Reflection - Visualization in Customer Service

Challenge

I’m part of a continuous improvement department in a customer service company, the most common  approach used in this department to improve processes or solve problems is based on traditional  mechanisms such as Kaizen or Just Do It (JDI), where the first one intends to gather a group of experts  across the organization to solve upon unclear or unknown causes to a problem and the latter is used  whenever a problem’s cause is identified and can be easily fixed. A vast amount of contacts to the  customer service team refer to problems after a product is purchased due to malfunction or damaged  conditions when received; in order to solve this problem I put up together a project team composed of  customer service agents to analyze the problem, uncover root causes and find solutions. When defining  the problem and mapping the customer path, the team faced confusion and struggled to identify the  scenarios by following the steps taken from the customer’s order until they contacted, therefore I had to  find an alternative method to help them visualize the problem areas and the overall scenario causing a  bad customer experience.

Selection

Having an entire team not used to technical terms or process mapping standards, we decided to use  visualization as the tool to help us see a clear picture of the problem and the customer path and the  scenarios or possibilities around the shopping experience.

Application

In order to better apply the tool, we split the team in two: 1) Customer and 2) Company. The first group  was instructed to use drawings or doodles simulating a customer entering the shop and going through  the several phases of acquiring a product. The second group was instructed to do the same but from the  Company’s perspective on the interaction based on the customer’s needs. We collected a wide range of  materials to help us have a visual representation by using sticky note blocks, flipcharts, markers and  boards. Each group had their own board and selection of materials to draw and recreate through  drawings thigs like products, people, warehouses, trucks, etc. Then we would connect the pieces though  arrows in order to visualize the flow and have a clear path.

Insights

The team was able to visualize all the scenarios from the product selection until the purchased was  done, on the other hand we were able to visualize how the products were transported from warehouses  to the shop or in case of deliveries, the logistics to send a product to a customer’s location.  Amongst the  wide variety of drawings and actors represented, we were able to see beyond the customer service  phone scripts and gained knowledge of the products handling that was causing damaged items during  the transportation and also taking several steps back to the suppliers of the products that were  delivering damaged items straight from the factory. The customer service team not only gained

knowledge to better address the customer problems but also delivered the findings to the respective  units in order to establish control mechanisms to avoid damaging or accepting defective products.

Approach

This tool definitely made the difference not only to uncover root causes to problems but to the problem  definition itself. Having an idea of why the customers are contacting so much serves as the go to  indicator to have a look and dive into details, however those details are better perceived and  understood by visualizing them through drawings and maps. I would recommend this as a complement  to the problem/project defining phases of any process improvement or problem solving activity, instead  of gathering a team and forcing them to follow standard and often complex methodologies.


Reflection - Visualization in Customer Service Challenge I ’m part of a continuous improvement department in a customer service company , the most common approach used in this department to improve processes or solve problems is based on traditional mechanisms such as Kaizen or Just Do It ( JDI ) , where the first one intends to gather a group of experts across the organization to solve upon unclear or unknown causes to a problem and the latter is used whenever a problem ’s cause is identified and can be easily fixed . A vast amount of contacts to the customer service team refer to problems after a product is purchased due to malfunction or damaged conditions when received ; in order to solve this problem I put up together a project team composed of customer service agents to analyze the problem , uncover root causes and find solutions . When defining the problem and mapping the customer path , the team faced confusion and struggled to identify the scenarios by following the steps taken from the customer ’s order until they contacted , therefore I had to find an alternative method to help them visualize the problem areas and the overall scenario causing a bad customer experience . Selection Having an entire team not used to technical terms or process mapping standards , we decided to use visualization as the tool to help us see a clear picture of the problem and the customer path and the scenarios or possibilities around the shopping experience . Application In order to better apply the tool , we split the team in two : 1 ) Customer and 2 ) Company . The first group was instructed to use drawings or doodles simulating a customer entering the shop and going through the several phases of acquiring a product . The second group was instructed to do the same but from the Company ’s perspective on the interaction based on the customer ’s needs . We collected a wide range of materials to help us have a visual representation by using sticky note blocks , flipcharts , markers and boards . Each group had their own board and selection of materials to draw and recreate through drawings thigs like products , people , warehouses , trucks , etc . Then we would connect the pieces though arrows in order to visualize the flow and have a clear path . Insights The team was able to visualize all the scenarios from the product selection until the purchased was done , on the other hand we were able to visualize how the products were transported from warehouses to the shop or in case of deliveries , the logistics to send a product to a customer ’s location . Amongst the wide variety of drawings and actors represented , we were able to see beyond the customer service phone scripts and gained knowledge of the products handling that was causing damaged items during the transportation and also taking several steps back to the suppliers of the products that were delivering damaged items straight from the factory . The customer service team not only gained knowledge to better address the customer problems but also delivered the findings to the respective units in order to establish control mechanisms to avoid damaging or accepting defective products . Approach This tool definitely made the difference not only to uncover root causes to problems but to the problem definition itself . Having an idea of why the customers are contacting so much serves as the go to indicator to have a look and dive into details , however those details are better perceived and understood by visualizing them through drawings and maps . I would recommend this as a complement to the problem / project defining phases of any process improvement or problem solving activity , instead of gathering a team and forcing them to follow standard and often complex methodologies .