The Most Critical Factor to Improving the Shared Services Customer Experience

Traditionally, managing your value proposition, delivering on metrics, and providing a pleasant customer experience was enough to help a shared services provider achieve meaningful success. But times are changing, and the customer experience is taking an outsized role in the success of shared services providers. In fact, Qualtrics’ 2024 Consumer Trends Report found that exceptional customer service was more likely to drive customer loyalty and satisfaction than low prices.

Unfortunately, many businesses skip gathering feedback on their customer experiences because it can be difficult to measure and doesn’t neatly fit into the measurable key performance indicators (KPIs) that drive many important business decisions.

So how can shared services providers increase their overall customer satisfaction?

1. Be more active and disciplined in measuring the customer experience. 

Did you know that 66% of customers won’t report a negative experience with a business? (Qualtrics, 3 Steps to Turn CX Insights into Business Impact) It might seem like a blessing when your Google reviews are spared a negative review, but being unaware of a negative experience provides no opportunity to rectify the situation. Gathering feedback and insight on your customer experience is an uphill battle, but one that must be addressed with intention and discipline if you are to garner input that allows your business to make strategic decisions in support of a more exceptional customer experience.

“How and where consumers make their voices heard is changing. We continue to see the long-term trend of consumers giving less feedback, making understanding consumer experience ever more complex.” (Qualtrics, 2024 Consumer Trends Report)

In addition to addressing the collection of customer experience data with intention, increasing the frequency of such measurements helps to establish data sets with which trends can be more easily identified. Shared services providers should seek out every opportunity to solicit feedback and create regular feedback loops through which customers can provide ongoing information regarding their experiences.

2. Spend the time building high-trust relationships with your customers.

One of the most critical factors to achieving shared services customer satisfaction is purposely connecting with customers in a way that builds trust and elevates your relationship from provider to partner. Building this relationship requires relentless awareness of the customers’ perceptions of your products and services, ongoing dedication to addressing challenges in real-time, and consistent communication with customers – even when it might be difficult.

3. Practice empathetic customer service and ask yourself the questions your customers might not be ready to ask you directly.

Building strong working relationships as a product or service provider requires the same focus and emotional investment as any valued partnership. Take the time to put yourself in your customers’ shoes and ask yourself the questions your clients might not be asking directly (but they want to know):

• Are you listening to what I have to say?
• Are you willing to spend time to clarify and confirm my thoughts, concerns, or issues so you can see things from my point of view?
• Do you care about what is important to me?  Are you sincerely interested in what I am feeling about the situation, and will you invest some of your energy in understanding my point of view?
• Will you partner with me to find a solution to my concern?
• Can you help me understand the “why” behind decisions, so I feel like we are in this together?

Clearly understanding your customers’ needs helps establish a trusted, transparent connection, which enables an open dialogue to find mutually beneficial solutions. Responsive and adaptive providers create a culture of empowered team members that understand the importance of customer satisfaction as a critical component for the customer experience. These successful teams think proactively and react promptly to customer interaction opportunities.

4. Create an internal culture of dedication to delivering exceptional customer experiences.

One person can create a single exceptional customer experience, but they can’t sustain it. If you want to establish sustainable, exceptional delivery that drives high customer satisfaction, it is critical to foster a culture of passion for customer service amongst all members of your organization. Establishing this shared passion will transcend continuously changing customer and market preferences in concert with a dynamic service and delivery environment. Creating a customer experience based on insights and relationships that shape perceptions while meeting customers’ needs is the definition of a sustainable win-win.

By more actively measuring the customer experience, developing high-trust relationships, practicing empathetic customer service, and creating an internal culture of exceptional customer experiences, shared services providers can transcend the traditional customer/provider relationship to develop long-term, sustainable bonds. If you would like to learn more about building a foundation from which human capital can execute a shared services capability or how to create a cultural foundation that enables people to deliver quality shared services, contact The Clearing’s CX consultants.