One of the growing concerns of businesses in hard times is how to downsize but improve customer experience. Recent news of Sprint’s employee lay-offs and closing of customer call centers will require unique solutions for a company that prides itself on customer experience.
Recent article in Technology Week, talks about how Sprint’s decrease in customers is causing the company to close call centers. In the same article, Sprint’s CEO Dan Hesse is quoted on how the company is focusing more on customer experience. It’s hard line to walk if the number of dedicated employees and services that create the customer experience are being cut due to budget constraints.
Though the article doesn’t explain exactly how Sprint will manage maintaining and improving customer service with reduced call centers beyond having weekly management meetings on the subject. It would be interesting to see customer service plans by companies that are in the same boat as Sprint, and to see how effective they are in 2009.
If your company is in budget constraints and plan to cut back on resources dedicated to fostering positive customer experience, it would be wise to have dedicated research done prior to and during the cut backs. Companies need to be careful where they choose to make budget cuts. In the end, it would be detrimental if the customer experience was effected the most.
