Nothing is more constant than change. A change in management, adjustments to the corporate strategy or changes in the market - there are plenty of reasons for restructuring an organization. This also applies to customer service. The digitalization of processes and applications in particular is currently generating increased pressure to change. But why not take the bull by the horns and initiate changes with the aim of improving service and getting closer to the customer? After all, studies repeatedly show how important the brand or customer experience is for a company's profile.
Integration of employees is crucial for success
Involving as many employees as possible in the change processes is crucial for the success of such transformation projects. This is because this normal distribution always occurs in such processes:
- 25 percent of a company's employees actively shape the change,
- 50 percent are waiting, while
- the remaining quarter are skeptical to negative.
This is no different for employees in customer service. If the change process is to be successful, you need to focus on these three groups and change the proportions in such a way that as many as possible have a positive attitude towards the process.
Successful change management sets priorities
Change management strategies should therefore focus on the following:
- Transparency creates trust and reduces resistance. Employees need to know the goals of the transformation, as well as the reasons that motivate the change process. Clear communication on the part of managers is therefore key to successfully integrating employees into the change process.
- Employees who are involved in the company's change process are more willing to accept change and actively participate in its implementation. The responsibility for the success of the transformation should therefore not remain entirely with management. Employees should also take on at least part of it.
- Change processes can lead to staff knowledge and skills becoming outdated. Providing education and training is therefore key to the success of a transformation.
- Every change in a company's structures and processes destroys old habits - or at least is perceived to do so. This usually causes stress and provokes resistance. In such situations, it is important that managers support their teams in overcoming the challenge and actively motivate them.
- This leads to my last point: recognition and reward. Employees who actively participate in change processes should be recognized and rewarded. This also increases motivation in the two groups that are still passive to skeptical about the process.
How to design transformation processes with the involvement of your employees
When developing a change management strategy for customer service that takes all measures into account, you can use these eight steps as a guide.
1. Communicate the purpose of the transformation.
It is important that employees understand the purpose of the change. What should the end result be? Greater customer proximity? Better processes? Or less use of resources? It may be necessary to dispel the suspicion that the real aim behind the change process is to reduce the workforce. In my opinion, management should also always work out how urgent the upcoming transformation process is and clarify the consequences of inaction. This communication should not only take place once, but repeatedly and accompany all phases of the change process.
2. Involve employees in the management team.
The actual management team includes the people who shape and are responsible for the change process. However, it is important to also identify stakeholders outside the core team and involve them in the design processes - for example via advisory functions or as part of steering committees. This allows the views and ideas of employees to flow into the decision-making process - and gives them a sense of control.
For larger projects, it is therefore advisable to at least appoint employees from day-to-day practice to manage sub-projects. Of course, it helps if you have already identified those people in advance who have the potential to become change leaders.
3. Describe a vision of the target state.
The vision should go beyond the actual change objective and describe the target state of customer service: What will really be better once the change has been implemented? And what results should customers and employees benefit from in the end? If you develop this vision with your service employees in a workshop, they will identify with it from the outset - especially if you find a catchy name for it, such as "Customer 2030".
4. Celebrate early successes.
Recognition and rewards promote employee motivation. They also contribute to the development of a positive attitude towards the changes. Therefore, if you place some "quick wins" at the beginning of the process and celebrate these milestones when they are reached, you can only win. For example, a pinboard on which employees themselves document customer statements has proven to be a good idea. After all, the best feedback often comes directly from customers, especially in customer-facing areas. Recording, collecting and sharing this feedback is as simple as it is effective.
5. Upskill your service staff.
In my opinion, one of the most important measures of change management is to create an environment that encourages employees to embrace structural and procedural changes. Above all, this means training them so that they can work successfully in the new environment: it is best if such training does not just impart specialist knowledge. Ideally, you should also enable your employees to work on the actual transformation process by teaching them moderation techniques, design thinking or agile methods, for example. Not all employees need to be trained immediately. For digitalization processes in particular, it is a good idea to select a champion for the new system from among the employees and train this person accordingly.
6. Keep your employees up to date.
Every change process includes a communication plan that establishes and regulates the communication channels, among other things. This should also include a channel for feedback from staff. Regular updates and feedback sessions help to avoid misunderstandings and gain the trust of the workforce. It is also a good idea to offer certain formats remotely. After all, time is often short in customer service and employees work at different times anyway.
7. Strengthen the change process.
In every change process, there comes a moment when things get stuck or obstacles arise that jeopardize the process. At these points, you need to act offensively: send a clear signal that the change is wanted and initiate transparent steps that further strengthen the change. This will get the process back on track, but above all it will make it clear that you are not willing to simply back down. And the same applies here: managers should always stand behind their employees when things aren't going so well and encourage them with positive feedback.
8. Anchor the change in your corporate culture.
Once the process has reached its target state, the project is not yet complete: Whenever possible, you should anchor what you have achieved culturally. A simple method for this is the use of artifacts, which constantly remind people of the project result. Such an artifact can be anything: a meeting format, a specific form or even a term that is present in everyday life.
For example, if the process is intended to improve customer orientation, it can be helpful to start each team meeting with a customer topic. This allows the change results to seep into the customer service culture and ultimately become part of it.
Conclusion: Involvement requires communication, accountability and training
The success of a change process is largely determined by the extent to which stakeholders are involved in this process. After all, in order to implement transformations,
- it is important to keep the avant-garde, which is already actively involved in the process, on board,
- the silent majority, who have not yet decided to participate and
- at least reduce fears and resistance among those employees who do not want to participate.
Change management strategies should therefore focus on three areas:
- Communication: communicating transformation goals, celebrating milestones and creating transparency about the status quo - in all phases of the process.
- Responsibility: Assign responsibility for sub-projects to employees and other stakeholders.
- Training: Offer training and courses that enable employees to perform within the renewed structures and processes.
