Rakesh Gupta, Head of Customer Service Operations at Panasonic: “Be customer-obsessed”

At what point does one move from experienced to seasoned? If Rakesh Gupta, Head of Customer Service Operations at Panasonic, is correct, then the answer is the 20-year mark, describing himself as “seasoned customer service professional having 20+ years of experience”.

During that time, Rakesh has worked with giants such as Groupe SEB, Philips, Usha International, Tata Sky (now Tata Play), Airtel and GE Medical Systems. Quite the résumé! And as you will see from our interview, there’s one consistent thread throughout: delivering the best possible customer experience. Indeed, to be customer-obsessed.

Recommended reading: How brands are adopting virtual influencers

Could you please introduce yourself to our audience? What motivated you to pursue a career in customer experience, and how did you embark on your journey in this field?

My belief is that every firm can create difference and value by focusing on the customer experience, which is why I decided to pursue a career in this field. The way customer experience affects customer behaviour, advocacy and loyalty as well as how it affects corporate performance and outcomes have always captivated me.

In addition to all the pertinent qualifications and courses, I took lessons from other customer experience executives’ and businesses’ best practices and used them to address my own problems and circumstances.

What are your thoughts on the escalating integration of AI in customer experience and its potential influence on the future of customer service at large?

AI is going to revolutionise customer service and experience. AI can help us provide our customers with quicker, more intelligent and more individualised service while also giving our agents better resources and insights. AI can also assist us in predicting client behaviours, anticipating their needs and reducing customer attrition. It will change customer service from being a transactional and reactive job to one that is proactive and purposeful.

Recommended reading: LinkedIn AI survey reveals businesses must boost staff AI skills — especially women

Do you anticipate any significant disruptions in customer experience technology for 2024? If so, what are those disruptions and why?

I’d flag two. First, Conversational AI. Chatbots and voice assistants will grow more sophisticated and human-like as they gain the ability to manage a wider range of intricate and demanding client inquiries and duties.

Then there’s Augmented and Virtual Reality: By allowing users to trial, test and explore goods and services in a virtual setting, AR and VR will produce more captivating consumer experiences. Not to mention helping improve customer assistance, training and education.

Could you share some of your most noteworthy accomplishments that you take particular pride in?

Three stand out for me, starting when when I helped to launch a new AI-powered customer service social media platform. It uses voice assistants, chatbots, sentiment analysis and predictive analytics among other AI-powered processes to automate and improve customer support procedures. Customer retention has grown, customer effort has decreased, and customer happiness has improved thanks to the platform.

I’ve also worked hard to create a customer-centric culture throughout the entire company. I designed and carried out a program to transform the company’s culture by bringing its vision, mission and values into line with the demands and expectations of its clients.

I am also fortunate enough to have received several awards and recognitions for customer service and experience excellence, both internally and externally. Most recently, these included the India customer excellence summit & award 2023, DCX – Digital customer experience Confex & award 2023, 12th edition CX strategy summit & award 2023 and 7th service quality excellence summit & award 2023 – Best use of Omnichannel.

Recommended reading: That’ll do nicely: Hackers help themselves to American Express credit card data

What major hurdles have you encountered as a customer experience leader, and how did you surmount them?

I would flag three. First, inconsistency and lack of support from certain team members and other stakeholders. Some didn’t share the same dedication to and vision for the customer experience, and they didn’t provide enough funding for initiatives centred around the customer experience. In order to combat this, I have exhibited the best practices and success stories of other customer experience executives and businesses in addition to using data and proof to prove the commercial value and impact of the customer experience.

Then there’s reluctance and scepticism on the part of the staff. I often encountered circumstances in which staff members were unwilling or afraid to implement new procedures and technologies for the customer experience, and they lacked the knowledge and frame of mind needed to provide great customer care. To get around this, I have explained to the staff members and agents the advantages and prospects of the customer experience and given them the necessary coaching and training in addition to rewards and recognition.

Finally, there’s complexity and diversity of consumer wants and preferences. These vary across markets, channels and segments – and were always changing and evolving – so I used data and customer feedback to both comprehend and anticipate the wants and preferences of my customers. I have also used segmentation and personalisation to customise each client’s experience and service.

What piece of advice would you offer to fellow customer experience professionals that has been particularly beneficial to you personally?

I would want to share with other CX workers some advice that has been very helpful to me: be customer-obsessed. Always put the customer first and consider their needs while making decisions and taking action. Pay attention to the client, show them that you understand them, and make them happy. The secret to a great customer experience is customer obsession.

Recommended reading: Alexis Fogel, CEO and Co-Founder of Stonly: “Always think that the best for the customer is the best for the company as well”

What customer experience technology has your company recently embraced and what difference has it made to your business?

Augmented reality (AR) is one customer experience technology that my organisation has recently adopted. Using augmented reality, we have developed a virtual showroom that gives our clients a realistic and engaging way to examine and engage with our goods and services.

The first way AR has changed how our firm operates is by raising consumer happiness and engagement. Our clients have shown greater interest in and contentment with our goods and services, and they have loved the augmented reality experience.

It has also helped lower friction and effort from customers. We no longer require our consumers to download any applications or visit our physical stores or offices in order to access and explore our products and services.