Thanks for the long post, but we're still talking past one another. I was trying (obviously not very successfully) to make the distinction between the act of collecting metrics, and their actual usage in business operations. For example, measuring customer satisfaction is wonderful but few surveys (even followup surveys) provide enough information for a manager to figure out the relationship between the satisfaction rating, and the actions the manager can take. A lot of companies tout their commitment to customer satisfaction. They've been reading too many books by the likes of Tom Peters. Of course satisfaction is important, but measuring it is tricky and it is not clear how CIS systems can help.
Regarding responsiveness, I used 'responsiveness' in the call center sense of the word. Can you tell me what will happen to profits if the Average Hold Time moves 5 seconds either way from 45 seconds? Are customers more likely to buy if I show them my hold time is 90 seconds, than 2 minutes? I very much doubt it. It's not clear that current implementations of CIS systems (problem tracking systems in particular) necessarily improve 'responsiveness'. They may improve the ability of others to take incoming calls, and provide better problem management capability, but improvements in responsiveness generally come about from process redesign, staffing, scheduling, and training.
You state the obvious about the profit implications of customer loyalty/retention. I don't know why that was necessary.
Regarding finances. We'll have to agree to disagree. Support and sales types (and sometimes even CEOs) are often enamored of the technology, and are usually unable to make a realistic business assessment of the implications of the technology purchase.
This may come as a shock to you, but I've spent a considerable amount of time on the 'front lines'. I tend to have a healthy skepticism of everything, that all. And no, I'm not an accountant. That would be Clam Clam. |
