Setting personal goals is like charting a course for your life and so it is the same with setting customer service goals for your business. Whether they’re short or long-term objectives, personal or business-orientated, goals serve as your compass. Goals direct your actions, shape your decisions, and propel you toward your desired destination. Along with the compass, you need a map, and a way to measure your progress. Setting customer service goals for your business is a fundamental catalyst for growth, achievement, and fulfilment.
Here’s why you need to set customer service goals to start the New Year:
Clarity
Customer service goals provide clarity and require you to be introspective and identify variables. You will develop a better understanding of your business, even though it may involve asking some tough questions. When you set a goal, you define the current status and what you want to achieve, so it needs to be within a specific framework of actions.
Mapping what an average customer service journey looks like helps establish these touchpoints and processes. Outline the key moments of customer interaction for your business and identify the key stakeholders and communication channels. This will help in understanding the customer experience and identifying the benchmarks at every touchpoint.
Motivation and Momentum
Goals are powerful motivators. They ignite the spark of inspiration and drive necessary for progress. The act of setting a goal creates a sense of purpose, infusing your actions with meaning. As you make progress towards your goal, the momentum builds, propelling you further along your path and inspires those around you. This motivation and momentum will follow through to customer service training.
Measure of Progress
Goals provide a tangible way to measure your advancement and growth. By breaking down larger aspirations into smaller, manageable tasks along your customer service map, you create stepping stones towards achievement. These milestones not only track your progress but also offer a sense of accomplishment for you and your team.
As with any measurement, a baseline is necessary to track your progress. You need to know the beginning point in order to measure success. A person wanting to lose weight would weigh themselves at the start and at regular intervals to monitor progress. So it is with tracking customer service goals: you establish a baseline through sales, repeat business, reviews, and a mystery shopping survey. You then move through customer service benchmarks, continuing to measure along the way.
Direction and Purpose
Goals provide direction in life and business. They offer a sense of purpose and drive you forward, preventing aimless wandering or stagnation. Whether in personal or professional realms, setting goals helps align your actions with your aspirations, steering you towards more fulfilling interactions and growth. It also provides a clear purpose for other stakeholders, including existing and new employees.
Overcoming Obstacles
Setting goals prepares you to face challenges head-on. It equips you with determination and resilience, transforming obstacles into opportunities for growth. For example, one of your goals could be to improve your customer Google Reviews. That doesn’t mean every review will be 5 stars, but your customer service map should include how to respond in a positive way. In fact, responding to each Google Review may even be one of your goals. When setbacks occur, a clear goal can provide the motivation needed to navigate difficulties.
Celebrating Success
Arguably the most important part of setting goals is in the achievement of those goals. The celebration of achieving customer service goals can be easily shared because of its collective nature. After all, this is a group effort and the spoils should be enjoyed by the team and your customers. Therefore, it’s important to share your successes, communicate them widely, and identify the key people involved. You may wish to send certificates of recognition, give shout outs to stand-out employees, or even award bonuses to those who excel.
Whether you’re aiming for personal development or business enrichment and growth, the process of setting and pursuing goals is transformative and ongoing; it’s about taking control and moving towards where you want to be. A great way to start this process is to think SMART:
- Specific: Clearly define what you want to achieve
- Measurable: establish a baseline and create a map of each benchmark
- Attainable: Set realistic yet challenging goals
- Relevant: Ensure your goals align with your values and aspirations
- Time-bound: Set a timeframe to create a sense of urgency
In essence, setting goals is not merely a task; it’s a mindset that fosters growth, resilience, and achievement. Embrace the power of setting customer service goals for your business. Start today, create your customer service map, and set your compass. Remember, goals are not set in stone; they can evolve as you achieve each one and benchmarks can be adjusted. Here’s a list of some suggested short and long-term goals for your business.
If you would like to learn more about how Above Benchmark can help your business with setting and achieving goals, be sure to read this article about the benefits of a Mystery Shopping survey and contact us for a no-obligation chat.
