You sit down to review 2025 plans in your customer service department. Last year you have been very busy. There are automation projects, trainings, a chatbot, a voice bot, an AI test… Everything looks on track until customer feedback is brought up, and… they are unhappy.
The reason is usually that the service projects are placed to put out fires instead of plan for the future. Colleagues work in silos. Projects are disconnected. Agile makes everyone lose a long-term vision. Having seen this situation in multiple client teams in the past years, we think it is time to lift our heads from the immediate and look at the bigger picture. Where is your service function actually headed? Are all these initiatives building towards something meaningful, or are they reactive responses to short-term pressures? Pressured by competition, companies invest in automation, self-service, or AI, without a clear guiding vision. And when the dust settles, they realize their efforts don’t add up to a better customer experience or a competitive advantage.
That’s why you need Service Vision: our new framework to align all customer service projects and set a new, customer-centric “Northern star” for them.
Gain clarity and direction
Future-Proof initiatives
Align Across Teams
Building a strong Service Vision involves four key steps:
1. Analyse the current state: Who is doing what, and where are the gaps?
2. Understand where things are heading: What trends and disruptions will shape the next few years?
3. Create your vision: Define an inspiring and achievable future state.
4. Align with all stakeholders: Ensure leadership, teams, and partners are on board.
Step 1: Understanding the status quo
Before you can build a vision, you need to assess where you stand today. This means:
– Mapping out existing processes, tools, and team responsibilities.
– Identifying bottlenecks and inefficiencies.
– Understanding customer needs and pain points.
Step 2: Forecasting the future
The next step is to explore what’s coming. We use tools like PESTEL analysis or Scenario Planning to identify external factors and possible futures that could impact your company, your customers, and therefore your service.
– PESTEL helps map out political, economic, social, technological, environmental, and legal shifts.
– Scenario Planning allows us to prepare for multiple possible futures by defining key uncertainties and exploring how different outcomes would affect your business.
Step 3: Defining your vision
Once you’ve analysed today’s reality and future trends, it’s time to articulate your Service Vision. This vision should be:
– Aspirational – A bold but achievable statement of where you want to be.
– Strategic – A guide for decision-making and prioritization.
– Measurable – With clear indicators of success.
Step 4: Aligning everyone
A vision is only effective if it’s embraced across the organization. This means:
– Gaining leadership buy-in.
– Communicating the vision clearly across teams.
– Ensuring it influences decision-making at all levels.
Benefits of a Service Vision
✅ Have a clear roadmap for 2027 and beyond.
✅ Ensure all initiatives contribute to a unified customer goal.
✅ Be ready for changes in technology, regulation, and customer expectations.
Let’s talk about your 2030 vision and work backward to define your 2027 strategy, so you can start making the right moves today. In 4 to 7 days, we’ll help you create an inspiring and achievable Service Vision.
📅 Make an appointment to start your Service Vision journey or meet us at CCW and the Succeet conference.
