Letter from the Editor - March 2014
By: Tim Young
“Well done is better than well said.”
-Benjamin Franklin
There is a central problem of perception that, while less prevalent than it once was, still plagues companies of all sizes and in all industries: the idea being that customer service, customer care, customer experience management or any other activity or department that contains the word “customer” is a discrete and singular entity. That customer care is one small part of a business rather than the focus of the entire organization. That a few kind gestures or special favors can sooth any customer teetering on the edge of disloyalty, and that the rest will work itself out.
The new paradigm of customer care, however, suggests that every interaction with a customer and the quality of the good or service provided all combine to create the customer experience. In order to fight churn, increase loyalty and, ultimately, enhance profitability and market share, as many of those interactions as possible should be smooth, intuitive and painless. Reduced friction and a clear ROI are as important to the customer experience as friendly call center staffers.
But enhancing the customer experience means understanding the customer experience. For communications service providers, that means gathering as many metrics as are available, presenting that data in a way that means something to those without engineering degrees, communicating that data to every relevant department and empowering individuals and departments across the organization to respond to deficiencies as soon as possible. It’s not about “well said,” it’s about “well done.”
This issue of Pipeline explores the ins and outs of Customer Experience Management (CEM), from churn reduction to issue resolution to role models of customer loyalty. We examine how traditional OSS roles are changing in response to the challenges and opportunities presented by new customer expectations, and how systems upgrades can keep customers satisfied. We’ll also explore made-to-order Metro Ethernet and get acquainted with Accanto Systems in our Vendor Spotlight.
Enjoy, and let us know how we’re doing by dropping us a line at editor@pipelinepub.com.
Best,
Tim Young
Editor-in-Chief
