Customer access strategies are like business plans in that some are well documented and others exist only in pieces and in the heads of various managers. Too often, the latter is the case.

But there are standout examples of plans that are effective and up to date. A wireless carrier that I have worked with has a well-organized customer access strategy. It consists of a cleanly designed home page, the centerpiece, which provides links to each of the individual components. The links access files (databases, documents, etc.) that make up the different parts of their plan, such as customer segments, access numbers and addresses, routing diagrams, agent groups, hours of operation, service level objectives, and so forth. There are also links within these areas that allow you to logically move to others — but the home page will always get you back to the main directory. The plan could be printed, but would be many pages, given the detail of numbers, routing diagrams, etc., and is readily accessed by the team through a secure online resource.

The most impressive aspect of the plan is that it lists who is responsible for keeping the overall plan current, and the individuals who have ownership over various components: marketing (customer segments), IT/telecom (routing schematics) and others. Each document has an “updated on ___” date. The plan is current, and they don’t make major decisions without referring to it.

Excerpt from Call Center Management on Fast Forward by Brad Cleveland.