Have you already mixed Design Thinking with Customer Care?

[fabio_almeida]

We have created and conducted a program called Customer Care Advanced Mentoring in Product Support at SAP Labs Latin America.

For the first time we combined Design Thinking techniques + training session in classroom + coaching and we got impressive results and strong positive feedback from the participants (Support Engineers).

Besides running the method steps to create and test our prototype, we used Design Thinking as part of our own prototype. Something like the methodology not only to guide a project, but also as part of project deliverable itself.

Our goals with this program are to:

• Improve communication with customer.
• Make the communication of solution more clear.
• Put in practice the guidelines of customer care.
• Improve interpretation of customer needs.
• Get effective written communication (writing, reading, positive wording).
• As consequence, increase Customer Satisfaction level and reduce Incident Processing Time.

New Concept of learning:

• Design Thinking techniques (warm ups, group dynamics, closing ritual, contracting, feedback grid).
• Interactive sessions, simulations, sharing experiences, feedback.
• Multiple instructors and coaching period to reinforce lessons learned.

Achievements:

• 52 Support Engineers touched in 2014.
• After 3 batches in 2014:
  • Customer incidents processing time reduction: Avg -1,8 days.
  • Customer Satisfaction improvement: Avg +6,25%.
• 24 Support Engineers touched in 2015.

Feedback from the Support Engineers:

“The training kept me focused all the time, the content was very practical, the idea to make in the design thinking room was great and the strategies used (examples, exercises, discussions, etc) were important.  This was one of the trainings that I learned more, and it should be mandatory for all employees in product support…”

“This has been, by far, the best training I have had since I joined SAP! I wish we had more trainings like this, which are instructive, dynamic and really catches your attention, all at the same time.”

“It was the best training that I had in SAP!!! It was dynamic, fun, and really caught my attention in every single topic! If I knew what I know now after this training, my PCC grade probably would be higher. I recommend this training to all the employees…”

“EVERYBODY in Product Support should have this training! The training opened my mind regarding customer expectations. I changed my replies and I can see already results. The schedule was perfect. Also, you have designed the training in a very smart way. I am a 1000% satisfied with this training.”

...

Kind Regards,

Fábio Almeida - Design Thinking Coach at SAP Labs Latin America