How to Keep the Quality of Customer Service When Your Business Grows.

Seeing your business growing can be exciting and it opens up a world of new opportunities. However, growth also comes with new challenges. And one critical aspect that requires some special attention is how to maintain the customer service quality.

As the volume increases, ensuring that customer service does not suffer can be particularly difficult. When people get busy, they may cut corners. Or they may simply be at capacity and not be able to maintain the same level of service across more customers (sometimes the same customers that are now buying more), leading to potential declines in service quality.

This article dives into the main challenges you’ll face and highlights the key questions you’ll need an answer for to maintain top-notch customer service during times of growth. So, let’s get into them!

1. Do you have capacity to scale up your customer service operations now?

One of the foremost challenges in scaling up is capacity management. As businesses grow, the volume of products and services they handle multiplies. This surge can strain existing resources and systems, leading to potential bottlenecks. For example, meeting Delivery in Full on Time (DIFOT) targets becomes more complex with increased product lines, higher volumes, and more frequent deliveries. Imagine a juggling act where adding one more ball can disrupt the entire performance. Without careful planning, businesses might find themselves overwhelmed, leading to delays, errors, and dissatisfied customers.

2. Will quality control be impacted by the increased volume?

Quality control can take a hit when business volumes rise. The pressure to produce more can lead to lapses in standards and inconsistencies. Some key areas you should monitor closely are manufacturing processes, supply chain reliability, and final product inspections. For instance, if you start cutting corners to meet increased demand, product defects might slip through the cracks. It seems something obvious, right? But you would be surprised by the number of companies that do that when the demand grows. Regular audits, stringent quality checks, and maintaining a robust quality assurance team are essential to prevent such issues and, therefore, crucial for maintaining customer trust and satisfaction.

Case Study: Productivity and growth: how we found the winning formula.

3. Is your team enough to deal with the new demand?

Staffing is another critical area impacted by growth. As your business expands, you need more hands-on deck. However, rapid hiring can lead to challenges such as inadequate training, mismatched skill sets, and cultural mismatches. New hires might not be as familiar with the company’s standards and practices, leading to inconsistencies in customer service. On the other hand, not hiring new people might lead your existing staff to feel overwhelmed, which will affect their performance. And consequently, the customer service quality. To combat this, businesses should focus on strategic hiring. We wrote an article that specifically addresses hiring new people when businesses are growing.

4. Can any technology support your customer service quality during expansion?

Technology plays a dual role in customer service quality. On one hand, it can streamline operations, improve communication, and enhance service delivery. Technology can handle routine tasks, allowing staff to focus on more complex customer needs. On the other hand, the wrong choice of technology or the poor implementation of it can become a problem instead of a solution. For instance, if a CRM system is not scalable, it can lead to data inaccuracies and miscommunication. Every single CRM tool in the market will promise you wonders. It’s not false advertising – most of them can deliver it. But it’s your duty to find the one that suits your business the best. Investing in scalable, user-friendly technology that integrates well with existing systems is vital for maintaining service quality.

5. Do you have a clear and scalable communication process in place?

Effective communication is the backbone of excellent customer service, but it can become increasingly challenging as businesses grow. Larger teams, multiple locations, and more customers mean more communication channels and potential for miscommunication. Delays in responding to customer inquiries, inconsistent messaging, and information silos can all impact service quality. To mitigate these issues, you must ensure (pre-testing is always welcome) your business has clear communication protocols and ensure that all team members are on the same page regarding customer service policies and procedures.

Seeking advice

If you’re working towards expanding your business, you’re probably overwhelmed with all the new demands. And being asked to answer all these five questions seems to be just adding more plates to juggle. For most, successful and sustainable business growth is enabled by adding experts in fields that business owners aren’t familiar with yet. It’s recommended to seek advice to achieve the best outcomes possible. The BridgePoint Group team has extensive experience in helping companies on their expansion journey. If you’re an ambitious business owner with daring goals, we would be more than happy to help make your plans successful.