When was the last time you experienced really great service? Where did you find it? Was it at your local retail store or were you bowled over by great customer service via a technical support site?
Maybe it came from a small shop, a start-up business, or even a global company with service centers around the world.
Those who know me find out early on how passionate I am about service. I’ve spent most of my career delivering great service to my customers, whether internal to the company or external.
This is both a blessing and a curse for those who now serve me. The blessing because when I receive it I scream it from the rooftops (well, not literally), but I do share it with my personal network. Over and over again. And the curse? Well, I share that as well.
Getting the Basics Right
What makes the difference between good and great service? It’s the unexpected things that go beyond someone just doing their job. I want to be treated to the same level of service when I have a problem as when you excitedly made the initial sale.
Please keep in mind that consistency isn’t about continuing to do the same level of service, but surprising me with innovative ways you’ve improved the service since the last time I visited.
An example of great service in my own backyard, comes from a family-run European-style coffee house that opened in my neighborhood where competitors surround it like the three men on the boat in the movie Jaws.
Just the place to hang out, Bellano Coffee not only makes great coffee (expected), offers their own Internet connection at no cost (a plus), but their personal level of service to customers continues to wow me!
Influential Selling
Years ago I wrote a customer letter to the folks at Virgin-Atlantic because my daughter and I had experienced outstanding service from one of their flight attendants in Coach, no less. I must have shocked them with my outpouring (most folks write letters when they receive bad service), because I received a personal response that was as surprised as it was sincere.
Great customer service personnel really do see problems as opportunities. Great service is about the perspective we take and our response to handling problems that make the difference.
I once helped start-up a call center where I worked 10–hour days dealing with nothing but problems. I know the pain of listening to someone scream for three minutes without seemingly stopping to take a breath! Stepping back to understand the bigger picture of how to handle the problem for this customer isn’t easy, but it’s key to delivering great service.
Check out The Kevin Eikenberry Group and its blog category on customer service for another perspective on the topic.
Keeping the Entrepreneurial Spirit Alive
How can companies keep the spirit of entrepreneurial service alive?
- Continue to monitor service performance if you outsource your customer service function.
- Take good care of your best service personnel and quickly remove those who don’t value great service.
- Hire well – explore if someone really values service before you invest in full training.
- Define service level expectations at the start and hold personnel accountable for delivering to this level.
- Provide service personnel with the tools they need to do their job – don’t set them up to fail.
- Continue to invest in your service personnel through training, coaching, and mentoring.
- Provide ongoing, targeted feedback that helps them grow and keeps them thriving.
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