Customer Service and Support’s Role in Cost Optimization

Drive enterprisewide cost optimization and reduction

The balancing act of cost reductions

Heads of customer service are reassessing how and where they spend their money. As trends in the economy shift, service leaders must avoid reacting too quickly and creating a mindset of uncertainty for their teams. At the same time, they can't change their customer service and support strategy too late and risk making cost-cutting decisions that harm the customer experience. Download the framework to find immediate cost savings opportunities.

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Nearly 80% of employees expect cost pressure in next 12 months.

As a company, we decided to prioritize self-service. This has helped us transform to a majority self-service organization, reducing customer service expenses by 23% and allowing us to reinvest in more functionality and higher skilled staff while also giving money back to the company.

Director of self-service, large multilevel marketing organization

Cost optimization goes beyond cost cutting

To maximize cost savings, service leaders should pursue cost optimization through both function-specific and enterprisewide programs. Cost optimization should be an always-on discipline that regularly identifies, vets and prioritizes opportunities that maximize business value while reducing costs — and not just during times of heightened cost pressure.

Driving cost optimization across the customer service enterprise.

Cost optimization roadmap for customer service and support leaders

From helping customer service and support functions drive baseline efficiencies to create a sustainable cost optimization roadmap, Gartner makes sure that cost optimization is an ongoing, effectively communicated, strategic discipline rather than an emergency-driven project or one-time undertaking.

Find immediate cost savings opportunities

Head of service should minimize staff shrinkage, establish standard operating procedures for common issues, and migrate top contact reasons to self-service. Download the decision framework that enables you, through a combination of scoring and executive judgment, to identify key cost optimization initiatives to implement over time.

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Benchmark current spend and efficiency

Evaluate your Customer Service and Supports organization’s functional maturity to reveal gaps between where you are and where you want to go. See how you stack up across six objectives and 16 discrete functional activities with Gartner's Customer Service and Support Score.

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Identify and prioritize opportunities

Organizations worldwide need to make fast and smart technology decisions to drive business continuity and accelerate disruption recovery. Gartner BuySmart™ supports the entire buying life cycle to enable the best possible business outcomes.

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Implement initiatives & communicate plan

Customer service and support leaders must be capable influencers when communicating cost optimization to stakeholders. Gartner recommends a disciplined approach to communications, beginning with a strategy that comprises five key actions. Download our guide to effectively communicate cost optimization across the enterprise.

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Plan for unforeseen scenarios and remain agile

Customer service and support leaders create efficiencies through self-service technology and automation. Download our free guide to learn about customer service trends and to better position your service and support strategy for success.

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