CHICAGO, April 16, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- (Feature
Article) - The metaphor of the Emotional Bank Account
(EBA) is arguably one of the most pervasive concepts introduced in
Stephen Covey's groundbreaking book,
The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. According to Covey's
metaphor, every interpersonal relationship, whether with friends,
family members, co-workers or business partners, can be managed by
"accounting" for the health of the relationship. While the
"account" begins with a neutral balance, we continuously make
deposits and withdrawals as we interact. These deposits and
withdrawals influence trust which is the cornerstone of a healthy
relationship.
When we make emotional deposits into the EBA, trust grows, even
allowing us to occasionally make mistakes without "overdrawing" the
account. Too many withdrawals and a resulting low or "overdrawn"
EBA means that the relationship becomes fraught with mistrust and
contention. There are 6 key ways we make deposits into an EBA:
- Demonstrate Effort to Understand
- Keep Commitments
- Clarify Expectations
- Attend to the "Little Things"
- Demonstrate Personal Integrity
- Recognize, and Apologize Sincerely, When a Withdrawal is
Made
A few years ago, with the support of our trusted partner
SwitchGear Consulting, HGS examined how we could apply Covey's
principles within the contact center environment. The result was
the HGS Customer Experience Blueprint, which identifies, models,
and documents best practices when handling inbound customer service
calls. The result is higher resolution rates and a dramatic
transformation in customer satisfaction.
One of many examples where we make use of Stephen Covey's principles within the Customer
Experience Blueprint is in the context of giving a little before we
can ask of someone. For example, customer authentication and
verification is a step in many of our standard call flows that must
be performed before a customer service call can progress. However,
this necessary step in the process can be viewed negatively by the
customer, potentially setting the stage for conflict. According to
Covey's theory, we are withdrawing from the EBA by asking the
customer to verify that they are who they say they are, essentially
creating an atmosphere of mistrust. In this situation, before we
have even begun the transaction, we are starting the interaction in
arrears and working "against the current."
To minimize this "customer experience friction point," the
Customer Experience Blueprint addresses the "Top of the Call" by
immediately transferring control from the agent to the customer and
requires that our agents immediately make a deposit in the EBA at
the very beginning of the interaction. Agents begin by simply
asking the customer, "How are you today?" followed by asking
clarifying questions about the problem and restating to ensure, and
demonstrate, clarity (seeking first to understand). They then ask
permission to ask questions to support verification by asking
"Before we can solve your problem, may I ask you a few questions?"
The "Top of the Call" portion of the Customer Experience Blueprint
process also includes "sowing a seed" which means that agents may
communicate a potential upsell offer to a client, stating "Remind
me to discuss this with you after we resolve your problem." This
strategy creates interest, leaves control in the hands of the
customer, and allows customers to benefit from additional value
added offers that they may not have been aware of before they
called.
By implementing the Customer Experience Blueprint, HGS was able
to demonstrate immediate improvements, including:
- Higher call resolution rates
- More satisfied customers
- Fewer escalations
- Higher customer lifetime value
- Higher average revenue per call through upselling and cross
selling
- Lower average handle time
Covey's theories and their effective application in the contact
center environment remind us that contact center agents play a
crucial role in building the relationship between a brand and its
customers. A structured approach to developing soft skills to
enhance and strengthen this relationship is a key component of
building a customer-centric culture, increasing customer
loyalty and satisfaction.
About Hinduja Global Solutions (HGS):
A global leader in business process management (BPM) and
optimizing the customer experience lifecycle, HGS is helping make
its clients more competitive every day. HGS combines
technology-powered services in automation, analytics and digital
with domain expertise focusing on back office processing, contact
centers and HRO solutions to deliver transformational impact to
clients. Part of the multi-billion dollar conglomerate Hinduja
Group, HGS takes a true "globally local" approach, with over 46,000
employees across 69 delivery centers in seven countries making a
difference to some of the world's leading brands across nine key
verticals. For the year ended 31st March 2017, HGS had revenues of US $555 million.
Log in to https://www.teamhgs.com/ to know how we can help make
you more competitive.
HGS Media Contacts:
Andrew
Kokes
+1 888 747 7911
media@teamhgs.com
Eibhlin Faller
+ 1 312 995 4862
eibhlin.faller@mslgroup.com
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SOURCE Hinduja Global Solutions (HGS)