Unifying the customer service value chain

Customers expect the same great experience no matter where or how they interact with an organization. Providing that seamless experience can be challenging for organizations spread across multiple entities, locations, and ownership models. ServiceNow service organization management capabilities can help unify the customer service value chain on a single platform.

Many players are involved in getting an organization’s products and services to customers. The company’s value chain may include physical locations that serve customers, such as branches and offices, and the staff members who work at those locations.

The locations don’t have to be physical. Think fully online banks. They don’t have to be owned by your company either. Think auto dealerships, which are not owned by auto manufacturers. These locations could even have some products and services installed, such as self-service kiosks, to serve customers.

We call these entities that make up this part of the value chain service organizations. They often serve as the face of the business to customers.

The trouble with inconsistent customer service

Typically, the processes, systems, and data storage in the company’s headquarters—or in the brand’s internal locations, such as retail stores—are exclusive to company-owned locations. This leaves external locations, such as franchises, dealerships, call centers, and authorized resellers, unable to provide the same level of customer service, frustrating agents, external staff, and customers.

Another common pain point is lack of visibility into the status of critical products and services installed at the location, such as equipment, self-service kiosks, and other hardware and software. This often results in broken equipment, delayed service, and decreased customer satisfaction.​

Unifying systems, processes, data, and people

Using a customer service workflow solution with service organization management capabilities can unify systems, processes, and business data on a single platform, connecting:

• Internal, company-owned business units

• External, third-party-owned business units

• Outsourced operations

This empowers staff in external business locations to offer the same high level of customer service as internal business locations. It also provides the ability to observe day-to-day operations at noncompany business locations—and to roll out consistent processes and knowledge to both company- and noncompany-owned locations.

ServiceNow Customer Service Management service organization management capabilities can enable businesses to track and manage products and services installed at these locations.​ The solution can also facilitate case submissions, help requests, and case resolutions for these install base items​.

With this foundation, businesses can start delivering a unified brand experience across every customer touch point.

Reaping the benefits

With ServiceNow Customer Service Management, you can equip external business unit staff with self-service tools to help them access brand services and knowledge articles. This gives workers autonomy to resolve customer issues immediately.

Access to centralized systems can be restricted and customized by role, such as regional manager, external location supervisor, and staff member. This can provide a lot of value:

• Franchises and other locations that sell your services become an extension of your brand’s existing customer service, protecting brand value.

• Improved systems access and enhanced self-service resources reduce the support burden on contact centers.

• Staff satisfaction can improve by enabling external business unit staff to request services from the brand just like internal employees can.

• Both company and noncompany locations are equipped to serve your customers, thanks to comprehensive visibility into location performance.

Service organization management capabilities can be configured for industry-specific terminology, roles, and locations to support any vertical, including, but not limited to, financial services, government, retail, healthcare, automotive, food and beverage, and hospitality.

Find out more about unifying the customer value chain in our ebook: Reduce costs while delivering seamless experiences.

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