What Drives the SSPA Software Benchmark? (article 2 of 5)
by Service 800, Inc.

The five-week series includes the following articles:

> SSPA Software Benchmark Participant Success
> 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

How Customers Benefit from Benchmarking Efforts

After all this talk of service satisfaction measurement and performance benchmarking, we have yet to discuss how your customers benefit. Who really influences the benchmark criteria? What benchmark data should you share with customers?

Benchmark criteria and the customer factor
Customers influence the benchmark participants who, in turn, drive industry standards. We’ll get into the details as to how benchmark participants can determine and modify the program criteria later in this series.

A little more than a decade ago, the software industry saw the emergence of the after-business-hours technical support contract. Then after-business-hours and weekend-resolution contracts were put into play. Finally, customers began to expect software support to be available 24X7. These support efforts are commonplace in industries such as medicine, stock trading, and utilities – industries that simply can’t afford downtime. The customer needs and expectations changed the industry and the standards for the industry.

Customer benefits
Service performance benchmarks are, by nature, a product of your customers and those customers are the ones that should reap the benefits. Participants in benchmark programs gain a clear understanding of evolving customer requirements and can proactively and quickly address customer needs as they change. Ultimately, customers benefit the most from the improved services.

If your company participates in the SSPA Software Benchmark, you can monitor your service performance against industry averages. Say your response time score is 4 (on a 5-point scale) but the industry average is 4.5. The benchmark data can help you determine the nature of the problem whether the cause is confusing phone menus, one or two first line call groups, or possibly not enough phone technicians to meet demand. Whatever the reason, the benchmark data empowers you to make the necessary changes to elevate your level of customer service. Once you do so, your customers will show their appreciation by ranking your response time accordingly.

Sharing data with customers
Company-specific benchmark data is confidential to the respective participants. Benchmarking is all about aggregate industry scores and you can, and should, share that information with your customers appropriately. Exercise caution if your performance scores are below industry averages.

For example, Giant Customer, Inc. constantly complains about your response times. However, the industry benchmark shows that your company performs well above industry averages for response time and other customers aren’t complaining.

In this situation, you could use benchmark data to explain that your response times are exceptional and offer to find the real source of the problem. You speak with the Giant Customer’s IT manager and discover that the IT group initially routes issues through the account representative before calling technical support. That makes response times seem much longer than if the IT group were to call tech support first. Both companies adjust their documented support processes and Giant Customer, Inc. is now happy.

You should also take advantage of customer hot sheets, sometimes generated during the follow-up interview process. Using a hot sheet, an interviewer can immediately notify you if a customer isn’t happy or if their issue isn’t resolved.

For example, during the follow-up process, the interviewer comes across a customer that is livid because their reports still won’t print properly. The interviewer carefully listens to the customer, documents the comments, and alerts your company immediately. The technical support manager intercepts the hot sheet and escalates the issue. A level two technician contacts the customer and runs some diagnostics, only to discover an incorrect software configuration. The technician guides and customer through the change and the issue is resolved before the customer turns its back on your company.

During the service follow-up process, some customers even express their gratitude for a job well done. Interviewers also capture this information. Sharing this feedback (if the outcome was good) with the customer during contract renewals might work to your advantage. This approach allows the customer to see the extra value your company provides, and the service follow-up process itself shows the customer that you care about their business.

Next Week — “The Mechanics of Service Performance Benchmarking”

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.