Summary
Superior customer service can differentiate your business in the marketplace—if you design the right offerings and execute flawlessly. Led by HBS thought leaders who are experts in customer experience management, this program delves into the fundamentals of leading and managing service-oriented businesses. You will explore new strategies for designing sustainable service models, addressing gaps in service execution, and delivering a transformational customer experience.
This program is eligible for the Certificate of Management Excellence. Learn More
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Summary
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Superior customer service can differentiate your business in the marketplace—if you design the right offerings and execute flawlessly. Led by HBS thought leaders who are experts in customer experience management, this program delves into the fundamentals of leading and managing service-oriented businesses. You will explore new strategies for designing sustainable service models, addressing gaps in service execution, and delivering a transformational customer experience.
This program is eligible for the Certificate of Management Excellence. Learn More
DetailsCollapse All
Design effective service strategies and offeringsDesign effective service strategies and offerings
- Develop operations and service features that support a highly refined service model
- Gain a deeper understanding of how to serve your customer base
- Develop a customer experience strategy
- Respond nimbly to market shifts and emerging competition
Ensure consistent, high-quality service deliveryEnsure consistent, high-quality service delivery
- Improve the culture of service execution in your organization
- Create an environment that enables employees and customers to thrive
- Communicate your organization's strategic service mission
- Leverage technology to create and enhance service offerings and improve delivery
Expand your personal and professional networkExpand your personal and professional network
- Extend your network by living and working with accomplished executives from various backgrounds, industries, and countries across the globe
- Build relationships with a diverse group of peers who can provide wide-ranging insights into your business challenges and career decisions
Who Should Attend
Senior executives in either B2C or B2B companies wanting to improve service, including service companies, product companies with service-based strategies, or companies shifting from a product focus to a service focus. The program will be most helpful for individuals who have the authority to initiate change across the organization. Participants might include:
- Leaders of customer service teams, inside sales teams, or other functions central to service delivery
- Executives in marketing, data analysis, or operations management
- Human resources executives concerned with driving internal service culture
While individuals are invited to attend, cross-functional teams of four or more executives will gain the most from this program. Team attendance fosters fruitful collaboration that will enhance the program's impact on your service capabilities.
Program for Leadership Development participants earn 5 PLDA Points on completion of this program.
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Who Should Attend
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Senior executives in either B2C or B2B companies wanting to improve service, including service companies, product companies with service-based strategies, or companies shifting from a product focus to a service focus. The program will be most helpful for individuals who have the authority to initiate change across the organization. Participants might include:
- Leaders of customer service teams, inside sales teams, or other functions central to service delivery
- Executives in marketing, data analysis, or operations management
- Human resources executives concerned with driving internal service culture
While individuals are invited to attend, cross-functional teams of four or more executives will gain the most from this program. Team attendance fosters fruitful collaboration that will enhance the program's impact on your service capabilities.
Program for Leadership Development participants earn 5 PLDA Points on completion of this program.
Learning and Living at HBS
When you participate in an Executive Education program on the HBS campus, you enter an immersive experience where every aspect of the learning model has been carefully designed to facilitate your growth. Your learning will take place on your own, in your living group, and in the larger classroom, driven by the renowned HBS case method.
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Learning and Living at HBS
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When you participate in an Executive Education program on the HBS campus, you enter an immersive experience where every aspect of the learning model has been carefully designed to facilitate your growth. Your learning will take place on your own, in your living group, and in the larger classroom, driven by the renowned HBS case method.
Admissions Criteria and Process
What You Will Learn
Through a rich learning experience that includes faculty presentations, case studies, hands-on workshops, and group discussions, this service management program prepares you to design and deliver transformational customer experiences. You will leave with a road map for creating a distinct and sustainable service model, maximizing customer engagement, enabling customers and employees to thrive, and securing a competitive edge in your industry.
Participants should expect to spend at least 9-12 hours on self-paced case preparation prior to attending the program. Case materials will be made available approximately two weeks prior to program start.
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What You Will Learn
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Through a rich learning experience that includes faculty presentations, case studies, hands-on workshops, and group discussions, this service management program prepares you to design and deliver transformational customer experiences. You will leave with a road map for creating a distinct and sustainable service model, maximizing customer engagement, enabling customers and employees to thrive, and securing a competitive edge in your industry.
Participants should expect to spend at least 9-12 hours on self-paced case preparation prior to attending the program. Case materials will be made available approximately two weeks prior to program start.
Key TopicsCollapse All
DesignDesign
- Making appropriate strategic tradeoffs in service design
- Differentiating on customer service
- Enabling and maintaining service excellence as you expand core services
- Ensuring that organizational capabilities are aligned with customer needs
- Addressing differences in customer segments and variations in customer compatibility
- Applying principles of human-centered service design to diagnose latent or unmet customer needs
ExecutionExecution
- Implementing new approaches to understanding, managing, and serving customers
- Creating conditions that lead to brilliant service execution and thriving employees
- Creating more satisfying customer experiences and managing the customer experience over time
- Leveraging technology for more effective service
- Employing service analytics for ongoing improvement
- Identifying innovative ways to fund service
TransformationTransformation
- Identifying opportunities to improve service design or create new service offerings
- Communicating the vision
- Leading change across your service organization
Faculty Office Hours
To address the specific challenges facing your company in a more personal way, this program includes optional faculty office hours. You will work directly with an HBS faculty member to identify opportunities for service improvement, determine the best tools and techniques for your company, and apply program lessons. These sessions will help you redefine your service vision, improve the design of your organization, enhance service execution, and lead customer experience transformation.
Team Benefits: Collaboration and Workshopping
Throughout the program, members of your company team will collaborate in diagnosing and addressing the challenges facing your organization. In addition, your team will work with a faculty member to identify shared objectives for service improvement and create an action plan for working together to drive the changes that will take service to the next level.
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Faculty Office Hours
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To address the specific challenges facing your company in a more personal way, this program includes optional faculty office hours. You will work directly with an HBS faculty member to identify opportunities for service improvement, determine the best tools and techniques for your company, and apply program lessons. These sessions will help you redefine your service vision, improve the design of your organization, enhance service execution, and lead customer experience transformation.
Throughout the program, members of your company team will collaborate in diagnosing and addressing the challenges facing your organization. In addition, your team will work with a faculty member to identify shared objectives for service improvement and create an action plan for working together to drive the changes that will take service to the next level.
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Team Benefits: Collaboration and Workshopping
-
To address the specific challenges facing your company in a more personal way, this program includes optional faculty office hours. You will work directly with an HBS faculty member to identify opportunities for service improvement, determine the best tools and techniques for your company, and apply program lessons. These sessions will help you redefine your service vision, improve the design of your organization, enhance service execution, and lead customer experience transformation.
Throughout the program, members of your company team will collaborate in diagnosing and addressing the challenges facing your organization. In addition, your team will work with a faculty member to identify shared objectives for service improvement and create an action plan for working together to drive the changes that will take service to the next level.
The HBS Advantage
Our Executive Education programs are developed and taught by HBS faculty who are widely recognized as skilled educators, groundbreaking researchers, and award-winning authors. Through their board memberships, consulting, and field-based research, they address the complex challenges facing business leaders across the globe
C. D. Spangler Professor of Business Administration
Edward W. Conard Associate Professor of Business Administration
Assistant Professor of Business Administration
UPS Foundation Professor of Service Management
Sicupira Family Associate Professor of Business Administration
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The HBS Advantage
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Our Executive Education programs are developed and taught by HBS faculty who are widely recognized as skilled educators, groundbreaking researchers, and award-winning authors. Through their board memberships, consulting, and field-based research, they address the complex challenges facing business leaders across the globe
Faculty Chair
C. D. Spangler Professor of Business Administration
HBS Unit:Technology and Operations ManagementFacultyEdward W. Conard Associate Professor of Business Administration
HBS Unit:Organizational BehaviorAssistant Professor of Business Administration
HBS Unit:Technology and Operations ManagementUPS Foundation Professor of Service Management
HBS Unit:Technology and Operations ManagementSicupira Family Associate Professor of Business Administration
HBS Unit:Technology and Operations Management