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