Celebrating CX Day: Customer Service Agents Driving Success

The late Maya Angelou famously said, “I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” For many of us, this resonates when we think back to a time someone — whether it was a friend, family member, colleague or customer service representative — went above and beyond to help you out. How did they make you feel?

For those working in customer service, creating positive, memorable experiences is an everyday endeavor. But often, those in the customer experience industry don’t get the recognition they deserve.

So we wanted to take this opportunity to celebrate our customers for driving success through exceptional customer experience. After all, a recent study shows that 70% of consumers worldwide believe a company is only as good as its customer service. In honor of CX Day this year, we asked some of our most engaged Genesys Customer Advocacy Program (GCAP) members how they view the changing customer experience landscape as we get a unique glimpse into their daily lives.

What does a typical day look like for you?

Beth: The basics are to wake up and thank God for another day to see my family. I work from home, so it is a plan of what needs to be done as far as preparing for my workday, clocking in, logging into Genesys Cloud and then saving the world. Kind of like a superhero is what my kids say. And I agree.

What matters most to you when creating an empathetic customer experience?

Beth: When creating empathy for my customers, I see this as a time to listen and communicate effectively; get to the source of this issue while, at the same time, letting them know that I know how frustrating this must be for them at this time.

And then I get to the root of the issue in order to find the correct solution to help and get this resolved.

But my main focus is always on them as an individual — not as just a customer. I am their advocate when they have exhausted all of their resources to help them get what is necessary.

How do you see the customer service agent role changing over the next five years?

Beth: I see the agent role soaring to new heights and with the advancement of technology. The first technology will be the devices that will keep us connected. No more dropped calls while in the middle of a conversation.

Another is a faster and more innovative application to process customer data quicker. Being able to access this data quicker will reduce confusion and faster solutions can be found.

I ultimately envision a world where we, as customer service representatives, can provide a smooth and easy situation for all customers. Can’t wait to see what comes next.

What does a typical day look like for you?

Sam: I am currently undergoing my second Genesys Cloud migration from Genesys PureConnect, so a typical day at the moment is planning and implementing these changes. This should go on for a few more months and then I will be looking more closely at how we can improve and introduce more features and efficiencies.

What matters most to you when creating an empathetic customer experience?

Sam: I try to go into my planning and design sessions with the customer at the forefront of my mind. I want to ensure the customer can be connected with an agent as quickly and painlessly as possible so the agent will have a happier customer that has not been lost in an IVR.

How do you see the customer service agent role changing over the next five years?

Sam: I think with the ability to integrate Genesys Cloud with so many other systems means the agent role will become far more efficient and be more of a “one stop shop” in terms of having the information at their fingertips — without having to search through a few systems to handle each interaction.

Where does self-service fit into this?

Sam: We haven’t done much in this space yet, but it is definitely on our radar. If we can quickly give the customer what they are looking for — and not take up an agent’s time — then that is a win-win from all sides.

What does a typical day look like for you?

José: In terms of my job, I am always looking to reach our goal with service that we provide at the contact center. I look for areas of improvement, and when I find one I look for a way to fix the problem or find a better way of doing things. I develop strategies, work plans, improvements in PR dialogs with customers and I’m in charge of the PMO.

What matters most to you when creating an empathetic customer experience?

José: One of my primary goals is to keep our customers for life, so giving them a great experience is really important. I first need to understand what the customer wants and listen to them in order to find a way to give a better service. For example, if the customer wants to pay a past due invoice, we advise them of the best channels to use, the due date, the amount due, etc.

How do you see the customer service agent role changing over the next five years?

José: With the use of AI [artificial intelligence] the agents are going to have a role of more expertise, solving more difficult tasks using AI and their own experience — always providing that human touch that we want to give and feel.

Where does self-service fit into this?

José: Self-service is important to have for customers, mostly for things that we want to do fast and are easy to solve. However, there are some tasks that are more difficult. For that, we will need some help from an agent. We have a chatbot to solve the easier tasks, such as asking for directions, their statement, some specifics of the products and online payment inquiries.

Recognizing Great Customer Service Everyday

This was just a quick glimpse into how three Genesys customers are combining human skills with our technology to provide efficient, empathetic customer experiences.

What does a typical day look like for your customer support teams? We want to hear from you. To share your insights — or to learn how to enroll in GCAP, please visit our website.