The other day I was asked if there was a model or magic formula for delivering good service. My initial reaction was to say "Of course not! It's a very complicated and multifaceted thing. That's why you have to hire someone like me to help you design and deliver a great customer experience!"My second reaction was to feel guilty for my first reaction.
It's not that I don't believe there is a lot entailed in delivering an exceptional customer experience. I'd be a fool to be in this business if that were the case. However, that's not what was being asked. My colleague simply wanted to know what one needed to do to deliver 'good' service; and to be honest, it doesn't take a model or formula to define that. It can be captured in a single word:
CARE!
Truth is most companies (read the people that work for them) either don't care, or don't care enough. They are so caught up in their own needs and wants, they've lost sight of the needs and wants of the customer. That's why words like "they just don't care" are so often at the root of the ever growing number of customer complaints and horror stories we hear.
How many companies can you think of that really seem to care?
C is for Customers - they always come first
A is for Appreciate - they are the very life blood of your business R is for Respect - their beliefs and mannerisms may be different than yours
E is for Enthusiasm, Energy, Equality, Excitement, Empathy - and all the other 'E' words that define how you should interact with them.
A is for Appreciate - they are the very life blood of your business R is for Respect - their beliefs and mannerisms may be different than yours
E is for Enthusiasm, Energy, Equality, Excitement, Empathy - and all the other 'E' words that define how you should interact with them.
Now I feel better.
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Hi Jim,
ReplyDeleteI really like this one.
Thanks for sharing.
Best regards,
Al
Jim,
ReplyDeleteANOTHER cracker. I think I might forward it to
O2 - my landline supplier
Talk - Talk my mobile provider
AA - my car insurance provider
Banham - alarm services,
and every other call centre IDIOT that I have spoken with in the past month.
Jim, NEVER try to live in UK again.It is getting worse by the day. Can you guess why?
NOBODY CARES!
Well done Sir!
Bestest Ray
Jim,
ReplyDeleteYour posts are great. Simple, to the point, and right on target. Although I don't comment often, I definitely enjoy reading the posts.
Ray, it sounds like UK phone centre staff are really underperforming. Phone reps have a tough job. It's a challenge to care when you are taking anywhere from 40 to hundreds of calls per day on the same or similar issues. Often call centre staff have little or no opportunity to do work other than the phone work, or the expectations set out for them demand no more than what we're hearing. I know this is not an excuse, but it is satisfying when as consultants we can focus on agent environment and support structure in addition to their personal performance.
- Esther