3 Problems, 3 Solutions: save your customer experience with Service Design

A unified customer experience strengthens a company’s competitiveness, engages customers, and drives business growth—but it doesn’t happen automatically. We present three common customer experience development challenges and the tools service design offers to address them.

Problem 1: Repeating established routines on autopilot

Many organizations follow routines out of habit, not necessarily for any well-founded reason.

“Routines often go unquestioned. Service designers examine why things are done in a certain way and whether changing them could save time, money, effort, or simplify overly complex processes,” says Paula Peltomaa, Senior Designer in Service & Business Design at HiQ.

Service Design development projects don’t aim to provide ready-made solutions but to assess genuine needs and find suitable ways forward for the organization.

“When the reasons behind recurring actions are understood, their importance and necessity can be evaluated from a business and resource perspective. A service designer keeps asking ‘why’ until they reach the root need.”

Solution: Service designers identify the underlying needs, uncovering the reasons and justifications behind operations. Service design also allows for exploring the potential benefits of trying new approaches. 

Problem 2: Lack of clarity on how one's work connects to the organization and customer experience

“Experts know their own area best, but they may not have enough time to develop it within daily operations. If they weren’t initially involved in process planning, it can be hard to see how their work connects to other units,” says Peltomaa.

The service blueprint is a powerful tool for visualizing processes. It enables everyone to see how their unit's actions impact the customer experience and revenue.

“A service blueprint illustrates the workflow, for instance, when a customer submits an online form: does it go to customer service or sales first, then to a specialist or business unit leader?”

“With the entire chain visible, it’s easy to identify process gaps and improvement needs. Such discussions are hard without visualization, as terminology may vary, leading to misunderstandings,” Peltomaa summarizes.

Solution: The service blueprint makes connections across units visible and helps people understand how their work impacts others. This big-picture view helps identify improvement areas and enables consistent terminology in discussions. 

Problem 3: The more siloed the organization, the more fragmented the customer experience

A unified customer experience strengthens competitiveness, engages customers, and supports long-term business growth. Yet many companies operate in isolated silos across units and regions.

“If a company has multiple digital channels and operates in different countries, work is often done in silos. Norway, for example, offers a broader service range, Sweden has higher brand recognition, and operations in Finland are highly localized. Each country’s mobile app might differ in look, function, and offering,” says Peltomaa.

“If no one considers the overall customer experience, both business operations and customer experience become fragmented.”

Cohesion not only enhances customer satisfaction but also streamlines operations.

Senior Designer, Service & Business Design, HiQ

Paula Peltomaa

Problems arise when solutions to common challenges are developed with differing perspectives and priorities, often influenced by internal interests.

“Listening to people is a core skill of service design. The service designer brings together different organizational stakeholders. Instead of presenting ready-made solutions, the service designer helps people discover them on their own. This way, knowledge of processes remains within the organization,” says Peltomaa.

Achieving alignment can involve methods like kickoff events, interviews, and workshops with representatives from various areas.

“When an organization understands the overall impact of its operations on customer experience, it can create a cohesive, improved service journey. This not only enhances customer satisfaction but also streamlines operations. Service design is, therefore, key to success.”

Solution: The service designer identifies and unites relevant stakeholders—from business owners to IT specialists, marketing, and customer service. Service design enables a comprehensive view of customer experience, ultimately boosting business efficiency.