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Part 1 .- .2 .- .3 .- . 4 .- .5 |
The
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This final article of the series ties together everything we have covered so far with the most important factor found in all great companies: outstanding dedication to serving the customer.
The best
companies in the world are absolutely clear about establishing customer service
as the top priority. From the quality of the product and the appearance of
the store, to the way they answer the phone and how they handle complaints,
they are completely obsessed with delivering a superior customer service experience
every time. The fact of the matter is there are more choices than ever for
consumers and their tolerance for poor service or delays is diminishing daily.
If you do not take care of your customers – somebody else soon will
be.
How do you achieve excellent customer service? Here are just a few ideas:
1 » A leading cause of service mishaps is aiming at the wrong target. Definitions of good service vary by industry, by channel of distribution, by type of product, by class of customer and by the service levels of your competitors. Ask your customers specifically what they consider “great” service – then build all your systems around giving it to them. You might be surprised at what they tell you!
2 » Make delivering superior customer service (as defined by your customers) the major focus of your business. Steep your employees in absurd amounts of training, celebrate exceptional service encounters, reward employees that go above and beyond for the customer. In all industries, when competitors are roughly matched, those that stress customer service will win.
3 » Mystery shop your business to make sure the levels of customer service you demand are being met. If people are not held accountable for delivering your service vision – it will begin to slip. Also check out your competitors to see where they are doing well – and poorly.
In business schools across the world, students are taught that the goal of every business is: “to serve customers profitably.” What they don’t teach them is that in most cases the company that serves customers the best also makes the most profit. Your customers pay your bills, they feed your family, they bought you your car – treat them accordingly and they will be back time and time again.
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Part 1 .- .2 .- .3 .- . 4 .- .5 |
The
Five Keys to Building |
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© 2008 John Spence - Designed by Flycaster
& Company