Setting Realistic Customer Service Goals for the New Year

At the beginning of a new year, it can be tempting to set some pretty lofty goals for your business, including your customer service team. Studies have shown that the best, most achievable goals are also realistic ones.

Here’s how you can set better, more achievable goals for your customer service team in the New Year.

Think SMART

The acronym SMART is often used when talking about setting goals. This stands for ‘specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, time-based’ goals. These types of goals help you define exactly what it is you want to achieve in a realistic and manageable time frame. Ask yourself if each of your goals meets the criteria in the acronym–are they specific enough, actually achievable, and will they benefit your business as well as your customers?

Involve your customer service team

Trying to achieve goals that someone else has set for you can often be frustrating, especially if you had zero input in the goal-setting process. When it comes to setting customer service goals, ownership breeds accountability, so get your customer service team directly involved in the process. Sit down with them and brainstorm to see what goals they’d like to achieve in the coming year and watch them work to make it happen.

Revisit and revise

Flexibility is important when it comes to goals. You should review your goals throughout the year to make sure they’re still relevant and revise them, if necessary. Some goals will be met easily and others may not actually even be achievable, but you won’t know which is which unless you keep track of how your team is doing throughout the year.

Seek out feedback

When your goals directly impact your customers, it’s important to gauge how they feel about it. Reach out to your customers throughout the year to see if working towards your new goals is having a positive or negative impact on your customers. If the answer is positive, that’s great. It’s good motivation to keep working towards the completion of that goal. But if it’s a negative response, you may need to revise your plan.

Answer 365 offers services to help you better meet your customer service goals all year long. For more information, call today and speak to a friendly, knowledgeable representative.