Zendesk’s Agility In Action research says agility is tied to the longevity of business success, with 80% of managers in Singapore agreeing that their company leadership fosters a culture promoting agility that allows quick adaptation to the customer and business needs.
Agility, the buzzword of the last five years and closely tied to digital transformation, remains elusive for many businesses.
As a buzzword, it remains easier said than done, with only 16% of managers in Singapore classifying their organisations as extremely agile.
Turning agility into reality can be challenging for businesses, especially as organisations around the globe prepare for recovery and any emerging trends.
“The past year has brought many changes and challenges, but also immense opportunities. We’ve seen first-hand how people all over the globe have pivoted quickly to adapt to new ways of working and living,” said Wendy Johnstone, COO, APAC, Zendesk.
Research findings include:
More choice, more often: 49% of customers in APAC are more or much more likely to buy from a company that offers their preferred approach to service. However, many companies are still missing valuable opportunities to hear from their customers where they are. Only one-third of small and medium businesses (SMBs) in Singapore offer three or more channels to their customers, and that number drops to 28% for enterprises and 26% for commercial outfits.
Put the voice of the customer first: Customer feedback can act as a signal of trouble ahead, or a crystal ball for future trends. In APAC, 80% of business leaders agree strongly or somewhat that their organisations have relied heavily on analytics this past year to understand how teams are performing, making it easier to use CX analytics to recognise and respond to customer shifts.
Be ready for change: Leaders are consistently more flexible about changes in how customer service agents work. In Singapore, enterprises (79%) offer the greatest flexibility in work-from-anywhere arrangements, while only 67% of commercial organisations and 55% of SMBs do the same.
The right tools for support: To be ready for a landscape of ongoing change, companies are adopting a lean and flexible approach to both technology and its implementation. In APAC, self-service tools have risen in popularity, with the region outpacing others by adding 23 help centre articles when ticket volume increased, compared to only about 14 added in other regions.
Agility is linked to cost and time savings: Agile businesses were better placed to reduce service costs in the past year. In fact, 92% of business leaders in Singapore report that having a high level of agility reduced their costs, with 53% seeing at least 11-25% cost savings.
Realising the potential for CX as a driver of revenue: Businesses are increasingly seeing the value of adapting to customer needs as the call centre takes on a new role. In Singapore, commercial organisations are grasping this the most quickly, with 63% of their business leaders viewing CX primarily as a revenue driver; and only a quarter viewing it as a cost centre. That number decreases for other organisations of other sizes, with 59% of SMBs and 44% of enterprises viewing CX primarily as a revenue driver.
Johnstone added that the consumer demand for a complete journey - one that is convenient, personalised and simple - is driving the agility imperative.
“To listen and respond to customer needs, businesses must invest in the tools, processes and resources that empower agility and drive long-term success,” she concluded.
