The reason I picked AT&T Inc. (T) to use in the headline is because when I worked in the call center industry ten years ago, we constantly heard that AT & T's call centers were the best in class. Many companies wanted to be like AT & T in reference to how their call centers were managed and run as well as in the level of customer satisfaction that resulted from use of their call centers. Since I am no longer in the call center industry, it seemed a safe choice to use this older information as an example.
(I am sure plenty of people still in the call center industry will be glad to comment on who the current best in class choices are. Who knows, maybe AT&T still holds that rank. You can read more call center research here.)
The real point I wanted to make today is what does "Best In Class" mean and how do you apply it in your vendor evaluations? While any vendor that claims to have such a distinction is sure to use it as a selling point, Buyers need to be vigilant in deciding if the title is deserved and if so, is the vendor still a good fit for the needs of the Buyer's organization?
My next point is that real, first hand research should be conducted. Sometimes the reputation gains momentum on its own and out paces the reality. Like all customer service interactions, a company can indeed be the best in the world, but the reputation is meaningless to an individual who has had a bad experience.
Of course, as companies compete and strive to beat each other, those that currently need to improve may someday outshine their favored rivals. Best in class is, at best, a fleeting (though renewable) honor. Sometimes being number two works pretty well too. Who doesn't fondly recall the tag line of Avis, "We try harder."
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