Customer service management (CSM): Definition, examples, benefits

Whether you’re a global enterprise or a scrappy startup, how you handle customer service and support matters.
A LOT.
Without satisfied, happy customers, your business can’t succeed.

But as your company grows, maintaining consistently excellent service experiences can get tricky. This is where customer service management helps.

Definition: What is customer service management (CSM)?

Customer service management, or CSM, is defined as the way a company organizes its customer service operations to ensure customers consistently have a great experience. This includes everything from training the customer-facing teams, to optimizing processes for faster and better service delivery, and consistently measuring the performance of the customer service team in providing excellent service. It’s all about making customers happy and loyal, encouraging them to remain repeat customers for the company’s products or services.

Great customer service experiences can boost sales by 20% or more, but bad ones send customers packing fast. According to PwC, 32% of consumers will stop doing business with a brand after just one bad experience.

Brands need to focus on quality and consistency when it comes to service.

Why is customer service management important?

CSM isn’t just a set of tasks; it’s a strategic approach that influences customer perceptions, loyalty, and the overall success of a company.

Here’s why customer service management is a key business driver:

• Drives customer loyalty:  CSM is the frontline of customer interactions, acting as the critical link between a business and its customers. It’s not just about resolving issues, but rather it’s about creating an experience. A positive interaction with customer service can significantly boost customer loyalty. In contrast, a single negative experience can mean losing customers to the competition.
• Shapes brand perception: Your customer service teams embody your brand’s voice and values through every interaction. The manner in which service teams handle queries, resolve problems, and their overall attitude shape the perception of your company’s brand in the customer’s mind. A consistent customer service management process that delivers excellent service helps build a strong and positive brand image and reputation, which can turn customers into advocates.
• Refine products and services: Customer service is a great source of customer feedback. CSM provides a structured way for companies to capture, analyze, and act on this feedback. They can then use this information to improve their products and services or develop new ones. It ensures that businesses align with customer needs.
• Stand out in the “sea of sameness:” In a market where products and prices are often similar, customer service can be a key differentiator. Businesses that excel in CSM set themselves apart in a crowded marketplace. It’s not just about the product anymore; it’s about the experience surrounding it.
• Streamline operations for business growth and profitability: Efficient customer service management improves operational performance and reduces response times to boost service quality. This cuts costs, but also increases customer satisfaction, which improves service team morale and productivity. Satisfied customers are more likely to become repeat buyers, driving business growth and profitability. Bottom line: streamlined operations act as a catalyst for both internal efficiency and external revenue generation.
• Protect the brand: In the digital age, one service misstep can escalate quickly and go viral through social media and other digital platforms, potentially damaging brand reputation. Effective CSM serves as a safeguard, providing the tools and protocols necessary to swiftly address and neutralize these risks. It’s more than damage control—it’s about insulating your brand in a landscape where consumer perceptions can change with a single click.

Managing high-quality customer service

Managing a company’s customer service operation means you’re on the hook to deliver high-quality customer service.

And that means:

1. Fast response times
2. Reliable, informative solutions
3. Convenient, omnichannel availability (i.e. call center, chatbots, social media, and self-service)
4. Friendly and personable interactions

The goal is to make the customer’s experience as smooth + painless as possible. You’ll quickly lose them if service falls short of expectations.

So what is the process for customer service management that keeps customers happy and loyal? Here are the fundamentals:

1. Understand your customer
2. Enable your service staff
3. Implement dynamic customer service solutions
4. Track performance and adapt as needed
5. Continuious improvement

An effective customer service management strategy provides a framework for each of these elements. It’s your guidebook for delivering outstanding customer service, whether you’re a team of two or 20,000.

Examples of customer service management: Tech transformation

Technology is constantly changing how business is done – and that includes customer service.

Following are just a few examples of how technology innovations have changed the customer service game:

1. Helping organizations better understand their customers via data
2. Empowering service agents with AI and machine learning
3. Automating digital-first processes to deliver sterling service anytime, from anywhere

Use data to understand your customers

Customer data and CRM solutions have made it easier than ever to get to know your customers on an individual level. Businesses can use customer data from across the company to build rich customer profiles. This helps align your sales, service, and other customer-facing teams, which has a huge impact on your CX.

And the profiles, complete with past purchases and interactions, give service agents valuable context. It helps them get up-to-speed quickly, and personalize the experience for each individual customer. Customers get answers right away and aren’t frustrated having to explain their situation or problem to multiple agents.

Free up your reps with AI and machine leaning

A survey by Deloitte showed that 79% of contact center leaders plan to invest in greater AI capabilities by 2023. It’s no surprise – advances in AI and machine learning, such as natural language processing, enable fast, effective, and personalized service.

These innovations don’t replace your customer service agents – they help them.

For example, chatbots and voice menus quickly resolve simple issues, or direct customers to the right place. This helps minimize customers’ dreaded hold times, and frees your people up to handle more complex service requests.

Plus, AI solutions can spot notice trends and patterns that people don’t notice. You can use them to monitor your experience data and flag potential issues so you can get ahead of them.

Deliver quality service from anywhere, anytime

We live in a digital-first, remote world right now. Thankfully, cloud solutions and automated processes allow you to deliver great customer service 24/7, from anywhere. Automated emails, chatbots, and self-service solutions provide customers with helpful resources even during your off-hours.

More and more IoT connected devices can be monitored remotely, tracking real-time information (like usage and wear). This makes on-site service schedules more accurate, saving time, energy, and money.

The future of customer service: The best of humans and machines

The future of customer service uses the best of humanity and machines by combining the strengths of AI and reps to deliver amazing service.

Good service is good business

When it comes to customer service, failing to plan is planning to fail. Customers expect a lot from their service interactions, and the success of your business is riding on your ability to deliver.

Dedicated customer service management helps you stay the course. By delivering consistent, high-quality service that drives loyalty, you can grow your business for years to come.