Improve the Service Orientation of IT Staff
Create a culture of customer service in IT.
- In order for IT to better serve the business, the CIO must first realize that a culture of customer service is required.
- A customer service mindset is difficult to achieve unless the IT leader knows which core competencies their customer-facing staff must demonstrate.
- By assessing their staff’s competencies, and finding and highlighting the gaps, the IT leader is in a much better position to address the problems and act accordingly.
- By failing to improve IT’s level of customer service, the CIO is at risk of having poor relationships with end users, project stakeholders, and (most importantly) the executives that IT reports to.
Our Advice
Critical Insight
- 100% of survey respondents say that IT staff attitude is the most important factor when it comes to good customer service.
- Yet research shows that only 23% of IT departments are considered to be service oriented. This is largely due to immaturity in six core competencies – facilitation, adaptability, teamwork, problem solving, client management, and self-management.
- In these cases, it is up to the CIO to make a concerted effort to lead the IT department through culture change.
- By finding and closing the gaps in these competencies, IT will be better able to meet the demands of end users/project stakeholders, improve relations with business units, and make itself a valuable enabler of company strategy.
Impact and Result
Overall, this research will help IT leaders to:
- Gain a clear understanding of the six customer service competencies and how they relate to various job roles within the IT department.
- Identify their IT staff’s relative level of maturity within the six competencies and prioritize the remediation of those problem areas in order of criticality.
- Align their staff more closely with customer service goals, lead by example, establish accountabilities, and identify tactics that will ultimately promote service-oriented culture.
- Improve the overall perception of IT customer service within their company to reduce complaints and improve relations with executives, business units, and stakeholders.
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We produce unbiased and highly relevant research to help CIOs and IT leaders make strategic, timely, and well-informed decisions. We partner closely with IT teams to provide everything they need, from actionable tools to analyst guidance, ensuring they deliver measurable results for their organizations.
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Unlock Sample ResearchContributors
- Sandi Terry (Franklin County, VA)
- Jose Mercado (Administration for Children’s Services, NY)
- Eric Pierson (City of Durango)
- One Info-Tech client who wished to remain anonymous
- IBM
- Network World
- 171 survey respondents
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