Less Metrics, More Insights

Stats. Metrics. Numbers. Data. I may have lost a few people with those words already, but you’ll find that there are very few numbers the rest of the way, I promise. These are all items that customers request on a daily basis as validation that their service needs are being met. But do statistics and metrics really tell the full story?  

When you live in a customer-centric world, it is easy to fall into the trap of providing the customer with exactly what they asked for. The problem with that is the customer oftentimes doesn’t know what they don’t know. It requires guidance in the right direction. 

Where we need to challenge ourselves every day is to identify the “so what?” within the metrics we provide our customers and get to the root of the true analytics behind the stats. Where the service industry falls short is when we do not effectively articulate the meaning behind the numbers and fail to provide the customer with an actionable outcome. 

Think back to the last time you had a doctor’s appointment. The doctor goes through the exam and you ask how your numbers look. Suppose the doctor responds that your temperature is 101 degrees, your blood pressure is dangerously high, and your cholesterol is concerning. Then suppose the doctor sends you on your way and suggests you check back in 6 months. How do you feel about the stats you asked for now? 

Putting that exaggerated scenario aside and bringing it back to the Mobility industry, one of the most common requests from our customers continues to be, “What are the most common reasons that our end users are contacting Vox Mobile for tech support?” A simple answer, providing the customer with exactly what they asked for, would be that 18% of your support requests were for help with email,10% activations, and so on. Instead, the Customer Success team approaches this request with a more analytical thought process: 

• Benchmarking – how do these percentages compare with customers with similar use cases? 
• Problem Identification – are the email support requests a result of a loss of email or initial setup? 
• Problem Solving – if there was a sudden loss of email, what caused the issue and what steps were taken to resolve it? 
• Recommendations – what best practice initiatives can we implement to keep the issues from reoccurring in the future? 

As the Business Review has continued to evolve, it’s fast becoming more evident that customers are less interested in seeing endless slides of data and more interested in having a strategic partner that can identify the meaning behind the numbers by measuring metrics that leads to the optimal end-user experience.