3 Reasons Your B2B Customer Service Team Is Underperforming

Remember when Customer Service was about actually serving customers?

Hyperbole aside, today’s B2B Customer Service Representatives (CSRs) are trying their best to be everything their organizations need them to be — problem solvers, relationship builders, revenue generators — but far too often, the bulk of their day is lost to performing menial, mundane tasks known to be killers of productivity, team morale and good Customer Service.

When evaluating a “day in the life” of a typical B2B CSR, here are three reasons your team may be underperforming in a traditional, non-automated environment:

1. Too many complexities in handling customer inquiries
Still the primary point of contract for most customer-facing business transactions, shared Customer Service inboxes serve an essential function for CSR teams, yet ultimately lead to time-wasting pain points in the form of:

• Classification chaos due to CSRs not having a fast, reliable way to categorize different inquiries (e.g., quote requests vs. order status requests) or prioritize their time
• Slower inquiry response as a result of no digital assistance helping to analyze inbound customer emails or generate answers
• Endless status checks since customers lack a quick, convenient way to view their submitted orders, order statuses, confirmed items & expected delivery date, etc.

2. Too much human intervention in managing the lifecycle of orders
​Order management is another minefield of Customer Service inefficiencies, with CSRs often left struggling to handle:

• Manual order entry and updates — made even more complex thanks to the variety of different formats in which they arrive
• Day-to-day decision-making that involves laboriously gathering hard-to-find order data
• Communication roadblocks with customers and coworkers

3. Too much time spent performing other Customer Service transactions
Other Customer Service tasks that prevent your team from performing more value-added tasks on a regular basis include:

• Quote request management​
• Contact creation
• Change order management
• RMA investigation
• Handling shortage or damaged claims
• Analyzing reports (SLA compliance, negative sentiment trends, etc.)
• Portal-related tasks (pulling orders, acknowledgements, uploading invoices, etc.)

WHAT SHOULD A B2B CSR'S DAY LOOK LIKE?

The job of a CSR is inherently difficult — especially in 2024. However, nurturing, developing and maintaining critical relationships with B2B customers is made far easier with the help of AI-driven automation solutions freeing up CSRs for more productive, proactive and impactful activities like:

• Relationship building & nurturing CX initiatives with your most strategic customers
• Reengaging with inactive & formerly disgruntled customers
• Cross-selling &/or upselling
• Proactive communication regarding shipment status, partial shipments & more
• Working with buyers

To learn more about transformational impact of AI-driven automation on CSR teams, read the newest interactive listicle: A Day in the Life of a B2B Customer Service Rep.