Operations: Increase Sales, Improve Efficiency With a Benchmarking Strategy

Benchmarking can be used throughout your organization to answer questions about the effectiveness of new initiatives. If you’re skeptical of how benchmarking can deliver results, consider these two questions and how benchmarking can provide answers. Once you’ve tried these tactics, you’ll find that benchmarking elsewhere within your company can provide consistent strategies for achieving growth and profitability.

Will better service increase customer value?

Choose 2,000 of your best customers and separate them with an AB split. Flag the A customers in your order management system as “platinum.” At every contact point these names should be identified as your best customers. Customer service reps (CSRs) should see this status indicator whenever they access a customer’s account. Packing lists also should identify them. Tell everyone in your organization you’re focusing on improving relations with these platinum customers.

Once your team knows how to identify the platinum customers in your system, remind them about your focus every week and ask for feedback. Continue marketing as usual. Monitor sales for each of the two segments for a 12-week period. You’ll find that A customers have a greater value than B customers. You now have information to quantify service enhancements.

Will improving the work environment increase productivity?

Choose an area of your company where workload is nearing or exceeding capacity. For example, if you’re considering adding more CSRs, look at your contact center. Meet with the CSRs and explain that you’re developing a plan to improve their work environment. Ask them to document their challenges and make any suggestions for improvement. Tell them you’ll monitor everyone’s workload and post the results.

Continue monitoring for a 12-week period. Each week choose an improvement suggestion and implement it. You’ll find that productivity and morale increase.

Contact Ellis at (828) 626-3756 or via her Web site: http://www.wilsonellisconsulting.com.