
10Map,Measure,and Benchmark the
Key Customer Service Processes ....................................................219
Process mapping................................................................................222
Process measurement........................................................................226
Benchmarking ..................................................................................237
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