For many customers, environmental and climate issues are important. This is an opportunity for companies to demonstrate the same commitment to increase sales and customer loyalty. How can customer service support the company’s climate goals while maintaining or even improving the level of service? Environmentally friendly customer service rests on a structure that benefits the planet and fosters long-lasting customer relationships. In three articles, we show how companies can adapt their customer service to help the climate and drive sustainable business.
In the article “Part 1: How Can Customer Service Reduce Carbon Emissions?” we described how customer service can contribute to reduced carbon emissions and costs. In this article, we expand on how sustainability through inclusive customer dialogues in customer service contributes to increased sales and customer loyalty.
The Link Between Sustainability, Inclusion, and Sales
The general description of sustainability work is how today’s needs can be met without creating a future climate impact. The concept encompasses social sustainability, which contributes to an inclusive and fair world. Inclusive customer dialogues are about promoting a culture of diversity and equality, which in turn enhances the organisation’s results.
Inclusive Customer Service Promotes Sustainability Goals
Customers who feel that their needs and cultural background are a natural part of the customer relationship are more likely to become loyal and shop more because they feel appreciated and validated. This can in turn lead them to recommend the brand to friends and acquaintances. How is an inclusive customer service created? The foundation is to see and meet every customer by, for example:
- Providing multilingual service.
- Tailoring communication to different cultural backgrounds, such as how to greet a customer.
- Having knowledge about, respecting, and acknowledging various cultural holidays or traditions.
- Offering video call services with AI captioning for customers with impaired hearing and/or adapted web pages for people with visual impairments.
Customer Service: What Economic Drivers Are Motivating?
In a market where goods and services in content and price are similar, an inclusive customer service can be a factor that retains customers. With simple methods, customer service becomes more personal which increases customer satisfaction, expands the customer base, and positively affects sales. Ultimately, the company’s brand is strengthened by taking social sustainability seriously.
We have described in another article how changing the way customer service works can reduce costs and CO2 emissions. We described how the cost per case can decrease from £ 3,80 to £ 2,80, 26%, and CO2 emissions by 70%. Sales revenue then increased per customer service case by 43%.
Investing in a customer service that creates fewer but more qualitative cases is an important strategy for building stronger and more meaningful customer relationships that contribute to improving the company’s results. Read Streamlining customer service: Key Strategies for reduced costs and improved customer satisfaction to learn more how we do it.
Each customer dialogue is not just a case to conclude but an opportunity to deepen the customer relationship to contribute to the company’s long-term success and sustainability. An inclusive customer service can further increase sales. Research from McKinsey and HBR shows that companies that prioritise diversity and inclusion in their operations see significant improvements in sales and customer loyalty of up to 25-30%. A conservative estimate suggests that inclusive customer service can increase sales by 5% and the repurchase rate by an additional 5%. In total, sales revenue per customer service case can then increase by a whole 51%.
How Is It Done?
Developing a customer service that performs effective and qualitative customer dialogues rests on an established value platform and an organised and social work environment (OSA) that focuses on making all employees involved and included. Read more about how we work with this in the article “Part 3: Article on Sustainable Work Environment in Customer Service.” Once this is in place, specific actions can be taken within customer service.
Education and Training
Inclusion is based on the recognition that each person is unique, with different needs, backgrounds, and experiences. To meet the customers, it is necessary for all staff to understand the importance of diversity and inclusion. A training programme for customer service staff should include:
- Practical role-playing that helps the customer service agent handle customer situations in an inclusive way.
- Education in cultural competence that increases understanding and respect for cultural differences and how it can contribute to better customer relations.
- Awareness of one’s own biases to develop and be more inclusive in customer service dialogues.
Monitoring and Evaluation
To measure the effect, concrete key performance indicators (KPIs) can be used. Examples include:
- Measurement of customer satisfaction (e.g., through NPS, Net Promoter Score) can provide insights into how diversity and inclusion efforts are received.
- Follow-up with different customer groups to ensure everyone feels heard and valued.
- Measurement of how well staff perceive and implement the training in practice, for example through regular knowledge tests or self-assessments.
- Analyse trends in repurchases, complaints, and queries related to diversity and inclusion to assess changes over time.
In this way, the company highlights the importance of social sustainability and contributes to creating an inclusive and welcoming environment for everyone who comes into contact with the company. Through ongoing development, companies can continue to grow and evolve in line with societal changes and customer expectations.
Summary
By viewing inclusive customer interactions as part of the company’s sustainability work, we take a step towards building sustainable, fair, and inclusive societies. This is not just a matter of doing the right thing, but also a way for companies to strengthen their market position and build deeper relationships with their customers. Walking hand in hand with customers towards a sustainable future is not just a vision – it is a practical business strategy that creates long-term value in several different ways.
Further Reading on How Customer Service Can Contribute to Increased Sustainability
Part 1: How can customer service reduce carbon emissions?
Part 3: How do you create a sustainable work environment in customer service?
