Results from new CSBA benchmark study reveal what you can do
Excellent customer service in aged care not only makes customers feel valued and builds trust but also boosts staff morale and enhances operational efficiency. By focusing on delivering exceptional service, providers can foster a positive work environment, reduce turnover and streamline processes, leading to improved overall performance and a more person-centred approach.
To understand how aged care providers can deliver great customer experiences, CSBA assessed the telephone service quality of eight providers in a benchmark study, comparing them to over 240 organisations from a range of sectors.
Trained assessors used CSBA’s SenseCX framework to evaluate 31 key agent behaviours expected to be demonstrate by customer service staff during telephone interactions.
The results show that while providers perform well overall, key areas needing attention relate to making interactions even easier for customers; how the experience made the customer feel; and whether the customer achieved their goals.
In this article, CSBA have complied the four specific areas where telephone service in aged care falls short and the strategies your customer service teams can apply to enhance the quality of service delivered to customers.
Building strong rapport
Customer satisfaction is driven by positive and personalised interactions. Addressing customers by name adds a personal touch, showing respect and courtesy. While some may prefer brief exchanges, building rapport can greatly enhance the overall experience.
Steps providers can take:
- Simple yet effective ways for staff to personalise interactions include asking for the customer’s name and using it during the interaction.
- Building rapport might include making conversation with customers, referencing past interactions or sharing a personal experience.
Helping customers achieve their objectives
CSBA’s findings show aged care staff sometimes fail to demonstrate ownership in resolving issues, which leaves customers feeling unsure if they’ve reached the right person.
It’s crucial for staff to clearly show their commitment to resolving queries, ensuring customers feel supported. Steps providers can take:
- Asking “How may I help you?” isn’t enough to show ownership. Phrases like “I’ll handle that for you right now” convey the commitment and immediacy that build customer confidence and trust.
- Aged care staff should use clear, confident terms like “help”, “assist” and “fix” along with immediacy terms like “now” and “immediately”.
Clarifying customer needs
Aged care staff often fail to ask effective questions to uncover customers’ specific needs, leading to repeated contact and frustration.
Steps providers can take:
- Skillful questioning helps staff understand customer issues better and provide tailored solutions. Using both open- ended and closed questions improves understanding and shows commitment.
- Open-ended questions, like “Can you describe the issue in detail for me?” help gather insightful information. Follow-up probes such as “How has this affected your daily routine?” uncover deeper understanding into the customer’s situation.
Managing expectations
Customers have varied expectations, and while staff may not always be able to meet them, they can manage them effectively. CSBA’s research shows a notable gap in staff setting appropriate expectations for customers.
Steps providers can take:
- Clear communication is crucial for managing customer expectations. Staff should outline steps and timelines for resolution, addressing uncertainties directly and explaining them when timelines are unclear.
- Honesty and transparency are key in customer service. Staff should clearly communicate what can and cannot be done, collaborating with other departments and providing regular updates on resources. This approach builds trust with customers.
A roadmap for driving customer service excellence
Embedding positive behaviours in customer service staff can greatly boost customer engagement and satisfaction. Based on CSBA’s experience, a holistic approach – combining targeted training, ongoing monitoring and regular feedback – delivers the best outcomes.
To keep improving your customer service experience, ensure you take the following steps.
- Design targeted training programs. Equip staff with skills to enhance interactions and create positive experiences, incorporating realistic practice scenarios.
- Collect customer feedback. Regularly gather and analyse feedback to identify trends, address issues and share insights with teams, ensuring surveys reflect customer priorities.
- Implement regular feedback and support. Use quality assurance frameworks to assess performance, view feedback as part of development and recognise outstanding service.
- Embed signature behaviours in quality assurance processes. Update customer service quality assurance processes to evaluate desirable behaviours, with a detailed framework and trained evaluators to assess advanced practices.
By focusing on these strategies, aged care providers can more effectively bridge existing service gaps, elevate customer satisfaction levels and position themselves as leaders in delivering exceptional customer experiences.
As published in the Summer Edition of Aged Care Today magazine.
