Why creating service excellence is important?
Today’s working environment is fast paced, dynamic and forever changing.
This impact’s directly on both the internal, external customer and creating service excellence.
The question that has to be asked is – who is responsible for customer service in your organisation?
The answer, is anyone who has contact with the customer, either directly or indirectly that is providing a level of customer service. It could be anyone from: administration, design, manufacturing, distribution or human resources to name a few areas in the workplace.
Essentially when it comes to creating service excellence, everyone is responsible for servicing internal or external customers.
The effective leader will constantly ask the two following questions in regards to the people and functions, that link up to final delivery to the customer in the service chain. They are:
Who delivers the product to the external customers?
Who provides a product or service to the internal customers?
The big questions…
By asking these questions, the busy and often overworked leader can easily identify their service chain. From here, it is important that every person in the service chain clearly understands the impact of their behaviours and actions.
These questions will ensure that each person is then focused on creating service excellence in the following four areas:
Develop customer orientated systems, not company orientated systems.
Review existing internal processes with the objective to make them work better.
Keep in mind that your customers want to know that they are a priority above the inner workings of the company.
Make sure that you focus all of your efforts on your customers; then let the internal processes follow.
Respond quickly to your customers enquiries. Research has shown that the longer it takes to respond, the less likely your customer is to deal with you in the future. It has also been shown that for each customer you have who is dissatisfied, there are 24 others that will never tell you they are unhappy.
Keep the attitude positive when it comes to service delivery. It’s a moment by moment attitude choice. Remember, the most communication (positive and negative) is observed through body language not so much as in words. Your customers can clearly “see” what kind of day you are having.
Ask your customers for their honest feedback. Stop and listen to both your internal and external customers. Find out how you can serve them better by meeting their specific needs. Remember to respond to what they say.
Treat your internal and external customers with integrity and respect. You’ll find that this could be the competitive edge you have been looking for. All too often, basic common courtesy has become a thing of the past in many busy workplaces.
It’s recommended that the following key points for creating service excellence:
Focus your energy and efforts on satisfying your customer’s specific needs
Make them feel unique by listening to them and help them to solve their problems.
Become their champion and treat them well. By doing so it will make both your day and theirs a better one!
The challenge is how do you attract, acquire and hold onto loyal clients so they don’t leave you.
The leadership challenge
The ever-changing face of industry creates a challenging job when it comes to benchmarking performance.
In the face of economic Boom, Bust and Population spikes, maintaining the reliability and the standard of customer service has become more of a challenge for many organisations when it come to creating service excellence.
The progressive leader will focus on developing initiatives that focus on development the competence, commitment and capability of a flexible workforce. Many will tap into Government funded initiatives that allows them to engage new labour markets including:
Local students
Indigenous groups
Working holiday-makers
Skilled migrants
Many organisations will take part in expo’s to attract workers from various locations (local and overseas) to come and work with them.
Today, leaders within business are working closer with industry on effective new customer service programs and initiatives that will ultimately result in heightening business income and productivity.
