By Ilsa H. duVerney, ContributorTODAY'S SERVICE organisations have a completely different challenge from those in the past because customer expectations for service have increased dramatically. Many organisations use extraordinary service as a way to differentiate themselves and to create customer loyalty, which is a willingness to continue to be served and to speak well of the organisation.
WHAT IS SERVICE?
Service is a feeling a person has when served. Service is, therefore, emotional and depends on the situation. When excellent service is rendered, the service provider anticipates, meets and exceeds the needs of the customer. Excellent service even creates needs by focussing on the big picture and getting persons to buy. This service has no limits, and will go another mile and another mile and another mile, in satisfying the needs of the customer. Excellent service gives assistance and help, hence the provider will always ask and mean, "How may I help you?"
Service in today's world has taken on a new meaning. There is now the Social Compact, which means that we take turns serving each other. Today, you serve your customer and tonight, when you go to dinner, you may be served by one of the people you served during the day. We, therefore, are each others customers.
What is important, is that when we serve, we serve with dignity and respect and deference due to the person we serve, simply because he or she is the customer! When we become the customer, we expect the same in return. So service is no longer characteristic of a class of people - (the servant), service is now a profession and service is now a career.
THE HUMAN-BUSINESS MODEL
As we work with a customer, something is happening simultaneously on two levels: The Human Level and the Business Level.
Human and business interactions occur simultaneously when people communicate with one another. People get their human needs met while they are doing business or accomplishing objectives. We add to the customer's sense of well being by using Human Level interactions. Some human needs to be satisfied are: courteous treatment, attention and acceptance. When customers are upset, they will exhibit strong feelings. It is important to address those feelings on the Human Level, since unrecognised or unfulfilled human needs may disrupt the business portion and create a conflict situation which could be have extremely negative effects.. We should enter the conversation on the Human Level before doing business and we should exit through the Human Level as well. Entering and exiting all customer interactions through the Human Level helps customers feel cared about and well treated.
Customers want the product and/or service to be of high quality and they want to be cared about and treated well.
FACTORS THAT SATISFY
Research has shown that factors that make a satisfactory experience are:
- Ownership of the problem
- Exceeding expectations
- Rectify and apologise
- Personalised service
- Speed of response
- Positive attitude
- No blaming of the system
- FACTORS WHICH DISSATISFY
- No ownership of the problem
- No resolution - no apology
- Blaming the mistake on someone/something
- Couldn't care less attitude
THE CUSTOMER
We tend to speak of our customers as internal and external. A customer is not an outsider to our business, he or she is a part of it. We are dependent on the customer. Our customers become Queens and Kings, and it therefore becomes a case of, "Kings and Queens, serving Kings and Queens", to adapt the slogan of the Ritz Carlton.
A supplier provides quality products and or service to others so that they can complete their work. Internal customers are those persons who are dependent upon the timeliness, quality and accuracy of someone else's work. A Customer Service Provider becomes a Supplier to either external or internal customers. As a supplier, you have the responsibility to deliver quality work that meets, exceeds and delights your customer. Here, therefore, is a window of opportunity to deliver an output in a way that will enrich the experience of your customer. The goal therefore is to create a positive memorable customer experience.
ATTITUDE
The attitude in which we approach our service will dictate the quality of service. Our attitude should be Caring. Some suggestions by Leland and Bailey (1999):
- Learn to view your customer as the job rather than an interruption or a
disruption.
- Realise that your co-workers are your internal and treat them with the same
respect and care that you do your external customer
- Service excellence starts at the top, what leaders say about service is
not nearly as important as what they do.
- A customer-focussed company is created when the person at the top believes
that service is so critical to the success of the business that he or she
invests time, money and other resources as well as efforts to make this happen.
EXCELLENCE IN SERVICE
Service Excellence starts at the top. As a manager and leader, what you say about service is not nearly as important as what you do.
Create a plan of action for your company:
1. Put together a team whose job it is to create and implement the overall service improvement strategy
2. Write into your company mission statement a piece that stress the importance of service ...follow on with a Customer Service Vision...the new approach is to involve the whole system in the process of formulation.
3. Conduct staff/customer surveys at least annually to obtain feedback on how your company is providing service institute complaint or service improvement registers/logs at every point of customer contact.
4. Train, develop and coach staff and leaders in the skills needed in order to provide the best possible service.
5. Improve your processes and procedures through groups and quality circles.
6. Create and implement specific service standards - develop service charters.
7. Reward and Recognise your staff for service excellence - constantly re-evaluate.
THE WAY AHEAD
The forgoing should have hinted to us, that the age of the Customer Service Professional is fully upon us. Jamaica needs therefore to harness, develop, hone and maintain a cadre of customer service practitioners capable of delivering world class service. The socio-economic and socio technical challenges facing us in a global economy are monumental.
The global market place is in turmoil. Our leading foreign exchange earner, Tourism is severely challenged. We need to view Customer Service as potentially an abundant national resource which if utilised effectively can yield mega profits for our island. This will be dependent on how we seek to lift the quality and level of service delivery in ways that lead to performance excellence.
A journey of a thousand miles begins with one step. Last year, a small band of concerned persons, aiming to lift service standards and create a customer focussed island, came together and formed the Jamaica Association for Customer Service. This group of persons, striving to facilitate remarkable service offered by the Customer service professional, may be contacted through the Caribbean Business Forum in Kingston.
This article has merely skimmed the surface of this vast topic. The intention is to keep the topic on the front burner. Clearly this has got to be the start of an on going discussion. Globalisation has brought with it such topics as, Service in Cyberspace - the new frontier. Let's continue to talk about how we can proactively be more customer friendly and be customer centric.
SERVICE A WAY OF LIFE
The Japanese word kaisen, loosely translated means "small continuous improvements". This is saying that, if we continue to focus on the little everyday ways to improve service, we will find that over time, we will be able to face the world with confidence. In service, we are lifted up. Service excellence is a way of life. It is a continuous life-long process...Always ...at your service!
Contributed by: Ilsa H. duVerney HRD/Process Consultant, Customer Service Assessor and Trainer, Managing Director Productivity Plus Ltd (Ja). Please respond - Email: ppl.hrd.duv@cwjamaica.com
