8 fundamental steps to establish a culture of customer service
“The greatest asset of any company is its customers,
because without customers there is no company “
–Erwin Frand
During our recent weak economy, many businesses have experienced declining revenues and shrinking budgets. Declining budgets often lead to reduced levels of staff and diminished services. This doesn’t make sense to me. I think it’s during downtime that service needs to be at the forefront and loyal customer retention needs to be even more focused.
When price wars fail to generate revenue, companies often turn to the service to gain a competitive advantage. Many large company marketers are returning to the “service sells” mentality, yet many sell excellent customer service and few deliver. The problem is that few marketers have actually served a customer.
Throughout my years in the business, I have had the opportunity to interact and develop a philosophy of customer service. It is inherent that when you are in a service-based business, there will be times when your customer will be forced to provide feedback. It is what you do with these comments that will shape the future and their impression of your business.
On reflection, most of my interactions with unhappy customers were not the result of a poor product, but rather a disappointing customer experience. Why is that? Because the product is not personal, the customer service is. Briefly, I would like to share with you eight critical steps in establishing a culture of customer service.
1. Customers are the reason for work, not a work interruption.
This sounds really obvious, doesn’t it? How many times have you walked into a business just to wait while someone is on the phone or busy doing some “non-service” task? Employees often lose sight of the importance of the customer and are consumed with minor day-to-day tasks. Sure, there are tasks that need to be done, but you can’t afford to sacrifice service to get them done. Good customer service should be a priority for you and your team. Without your clients, you have no company!
2. Train, train and keep training.
o Train your entire staff to help a client regardless of their department. When a customer is upset, he wants his problem not to be resolved between employees who are not trained or trained to help him.
o Offer ongoing customer service training for your staff and once they are providing good service, continue to train them.
o Use role-play situations to help your staff recognize and experience both easy and difficult service opportunities. If an employee is comfortable with a difficult situation, they will be better able to handle it.
3. Train your staff to provide services
o Establish a resource system for its staff to serve the client. Allow them the freedom to take steps to provide exceptional service and resolve any issues should a customer feel unhappy. Create a structured system to allow your staff to serve customers.
o Establish a discretionary budget that an employee can access to win back a customer before you lose him. I recently learned that a major hotel chain has a cash fund available per year and per employee that allows them to go the extra mile to ensure exceptional service. This allows the employee to correct a mistake or create a “memorable” customer experience. I’m not advocating for big money, but when it comes to customer service, a little gesture can go a long way.
o Ask your staff what tools would allow them to provide better service. You wouldn’t send a firefighter into a burning building without the proper equipment. Not being able to empower and equip your staff with the tools necessary to serve your customer leaves you with few options other than poor service.
4. make the service personal
o Greet repeat customers by name, if possible.
o Offer a handshake and introduce yourself. Creating a service that is personal will not only retain customers, but will also help defuse difficult situations should they arise.
o Thank your customers for their patronage. It really makes a difference.
5. It’s okay to say “Yes”, even when you should say “No”
o Support your staff when they make customer service decisions. In my business, my policy is that an employee can act without worrying about repercussions, as long as it meets the customer’s needs. I have found that this creates a greater willingness to serve the customer.
o Many times you might say “no” to a customer, however, “no” can have huge implications on your business. Ask yourself, “Am I willing to potentially lose 10 customers as a result of this interaction?”
6. Offer a solution
o Move from the problem to the resolution process.
o Offer a choice among several options.
o Put yourself in their shoes.
o Involve the client in determining the solution.
o Clearly explain the limitations that exist.
7. Recognize your staff members for outstanding service
o Implement a customer service awards program that recognizes employees for exceptional customer service. You may have tried them without success and don’t think they work. I would agree if the show was like most of the ones I have seen. Try something different; Break the mold. One of my most successful clients offers spa treatments for their employees if a client goes out of their way to recognize them for their excellent service. Another client offers their employees a “paid day off” incentive for every five unsolicited positive customer comments they receive. These are just a few examples that are “out of the box”. Get creative and get your staff excited about customer service.
o Take the time to recognize employees at staff meetings. People want to make their mark and feel that they are important. Taking the time to acknowledge them in front of your peers can make a real difference.
8. Ask your customers what they think of your service.
The best way to know if you are satisfying customers is to ask them. Formal efforts could include customer surveys, questionnaires, interviews, or comment / suggestion cards. Informally, go out and talk to your customers and your staff. Ask them how they feel about the service you are providing. Ideally, use a combination of both methods.
You may be thinking, “Why should I go looking for trouble? Who knows what I might hear if I ask?” That is the point. As you will see from the statistics below, most customers will not express disappointment with your service levels. They will just go away and never come back. If you don’t ask about the quality of your service, you may make incorrect assumptions and feel that you can lower service levels because you receive few complaints and take your organization into areas that put off your customers or cause problems that you never intended.
On the other hand, asking your customers about their satisfaction sends a message that you care about your business and about them. While you may hear some criticism, you can also learn what you are doing right and see what you need to modify.
In addition to the information, you will benefit from the interaction. Every interaction is a customer service opportunity. Take advantage of each and every one.
Most of us continue to do business with people and companies that provide good service. We may not say anything, but we reward good service providers if they continue to do business with them. If the service is excellent, we will probably tell our friends and colleagues about it. Similarly, when we receive poor service, most of us vote, not with our voice, but with our feet, we just walk away.
In the 1980s, the White House Office of Consumer Affairs commissioned a report called the TARP study. The report revealed the following facts about dissatisfied customers:
96% of dissatisfied customers do not complain directly.
90% will not return.
A disgruntled customer will tell nine others.
13% will tell at least 20 other people
Superior customer service is one of the most difficult deliverables facing the business world today. Selling the service is the easy part, delivering on that promise offers a tremendous challenge. So I ask you, what can you do to improve the service you provide? Implement these eight steps and start to excel by delivering a superior customer culture today!
© Anthony Mullins – Elite Coaching Alliance 2005