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Article #67: Service is More Than a Smile

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






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