This article is a summary of Jonathan Hunsley’s talk at the 2024 BCT Conference. Jonathan is the Co-Chief Architect of the new A4Q Certified Service Designer qualification.

The Need for Service Design

We all have examples of where the service we receive is less than satisfactory. That’s where the need for Service Design comes in. 

A survey by the UK Institute of Customer Service (ICS) showed that customer satisfaction level of just one point below sector average means a significant drop in revenue per employee. Likewise, by raising the level of customer satisfaction by just one point, a company can raise their revenue, in some cases doubling it. Says ICS Chief Executive Jo Causon:

“Outstanding service comes down to attention to detail, proper training and a friendly, personalised approach. This requires responsiveness, empathy and understanding, which isn’t just about process, but genuine engagement.”

According to research published in this recent article in the Guardian, it costs five times more to attract new customers with marketing initiatives than to retain existing ones, and estimates suggest that poor customer service costs UK business £11.4bn a month in lost productivity.

The Cost of Getting it Wrong

So many companies are getting it wrong, and it is costing them. I know someone who works in a call centre for a major mobile phone network operator. They need to use fifteen different systems to support customer enquiries. In addition, they are expected to start work 15-20 minutes early each day so that they can open and sign in to each system. In my opinion, the cost of this from a financial (and non-financial) perspective is enormous.

In another example, a large government aligned body that spent £27 million on a change initiative to replace a customer facing solution. The team of service designers and BAs were told not to speak to the customer due to a risk averse culture. After they deployed the new solution, it unsurprisingly didn’t meet the needs of customers. The organisation needed to undertake a further £9million enhancement initiative to fix the issues raised.

What is Business Service Design? 

Business Service Design makes sure services meet the value expectations of customers and are aligned to the needs of the organisation.

There are four thinking frameworks underpinning Business Service Design:

• Systems Thinking
• Service Thinking
• Design Thinking
• Lean Thinking

There are many tools and techniques which align with each of the thinking approaches.

The Service Design Consultancy Framework (below) can be used as a starting point to define the services offered by professional Service Designers. This can be refined to suit specific organisational contexts.

What Makes a Professional?

According to the Cambridge Dictionary, a professional is:

“A person who has the type of job that needs a high level of education and training.”

Overall, being a professional is about embodying a set of values, behaviors, and skills that reflect a commitment to excellence, integrity, and continuous improvement in one's chosen field or profession:

1. Expertise and Competence: Professionals have a high level of skill, knowledge, and expertise in their chosen field or profession. They continuously strive to improve their skills and stay updated on developments within their industry.
2. Ethical Behavior: Professionals adhere to a set of ethical standards and principles in their interactions with clients, colleagues, and the public. This includes honesty, integrity, respect, and confidentiality.
3. Responsibility and Accountability: Professionals take responsibility for their actions and decisions. They understand the consequences of their work and are accountable for delivering high-quality results.
4. Reliability and Consistency: Professionals are dependable and consistent in their performance. They meet deadlines, fulfill commitments, and deliver work of a consistently high standard.
5. Professionalism: This encompasses behaviors such as maintaining a positive attitude, being punctual, dressing appropriately, and communicating effectively. Professionals conduct themselves with dignity and respect in all professional interactions.
6. Continuous Learning and Improvement: Professionals engage in lifelong learning to stay abreast of developments in their field. They seek out opportunities for professional development and actively pursue growth and improvement.
7. Collaboration and Teamwork: Professionals work effectively with others, collaborating with colleagues and stakeholders to achieve common goals. They are able to communicate and cooperate with diverse teams to achieve shared objectives.

What are the Skills of a Professional Service Designer?

The professional Service Designer has a range of Personal Skills, Professional Skills and Business Skills. Examples include:

Personal Skills: Collaboration; Outcome focus; Creativity; Experimentation; Customer Centricity; Growth Mindset; Facilitation; Presentation; Communication; Influencing; Negotiation; Conflict Management.

Professional Skills: Requirements Engineering; Service Design Methods; Digital Literacy; CX Analysis; Business Process Improvement; Service Architecture; Stakeholder Engagement.

Business Skills: Business Acumen - the ability to apply knowledge and skill to make sense of an organisation, and its context. The application of business acumen enables informed and positive business decision making, which aids the organisation in achieving strategic and tactical outcomes.

The Future of Business Service Design

A Service Designer should always adapt their approach and apply their toolkit relative to the context in which they work. They are relentlessly focused on outcomes for the organisation and its customers. Many organisations are increasingly recognising the importance of this strategic discipline. As the profession evolves, we need to look after it and nurture it to enable it to reach its full potential.