At its core, customer service is about building relationships. It’s about understanding what your customer or users’ needs are and then going above and beyond to meet those needs. The same philosophy can and should be applied to the research process. It’s a risk that some research teams get bogged down in the details and lose sight of the bigger picture: their customers or users.

The research process is a lot like customer service. You start with a customer who has a problem that needs to be solved. Once you understand the problem, you then set out to find the best solution possible. And finally, you present your findings in a clear and easy to understand format.

The key to providing excellent research services is to keep the customer focus front and center throughout the entire process. Here are a few ways to do that:

1. Start With the Right Questions

Before you even begin your research, make sure you fully understand the request and have all of the pertinent information from your user. The richer detail and more specific the request, the better. This will help ensure that you are on the right track from the very beginning and could potentially save you a lot of time down the road. illumin can help you collect and record relevant information relating to your users’ research questions, regardless of how they’re submitted.

2. Communicate Early and Often

Once you start your research, it’s important to keep users updated on your progress. illumin allows you to provide updates from one centralized location and you’re also able to collect and record feedback. This will help build trust between you and your user. After all, they are entrusting you with an important research or request query, so it’s important that they feel confident in your ability to see it through.

3. Be Prepared For Anything

No matter how well you prepare, there will always be bumps in the road during any research process. The important thing is to be flexible and adaptable as new challenges arise. And if all else fails, remember that there is no such thing as a dumb question—so don’t hesitate to ask for help when you need it!

By following these tips, you’ll be well on your way to becoming a trusted advisor for your users and by reporting on key deliverables, evaluating research quality and assessing training needs, you can ensure that your team is productive, efficient, and delivering a high-quality work product.

Remember that communication and relationship-building are key when it comes to providing excellent research services. In other words, always keep your eye on the prize (i.e. solving problems)! Partnering with Softlink IC to deliver illumin to your research team will help lighten your research workload. Watch this 30-minute webinar to find out more.

If you want the tools to make your knowledge or information more accessible to your user, contact us and one of Softlink IC’s Sales staff will show you how.