- Ensuring that you're getting the necessary resources
is an important part of enabling customer service
to produce the value it can and should.
Here, we'll define what a budget really is
and identify seven principles,
and let's call them secrets
because many don't tap into them,
seven secrets to getting the best results
in the budgeting process.
A budget is simply a summary of proposed or agreed-upon
expenditures for a given period of time,
for specified purposes.
Now that sounds tame enough, right?
But the process of putting together a budget
is seen by many as tedious, time consuming
and some say even distracting from more important
leadership responsibilities.
Don't forget, however, the outcome of this
much-maligned process is the funding you'll have
to accomplish he mission and potential of customer service.
And that leads to the first principle,
view the budget as an opportunity.
Those who picture rows and columns of figures
when they think budget, kind of miss the point.
It's really a communication and a process
that represents a great opportunity to learn
about the business and make decisions
that are a win for everyone.
Second, remember to focus on results.
Serving 200 or 2,000,000 customers, or keeping
wait times within targets, those are only means to an end.
Great customer experiences have real impact
on business results, customer satisfaction, profitability,
market share, positive word of mouth and others.
These are things that really matter.
Third, ensure that budgeting is an extension
of resource planning.
Planning activities such as forecasting, scheduling
and cost analysis are ongoing.
They should take much of the work
out of the budgeting process because the budget
should ultimately be based on the same workload predictions.
My recommendation is to not create too disparate sets
of planning activities.
Next, look for opportunities to maximize
cross-functional resources.
Often, an organization's overall results
can be improved by investing more in one area
into the benefit of others.
For example, your marketing team might be willing
to provide budget to capture and analyze information
on consumer trends and expectations.
Legal departments are increasingly helping make the case
for customer relationship tools
that improve tracking and consistency.
Fifth, ensure the budgeting process is completely honest.
Be realistic and candid about where customer service
has been meeting objectives
and where you're missing the mark.
Putting service in the best possible light
can actually undermine success.
One example is averaging performance over a long period
of time, despite chronically running into trouble
during key days or hours.
Masking resource deficiencies can undermine your ability
to get the resources you really need.
Sixth, highlight investment opportunities.
As leaders, we have the responsibility to identify
potential high-leverage investments in sensible areas
such as promising technologies, training
and coaching initiatives and others.
The key is to focus on those areas that will yield
a healthy return on investment and keep us ahead
of customer expectations.
Seventh, make it human.
Sprinkle the conversation with real examples.
Sara Johnson, a small business owner in Seattle
and a four-year client, was one of our customers
we helped last quarter.
She's concerned with the policy that, and so forth.
These examples can help bring discussions to life.
The budgeting process is a great opportunity
to better understand the role and value
of customer service.
And with any luck, you might even turn an obligation
that few leaders enjoy into a positive
and enlightening discussion that you
and others actually look forward to.