Introduction

Service design is a critical component of delivering exceptional customer experiences. By using design thinking principles and a customer-centric approach, service design allows organizations to systematically create and optimize services that meet customer needs and exceed expectations. This course is designed to provide participants with the tools, frameworks, and strategies to design and implement services that enhance customer satisfaction, loyalty, and business performance. Participants will learn how to incorporate customer insights, cross-functional collaboration, and iterative testing into their service design process.

Objectives

By the end of this course, participants will be able to:

1. Understand the principles and importance of service design in delivering exceptional customer experiences.
2. Apply service design thinking to create customer-centric services that align with business goals.
3. Use customer journey mapping and personas to inform service design decisions.
4. Design services that optimize both the customer experience and operational efficiency.
5. Prototype and test service solutions to validate ideas and make improvements.
6. Collaborate with cross-functional teams to implement service design initiatives.
7. Continuously improve services by integrating customer feedback and performance metrics.

Who Should Attend?

This course is ideal for:

• Customer experience managers and teams.
• Service designers and product managers.
• Marketing and operations professionals focused on improving service delivery.
• Customer support and service managers.
• Business leaders aiming to implement a customer-first approach to service design.
• Anyone involved in designing, delivering, or improving services.

Course Outline

Day 1: Introduction to Service Design and Customer Experience

• Morning Session: What is Service Design?

  • Defining service design: A human-centered approach to designing services.
  • The link between service design and customer experience excellence.
  • Core principles of service design: Co-creation, customer-centricity, and iteration.
  • How service design aligns with business objectives and customer satisfaction goals.
  • Case studies: Examples of businesses excelling in service design.

• Afternoon Session: The Role of Service Design in Customer Experience

  • Mapping the customer journey: Understanding key touchpoints and moments of truth.
  • The customer experience lifecycle: From awareness to post-service interactions.
  • How service design can solve common CX pain points and enhance service delivery.
  • Activity: Analyzing a current customer service process and identifying areas for improvement.

Day 2: Service Design Tools and Techniques

• Morning Session: Customer Personas and Journey Mapping

  • Creating customer personas: Understanding different customer needs and behaviors.
  • Customer journey mapping: Visualizing the entire customer experience and service touchpoints.
  • Identifying customer pain points and opportunities for service improvement.
  • How to use personas and journey maps to inform service design decisions.

• Afternoon Session: Service Blueprinting and Touchpoint Analysis

  • What is a service blueprint and how it helps in designing services from the inside out.
  • How to map the frontstage and backstage processes in a service blueprint.
  • Touchpoint analysis: Understanding how customers interact with the service at each stage.
  • Activity: Designing a service blueprint for a customer service process or new offering.

Day 3: Prototyping and Testing Service Designs

• Morning Session: Prototyping Services

  • The importance of prototyping in service design: Testing ideas before full implementation.
  • Types of prototypes in service design: Low-fidelity vs. high-fidelity.
  • How to quickly create service prototypes: Role-playing, storyboarding, and mockups.
  • Testing prototypes with customers and internal teams to gather feedback.
  • Activity: Creating low-fidelity prototypes for a service improvement idea.

• Afternoon Session: Iterative Testing and Refining Service Designs

  • How to run customer testing and gather actionable feedback.
  • Refining service prototypes based on test results and customer insights.
  • Continuous improvement: The role of feedback loops in the service design process.
  • Case study: How a company iterated on their service design based on testing results.

Day 4: Implementing Service Design Across the Organization

• Morning Session: Cross-Functional Collaboration in Service Design

  • The importance of collaboration between departments (marketing, operations, IT, HR, etc.) in service design.
  • How to engage stakeholders and align teams around a common vision for service excellence.
  • Tools for effective communication and project management in service design.
  • Building cross-functional teams to ensure smooth implementation of service solutions.

• Afternoon Session: Scaling and Implementing Service Design

  • How to scale service design from prototypes to full implementation.
  • Overcoming organizational challenges when implementing service design.
  • Aligning the service design strategy with organizational goals and customer expectations.
  • Activity: Developing an implementation plan for a service design project within your organization.

Day 5: Measuring Success and Continuous Improvement

• Morning Session: Measuring Service Design Impact

  • Key performance indicators (KPIs) for measuring the effectiveness of service design: Customer satisfaction (CSAT), Net Promoter Score (NPS), Customer Effort Score (CES).
  • How to track customer feedback and performance metrics to gauge service design success.
  • Using customer insights and data to refine services and improve experiences over time.
  • Case study: Measuring the success of a service design initiative in a real-world company.

• Afternoon Session: Creating a Culture of Service Design Excellence

  • Embedding service design principles into the organization’s culture and processes.
  • How to foster a customer-centric mindset across teams.
  • Continuous improvement: How to sustain service design initiatives and keep innovating.
  • Final project: Presenting a service design improvement plan based on what was learned during the course.

Training Methodology

This course integrates a variety of practical and theoretical learning methods to ensure participants can effectively apply service design principles:

• Workshops and Hands-on Exercises: Participants will create personas, journey maps, and service blueprints, and prototype service designs.
• Case Studies: Real-world examples of businesses successfully using service design to enhance customer experience.
• Group Discussions: Collaborative sessions where participants can brainstorm solutions to service design challenges.
• Tool Demonstrations: Introduction to various tools and resources for customer journey mapping, service blueprinting, and prototyping.
• Feedback and Coaching: Continuous feedback on service design projects, prototypes, and strategies.