Customer Service Goals – What They Are & How To Set

A customer service department has the ultimate goal of satisfying customer needs. Since it is very broad, customer service goals are usually broken down into smaller goals that will contribute to the general objective.

The SMART Goal

To determine if the goal can be achieved, management can use the SMART guidelines in setting a target to be aimed. These criteria will allow allocating resources more efficiently in reaching the goal.

Specific – the goal should not be unclear and cannot be misunderstood.

Measurable – progress should be quantifiable while accomplishing the goal.

Achievable – it should not be impossible and can be done.

Realistic – the goal should a sense of reality.

Timely – this should create a sense of urgency by giving a timeline.

There are a lot of customer service goals, but the following are those that can be applied to the majority of industries. To make it tailor-fit for the company, remember to use the SMART guideline.

1. Better Customer Satisfaction Rate

It would be pleasing to any customer service department to see that customers are appreciating their work. Managers use the Customer Service Satisfaction Score (known as CSAT, which is given by customers) to know if they are doing a good job. There are a lot of factors to consider when improving satisfaction ratings, but the solution is always easy. Serving customers well within the given guidelines will produce better results.

Set a goal of increasing CSAT scores by focusing on the major concerns that customers face. That information should be available from the feedback included on the score forms.

2. Shorter Customer Waiting Time

Whether waiting for their turn in the store or through a contact channel, customers see waiting time as the same as ‘wasting time.’ Longer waiting times could leave a bad impression on customers.

Set a goal of having a shorter waiting time by pinpointing the customer interactions that take time. Start by revisiting the steps on different customer scenarios and see what takes too long on the customer being served.

3. Spend Less with Every Contact

Businesses spend money on customer service because it can be considered as an edge over their competitors. However, every customer that would need assistance has a corresponding cost in serving them. For example, banks use different kinds of forms that a client has to fill up depending on their concern. The said forms are most likely to be brought by the bank and have a price in utilizing them per customer.

Set a goal of reducing the amount spent with customers by assessing company processes that involve more spending. Check for alternative options that are cheaper without compromising on the quality of service.

4. Spotlight on Employee Happiness

Employees or agents face the company’s customers, therefore the business should also take care of them. Motivated employees perform better, feeling that the company has their back. If the company shows concern to their employees, they give it back by improving the way they serve customers.

Set a goal of improving employee happiness by conducting meetings and pep rallies, focusing on their concerns. Since most employees would feel threatened about voicing out their concerns in person, use feedback forms that encourage confidentiality. From all of the collected information, see what hinders employees from doing their best and formulate a goal to be achieved.

5. Encouraging Self-Help to Customers

Self-help is a great way to empower customers, giving them a feeling that they can solve issues on their own. Apart from that, it has less cost because customers do not need to visit or contact the company.

Set a goal by checking on what concerns can be done with releasing self-help instructions to customers. Increase awareness by using different platforms, such as a dedicated page from the company’s official website. Get more creative by doing it through social media.

6. Increase Interaction Through Social Media

A lot of businesses turn to social media because it allows them to be more creative in endorsements and interacting with customers. More likely, the followers are the company’s loyal fans. Besides, it is a great channel for feedback through comments and direct messaging.

Set a goal of getting more followers and interaction on social media by offering giveaways or promotions. Through these, existing followers can encourage others to ‘like’ or ‘follow’ the business’ official accounts. As mentioned, get more creative to capture more attention from potential customers.

7. Getting More Renewals and Upsells

There are customer service teams that may be asked to upsell or perform a sale to their customers. It helps the company create profit by seizing the opportunities that arise in serving customers. There are customer concerns that may need a product or service to be bundled without realizing them.

To give an example, an employee working for a video streaming company can offer their ‘family plan’ to a customer mentioning that he or she is sharing an account with someone.

Set a goal by getting more sales in the customer service department by looking at the different customer scenarios and see what services can be offered on each. This will create more sales by realizing to the customer their needs.

8. More Feedback

As mentioned many times in this article, customer feedback is necessary as it gives the company a perspective of how customers see the business. It is a great channel to know what should be improved and what should be maintained.

Set a goal by getting more feedback by making the forms easy to answer and offered to every customer after an interaction. In doing this, it will get more responses that can be used in setting the goal.

Customer service goals help reach not just the customer service department’s objectives, but the company targets as well. Since customers are considered the lifeline of any business, serving them better will lead to higher sales results. Therefore, once the goals have been set and reached, the business will continue to prosper.

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