Comments on: Customer Service, Where Is It?

By: Pat

Pat — Mon, 26 Jul 2010 18:54:26 +0000

Customer service covers a multitude of areas such as presentation, cleanliness, etc. The problem is that upper management has a difficult time staying focused on one key area. If it’s that important, you talk about it every day and define what your standards are for customer service. Keep it simple and consistent in your leadership message and people will understand what you expect. Unfortunately, I have been part of management teams that have the “focus du jour” and while everyone is scrambling to meet the new BIG focus, the key focus which is the customer must not get lost. So, how do you do both? You create options for getting it done, but you can’t talk out of both sides of your mouth. Perception is reality for a customer… and if you’re not on the ball, she/he becomes someone else’s customer. By the way, sales conversion would increase dramatically if everyone was focused on the CLIENT.

By: Leseh

Leseh — Mon, 26 Jul 2010 18:53:31 +0000

There needs to be a clear expectation of what good service looks like. Model and teach the behavior to your people. What one person thinks might be a “right” decision may not be a good decision at all. The unexpected reality is how far can we go to please the customer? While we can teach our people to use common sense and simply do what ever the client needs, what happens when the demand is so great that the client could walk away dissatisfied? What is a “life time guarantee” for products? As our world becomes more blame driven we need to teach out associates better how to truly anticipate needs and simply do what what is right to keep clients happy and themselves in business.

By: Adip

Adip — Mon, 26 Jul 2010 18:52:08 +0000

After spending over 35 years in Customer Service – my experience are following:
1. This is more said and less practiced. Even if there is a beginning but not much effort to continue.

2. Lack of focus could be due to the fact that (a) it is not easy and (b) it costs and benefits are long term. Most Managers are measured only ‘short term’.
3. A good customer service helps to build the brand more than the bottom line and these days few Chairman’s might be interested. Once they commit rest can be done including culture development.

By: Eve

Eve — Mon, 26 Jul 2010 18:51:10 +0000

It is lack of knowledge and realization on the part of the top management that without real and sincere customer service they cannot continue in business for long
The spreading of this culture among employees requires really a well planned tested effective program

By: Berri

Berri — Mon, 26 Jul 2010 18:50:15 +0000

I am not sure Good Customer Service is dead; rather it has been buried deep within the organization. In my business I have trained every employee, regardless if they are in the shipping/receiving dept. or front of store ~ everyone needs to be focused on the customer, and that means internal and external.
I am an avid believer and practice servant leadership and have done everything I have asked others to do. Good customer service has to be organization-wide; if it is not, what is the point? Today, companies are looking for ways to reduce processes and espenses, expand their market reach at the expense of customer service. Management at all levels are too busy focusing on other tasks but if they would benchmark each and every employee on CS skills they may find that some processes will work themselves out and their bottom line will improve. You have to evaluate your customer service and when you think it is just right, find ways to improve upon it. One example, I was recently consulting with a large department store regarding their marketing & merchandising process so their website perfectly represented their store and the one piece of advice I had for them is train your staff on customer service both in store and online ~ get to know your customer through listening and engagement. I am hopeful that small to large companies will stop for a moment and give an honest grade on their service and look for ways to improve it from top down, down up and all points in between.

By: Lee

Lee — Mon, 26 Jul 2010 18:48:59 +0000

I believe the culture comes from the top. If customer service is a high priority, no exception…people will be trained that way by strong inspiring leaders who illustrate the importance of the customer. Consumers have choices, and in this economy can anyone really afford to lose customers over something so simple as service? Follow up is equally as important as strong leadership and great training. Mystery shops are a great way to inspect what you expect and provide a great platform for discussion at annual review time! Poor customer service should not be tolerated by any employer regardless of the job description. Why would one accept mediocrity when you can inspire employees to greatness and serve them better in the long run.

By: Nette

Nette — Mon, 26 Jul 2010 18:46:29 +0000

John you hit this right on. It starts with Leadership and their Mission. If employees are developed, trained and cared for the “real” customer service will thrive. It is definitely the trickle down effect. It takes time , money and effort to create “good customer service”.
Few companies succeed at it but, most fail miserably.
When I was a student it was repeated multiple times that for a company to thrive it has to have great customer service. It is true.

By: John

John — Sun, 25 Jul 2010 19:12:44 +0000

From a Reader:
Customer service is not dead, it is just not the key priority it used to be. What has happened to legendary customer service? I’m talking about the kind of service that used to set companies apart and gave them a competitive edge. Where have all those companies gone? How often do you hear about a business being praised for exceeding customers’ expectations? Why do we seldom hear stories about employees becoming legends by going above and beyond the call of duty to satisfy a customer? As I ask these questions, I can’t help but remember the times when I was a youngster and my mother would ask the “what-ever-happened-to” questions. I could tell in her voice that she had a longing for something that was lost or missing, something that was no doubt better ‘then’ or better ‘when’. It turns out that my mother was right when she said, “When you get older, you will see things more clearly,” because now that I am older, I can clearly see that the whole concept of customer service has changed.
There was a time when customer satisfaction was a strategic initiative, a tactic that nearly every organization strived to implement in order to gain a competitive advantage. In the not-so-distant past, we came to expect “fabled service” from companies like Nordstrom, for example. And remember how McDonald’s earned its reputation for flawlessly serving customers across the United States and then around the world, while at the same time offering minimum wage teenagers an opportunity to grow with the business, making it well worth “service with a smile”.
State-of-the-art customer service will rise again as like most business focus reverts back on its cyclical path. You will soon start to hear about GEMS (Great Employees Managing Service) and TIPS (Target Incentive Pay Systems) as business leaders start to realize that consumer buying behaviors have changed, perhaps forever, due to the economy…and there will be renewed emphasis on delivering outstanding customer service.

By: John

John — Sat, 24 Jul 2010 21:42:45 +0000

You are so right Elle! It IS all about building the relationship. If we all focused on that aspect customer service would be first rate all around!

By: Elle

Elle — Sat, 24 Jul 2010 21:38:37 +0000

It’s all about relationships. Serving a customer well means you are building trust; confidence whereby they feel you truly have their best interest in mind. If you get to know your customers, what they are looking for, what their taste is, how much they are willing to spend, and show respect and interst in them, you build a relationship. Call them to check on their purchase; how is it working out? Call them on their birthday. Let them know about upcoming events, sales, or if it’s time to replenish. Don’t have it? Special order it. Always go the extra mile. Build a relationship – give them a reason to only want to shop with you. That’s what customer service is all about. Relationships!