What Drives the SSPA Software Benchmark? (article 1 of 5)
by Service 800, Inc.

The last Benchmark Benefits article series focused on other types of benchmarks, including computer hardware, customer loyalty, and international benchmark programs. We offered some broad issues and concepts to consider when you benchmark internationally.

But how did the SSPA Software Benchmark come to be and who drives its criteria and success? The answer is simple. Companies, just like yours, initiated the program in 2000 and continue to foster the program today.

To give you a better understanding of the benchmark program, how it serves its participants, and how the SSPA and participants enhance the program each year, this is the start of a five-week series of articles including:

Software Benchmark Successes
> How Customers Benefit from Benchmarking Efforts
> The Mechanics of Service Performance Benchmarking
> Participants Power the SSPA Software Benchmark
> The 2004 Annual Benchmark User’s Group Meeting

SSPA Software Benchmark Successes

Measuring product satisfaction in most industries is considered critical. Measuring customer satisfaction for service delivery is just as important. The customer who consistently receives sub-par service and support isn’t likely to buy your product again.

If your company isn’t measuring customer satisfaction for service events, you’re missing out on these important benefits:

> Comparing performance results to similar service providers
> Maximizing your service potential by determining your strengths and weaknesses
> Reducing costs by designing targeted training programs for only those who need it, in the areas that are applicable
> Increasing sales by using the data as a tool to augment selling efforts
> Allocating resources and personnel where they’re most appropriate
> Motivating employees to focus on customer satisfaction by tying customer satisfaction results to bonuses and other incentives

To maximize your satisfaction measurement ROI, we highly recommended that you compare, or benchmark your performance against like service providers. Benchmarking can help you answer questions like:

1) How do we know if our service is comparable to our competitors?
2) How can we use customer feedback to maximize our service potential?
3) Can we reduce costs through customer satisfaction measurement and performance benchmarking?
4) Can our sales department use customer feedback to reinforce their efforts?
5) Will customer satisfaction feedback and benchmarking help us allocate resources more accurately?
6) Why do our employees want to tie customer satisfaction scores to their annual performance reviews?

Several SSPA ServiceMetric Benchmark participants have realized the full scope of benefits derived from service performance benchmarking.

Baseline industry standards – The SSPA Software Benchmark provides the information you need to understand how your service performance stands up to other service providers.

“Our participation in the SSPA Software Benchmark is an essential litmus test that enables us to compare our service and support to our competitors,” said Jeff Quast, quality programs manager at Lawson Software. “Without this type of comparison, we would lose valuable insight into our customers’ needs and could potentially lose market share.”

Maximize service potential – Feedback provided by the SSPA Software Benchmark helps you maximize your service delivery because you can focus on improving those areas that are weaker than your competitors’.

“Our organization touches 95% of the customer base. Making sure those customers are happy is essential to the growth and continued success of the company. Consistent, reliable customer satisfaction feedback helps us do just that, keep our customers happy,” said Vicki Carlson, director of call center services at Gelco.

Reduce costs – Reducing costs, without sacrificing performance, is an essential component of any world-class service organization. SSPA Software Benchmark participants are able to analyze industry data, determine how their service ranks, and apply resources to specific areas, as opposed to blindly guessing where improvements are needed.

“We have been able to gain efficiencies by analyzing data down to the technician-level, allowing us to provide targeted training to technicians,” added Carlson. “This is by far the most cost-effective approach because we are not removing technicians from the telephones for unnecessary training, and we are not spending training dollars where they are not needed.”

Increase sales – SSPA Software Benchmark data helps participants boost sales because their respective sales departments have the data to reinforce their service and support claims.

“This information is a powerful tool that helps us reinforce our service performance statements with our current and potential customer base,” said Jeri MacBride, manager of quality assurance within the Customer Service Center at Siemens Medical Solutions Health Services. “And of course, this translates into more loyal customers and stronger sales.”

Carlson also stated, “In this highly competitive market space, our sales people now have the proof to back up our claims that Gelco is a vendor-accountable company that truly partners with its customers to ensure their success.”

Properly allocate resources – SSPA Software Benchmark data can help you determine specific areas of service weakness, eliminating the need to blanket resources and dollars across the organization.

“Our Quality Assurance group is able to break down, analyze, and distribute the data to the region, branch, and technician levels, allowing us to create individual and group training programs designed to enhance customer service skills and maximize service performance,” said MacBride.

Motivate employees – Customer satisfaction measuring and performance benchmarking can be a powerful tool to motivate your employees. Helping your employees understand the benefits of satisfaction measurement can make the difference between program success and failure.

“Not only is customer satisfaction tied directly to the employee performance review, we recently added customer satisfaction by technician as a factor in determining our quarterly bonuses,” said Carlson. “These incentives, along with the skills enhancement programs, help us attract and retain the highest quality service and support professionals in the industry.”

Next Week — How Customers Benefit from Benchmarking Efforts

To Contact Us — To discuss this topic, any other Benchmark Benefits article, or to provide topic suggestions, please contact Jan DeMatteo at jan@service800.com.

For More Information — For additional information about the SSPA Software Benchmark, SERVICE 800, or other benchmark programs, visit www.service800.com/benchmarkprograms.asp.

About SERVICE 800 — Founded in 1989, SERVICE 800 designs and administrators real-time customer satisfaction measurement programs, helping service organizations follow up with their customers within hours or days of service events. The company utilizes a distinctive follow up telephone interview process along with e-mail, web, and other follow up techniques to measure customer satisfaction. With offices in Minneapolis and London, SERVICE 800 has been measuring customer satisfaction for corporations throughout the world for over a decade.