The other day I noticed a “No Wait” policy posted in a grocery store. The sign declared, “We guarantee that you will no longer experience long lines. When we see more than three people in line, we will open a new register immediately”
I had plenty of time to read the sign … there were six people in line ahead of me!
If a company boasts about it’s customer service policies and then fails to deliver the promised service, it actually does more damage than if it had never created the standards in the first place. When this occurs, customer trust is replaced by skepticism.
Customer service standards are only as good as the people who enforce them. Business leaders are filled with good intentions … but good intentions don’t count. When it comes to the delivery of service, the only things that do count are the actions that customers actually experience.
- When developing customer service standards for your organization, make sure they can realistically be supported through current staffing and budget.
- Customer service standards need to be simple and easy to implement. (101 Ways to Build Customer Loyalty)
- Training should be provided at all levels of the organization so every employee knows the following:
- WHAT customer service actions are expected of them.
- HOW to deliver great customer service.
- WHEN to make exceptions in order to make the customer happy.
- WHY their role in customer service is important to their career and the success of the organization.
- A recognition program needs to be in place in order to reward employees for delivering great customer service.
- Accountability guidelines need to be communicated so employees know how their workplace behavior will be measured.
- They also need to clearly understand the consequences when they fail to meet the service standards.
