Tips For “Service First”
How often do we see complaints in the newspapers, or TV news reports about an organisation’s poor customer service? When we look on Amazon or (in my case) the iTunes App Store and see comments about slow/non-existent response to complaints, do we want to buy that product or service?
In an age where many products and services can be copied, the key to survival is outstanding (not average) customer service. By the way, has anyone noticed how we never see reports of outstanding service – that’s not newsworthy!
What makes for a great “service first” culture? Answers differ, but some common points are:
Walk in your customer’s shoes:
What are their expectations, can we meet or even exceed them? How difficult would it be?
Listen (then listen again and listen some more):
We assume we “know what our customers want” (I’ve even heard this at committee meetings). Many of our assumptions, especially if not based on walking in our customers’ shoes, are just plain wrong.
Don’t use “your” jargon:
Every organisation has its own language or “verbal shorthand” to describe certain services, products or situations. Customers don't speak it, so don't use it with them in an effort to sound superior, it only annoys them.
Happy workplace = happy workers = happy customers:
What more needs to be said? If staff are happy in the workplace, it shows. Sir Richard Branson knows this.
The devil is in the detail:
We’re often frustrated by little things rather than major issues, but the little things are usually the first things to be ignored or neglected. Look at top-class restaurants to see how much time they spend getting the table setting exactly right before they seat you. How do people greet you when you come in? Do they smile?
We can’t please everyone:
Despite our best efforts, we’ll get things wrong and some people will be unhappy. It's a fact of life. We can't let this distract or dishearten us.
If business grows, so must the service:
Does everyone eat, sleep and breathe the same service culture? As business owners, we’re passionate about what we do, but do we communicate this effectively to others and explain our expectations?
If you’ve got it, flaunt it! Improve the rest:
We need to exploit our strengths and what we’re good at, whilst continuously looking to improve where we need to. Over time, this may change, so we can't get complacent.
Deliver more than they expect - always:
We make our customers feel important by going the proverbial “extra mile”. Why do some people pay more for “Business Class”?
Adopt, adapt, improve:
This is the motto of the Round Table movement of which I was once a member. It’s one of the credos by which I’ve lived, adopting methods that work, adapting them to changing times and, where I can, improving on them. In business, the old cliché “What got you here won't get you there” is highly apposite. We can’t afford to get complacent as that’s where the competition will move in – fast!
Labels: Customer Care, Strategy
posted by William Martin @ 13:30
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
Subscribe to Post Comments [Atom]
<< Home