Is Customer Service the North Star of Your Business?
By David Saxby
What comes to mind when you hear the words "the North Star"? Bright and
shining . . . steadfast . . . a guiding light . . . the brightest star.
Would your customers say that the service your business delivers is like
the North Star . . . steadfast and a shining example of a quality customer
service experience? Is your business the guiding light and model of what
creates a quality experience?
Every day, customers call your company for a variety of reasons, most
likely because they need someone to help them solve a problem, answer a
question or take their order. The course of that conversation may determine
whether the customer is willing to create a long-term relationship with your
organization. Do your customers want to choose you above the rest?
Each one of your customers is an individual and, therefore, each one has
different needs. The skills your employees demonstrate either meet your
customer’s needs or not. From their greeting to the expressed appreciation to
the customer for their business, your employees’ front-line performance can
make the difference between a loyal customer or one who dials the next phone
number looking for a business that will give them what they want, the business
that will be the brightest star in the sky!
Set the standard – Train every employee on how each customer should be
greeted. Role play with employees to make sure they have first-hand experience
as to what the standard means. Does each employee clearly understand why that
standard is important? One of the Hilton Hotel’s standards states that "Calls
will be on hold for 30 seconds or less. After 30 seconds, the caller will be
given the option to hold or receive a return call."
Customer feedback – Implement a system to measure the customer service
experience from the customer’s point of view. Unfortunately, it only takes one
poor experience to convince your customer they should take their business
elsewhere. Ask your customers what is working well and what needs improvement
and then share this feedback with your employees.
Become a coach – John Wooden was one of the greatest collegiate
basketball coaches in history. Wooden kept diaries on each of his players. He
kept track of the small improvements he felt they could make and then, at the
end of practice, he would share these thoughts with each player. His unique
insight and his unprecedented achievements – a .806 winning percentage, 19
conference championships, 10 national championships, seven straight national
tiles and four unbeaten seasons – have stood the test of time. What a North
Star!
Enlist your managers to be coaches to their employees. You need to be your
managers’ North Star. Guide them by providing the training that will give them
the skills they need to work with frontline employees. Include training on
ways to improve negative behavior and conflict resolution.
Recognition – Recognition is a powerful tool! The sad truth is that
many companies do nothing beyond base pay to recognize their employees for
performance above and beyond. Implement a recognition program to reward
employees for exceeding your standards. Reward them for handling difficult
situations with customers.
For a winning combination, recognition should be both private and public –
a hand-written thank-you note, a letter to the employee’s family or a plaque
or trophy with their name engraved are all simple ways to recognize stellar
performance. And don’t forget that timing is everything! To have impact, the
recognition needs to be as soon as possible after the demonstrated behavior.
Make it fun – Employees deal with customers who are in a variety of
emotional states ranging from one end of the spectrum to the other. Every day,
they are faced with solving the customer’s problem. Teach them how to handle
emotional issues and how to create solutions to a customer’s problem.
You have an opportunity to demonstrate to your staff how much you value
them by also teaching them how to reduce their stress level at work. Provide
an area where they can unwind. Create fun breaks where they can forget about
that last frustrating experience.
Your employees are the key to long-term customer loyalty and repeat and
referral business. Your investment to improve your employees’ skills and
attitude will have a direct, positive impact on your bottom line. Are you
dedicated to providing North Star service?
David Saxby is president of Measure-X, a Phoenix, Ariz.-based measurement,
training and recognition company that specializes in customer service and
sales skills training for utilities. He can be reached at 888-644-5499 or via
e-mail at
david@measure-x.com. Visit the Measure-X Web site at
www.measure-x.com.
