| Four Service Strategies That Improve Business | | | | of customer contact. Accordingly, you must |
| by Mark Akerley | | | | provide your front-line people with the tools and |
| Other than monopolists, everyone agrees that | | | | authority to meet customer needs. Your service |
| good customer service is a fundamental necessity | | | | providers will thank you if you do - and if you |
| for the success of his business - great service | | | | take care of them they'll take care of your |
| seems to be synonymous with great companies. | | | | customers. |
| Since service is so critical, it only makes sense | | | | Whether you're a one person shop or a |
| that you realistically assess your level of service | | | | multinational conglomerate, these service |
| and find ways to maximize it. Here are a few | | | | strategies will work for you. Put them to work |
| simple but very effective tips for improving | | | | and you'll experience great results! |
| service in your business. | | | | If Everybody Agrees, Somebody is Redundant by |
| 1. Develop a Clear Picture of Superior Service. | | | | Rand Golletz |
| Providing "excellent customer service" is a great | | | | I always ask a client, "What do you do to |
| goal, but just isn't specific enough to generate any | | | | stimulate disagreement in your organization?" Most |
| real action or commitment. As a business leader, | | | | of the time, the response is, "huh?" Once in a |
| you must identify exactly what it is that you | | | | while, the client will state with pride that she rarely |
| intend to provide. In doing so, be sure to get | | | | encounters disagreement, that the people in her |
| beyond the platitudes of "fast," "friendly," and | | | | organization serve at her pleasure and almost |
| "reliable" to the specifics of service deliverables, | | | | always do her bidding without question. |
| e.g., one-day turn around, twenty-second call | | | | Infrequently, I'll get a response from a leader who |
| waiting, error-free contracts, 24/7 availability, | | | | "gets it." In this case, here's what "gets it" means: |
| 99% accurate listings, etc., - something that | | | | Successful leaders recognize that great ideas and |
| customers deem valuable! Only by defining | | | | solutions come from all quarters and that they, |
| superior service and communicating it clearly to | | | | themselves, do not have the market on wisdom |
| your front-line people, can you deliver it and | | | | cornered. They start with the end in mind. That |
| delight your customers. | | | | end is the achievement of planned results and the |
| 2. Define, Analyze, and Track Service Metrics. | | | | fulfillment of the organization's mission. They |
| Reporting service results is not nearly as difficult | | | | accept the notion that the right to impose their |
| as some make it out to be …. provided | | | | will does not automatically confer the wisdom to |
| that clear expectations have been established as | | | | use it judiciously and infrequently. These unusually |
| referenced in # 1 above. Keep in mind that if you | | | | gifted leaders "walk their talk." They take actions |
| can't measure it, it is unlikely that you can | | | | to demonstrate their commitment to "the brutal |
| improve it. To develop useful service measures, | | | | truth," regardless of its origin. |
| determine the "unit of count" for the measure, | | | | Some examples of what successful leaders do: |
| e.g., hours, days, points, dollars, number of errors, | | | | • They always encourage and |
| etc., and develop a method of gathering the | | | | sometimes reward people for disagreement. They |
| information. Technologically generated counts are | | | | never "shoot the messenger." |
| ideal, but if that's not possible don't let that deter | | | | • They employ language in |
| you. A well-thought-out manual counting process, | | | | decision-making meetings that evokes contrary |
| or a reasonable sample, is much better than no | | | | points-of-view. |
| measure at all. Also, when tracking and analyzing | | | | • They read body language really well. |
| the measures, do so with comparisons in mind. | | | | When they see people signaling disagreement, |
| Report the result, but also the goal, as well as | | | | they insist on its expression. |
| previous results over a meaningful time frame | | | | • They hire people whose perspectives, |
| (week, month, quarter, etc.). Finally, post the | | | | preconceptions, ideas and approaches to problem |
| results using simple but vivid graphs and charts | | | | solving differ from their own. They construct their |
| that don't just report a number, but really | | | | team with an eye out for mavericks. |
| communicate a larger story or condition. As the | | | | • They constantly and consistently |
| saying goes - "a picture is worth a thousand | | | | ratchet-up expectations - of themselves as well |
| words." | | | | as others. |
| 3. Develop Recovery Strategies. Although we | | | | • They are life-long learners. |
| design our business operations to perform | | | | • They model the essence of |
| flawlessly, it is unlikely that they will ever be | | | | constructive conflict in their own demeanor. |
| perfect. Unexpected events are inevitable and will | | | | • They use questions to stimulate |
| periodically throw our carefully crafted processes | | | | dialogue. Effective executives - especially senior |
| out of control. The best buffer for these events | | | | executives or business-owners - accept the |
| is to have a set of options available for out of | | | | proposition that while earlier in their careers they |
| control conditions. Options that can be put into | | | | got paid to have good answers, they now get |
| action by service providers using their best | | | | paid to ask great questions. When someone |
| judgment and acting decisively. Examples might be | | | | proposes an idea to increase sales, for example, |
| comp-ing a room night at a hotel, sending a | | | | an effective executive might ask: "What do you |
| package next day delivery at no charge, returning | | | | think the implications are for our order-fulfillment |
| a customer call after closing hours, giving a | | | | commitments?" or "What were the alternatives |
| customer a free gift for their patience, providing | | | | you considered before making this |
| an extra service at no charge, etc. These types | | | | recommendation?" |
| of on-the-spot actions tell customers that you're | | | | Questions are powerful. They can facilitate |
| doing your best to resolve their problem. The | | | | executive learning; they can impart a more |
| extra expense is small, but keeps customers | | | | strategic perspective; they can reveal the quality |
| coming back. To be useful, these actions need to | | | | of thinking that went into a recommendation. |
| be initiated at the point of customer contact and | | | | All too often, questions get asked with implied |
| immediately. Demonstrating that you care is | | | | judgment or with the tone of an indictment. They |
| always good customer service. | | | | can, however, serve much more powerful |
| 4. Develop a Passion of Support for Front Line | | | | purposes. |
| Personnel - Your business reputation depends on | | | | Copyright 2006 Value Connection, All rights |
| the quality of the service provided by the first line | | | | reserved. |