Customer Service Continued from page 57
and enthusiasm, for a while. Eventually other business issues overwhelm the executive team. Again, this is natural and to be expected. Mechanisms must be implemented, however, that keep customer service on the corporate radar screen. Each executive must select a regular meeting in which customer service issues will always be a part of the meeting agenda, forever. Attendees must be prepared to discuss service progress and challenges faced by their respective workgroups. The tendency will be to let the subject drop off the agenda as time goes on. Truly committed organizations will not allow that to happen.
At least once a year, most CEOs conduct a“ state of the organization” address. A standing part of such an address should include significant time dedicated to customer service issues – successes and challenges. This is a marvelous time to recognize the service heroes in the organization. If it has been a year since the top executive of your company has significantly demonstrated his / her commitment to service excellence in a public and company-wide manner, it is time for him / her to do it again.
Refresh the visible communications mechanisms to let employees know that the initiative is alive and well. include customer service factors?
• Have all job descriptions been revised to ensure that customer service is reflected as a significant job expectation for everyone?
• Does your organization have a rigorous succession planning process to ensure that only those who truly live the organization’ s values are promoted up the corporate ladder?
• Are merit increases and bonuses connected to customer service performance?
• Has new hire orientation been revised to include the key messages of the service initiative?
• Are on-the-job trainers carefully selected as service role models? Are they trained to be effective trainers? Have all training materials been updated with the latest service content?
• Have your employees attended formalized customer service refresher training in the last year?
• Has the interview / selection process been revised to ensure that the company is hiring service-oriented employees and modeling the company’ s service values?
• Are ongoing customer satisfaction measurement systems in place? Are the results communicated to everyone in the organization?
• Does the executive team visibly and publicly demonstrate their commitment to the service improvement process on a regular basis?
• Is there ongoing communication regarding customer service that is up-to-date, fresh and creative?
Any question to which your answer is“ no” or“ not really” is an area that should be addressed immediately if you are to keep a service improvement initiative alive. I admit that there is a lot there. But if you are truly committed to creating a culture of service excellence, these are the areas that will yield a long-term payoff.
2017 Issue 4 | GearedUp
Ongoing Communication
Take a look at the posters, flyers, etc. that were produced and posted during the service initiative launch. Have they become worn, faded or have they disappeared completely? Refresh the visible communications mechanisms to let employees know that the initiative is alive and well. As time goes along it is important to revise these materials so that they are in sustain mode instead of launch mode. This takes thought and creativity.
Remember those regular service improvement articles that appeared in your company newsletter at the beginning of the service initiative? Have such articles been nudged aside or replaced completely by other newsletter content? This may send a signal to employees that the customer service initiative is no longer a priority. Again, it’ s important to keep such content fresh and innovative, but it is even more important to ensure that such content remains prominent.
Sustaining a Culture of Service Excellence: A Checklist
The following checklist is provided to assist you in assessing how well you are following through on creating a culture of service excellence – beyond the launch phase. The checklist summarizes the thoughts discussed in this article:
• Have all performance appraisals been revised to significantly
Concluding Thoughts
A service improvement initiative is similar to an exercise program. The beginning is exciting. You buy exercise equipment or join a health club, buy workout clothes and read about exercise routines and healthy living. The first few workouts are invigorating and you feel pretty good about yourself. Then, other things begin to take priority. You skip going to the gym or taking your run. Each time you skip a workout it becomes easier to skip the next one. Pretty soon your running shoes are gathering dust in the closet or your gym membership lapses. Most people repeat this cycle over and over. Only those individuals who are truly committed to sustaining a healthy lifestyle are willing to put in the hard work of running when it’ s raining, working out when they are tired or eating a healthy meal when a Big Mac is simply a five-minute drive away. The same is true with a customer service initiative. The real success lies in what you do after the big, exciting launch. Yes, it is hard work, but the payoff is sustained service excellence. G
Dennis Snow is the president of Snow & Associates Inc. Dennis worked with the Walt Disney World Co. for 20 years and now consults with organizations around the world, helping them achieve their customer service goals. He is the author of“ Unleashing Excellence: The Complete Guide to Ultimate Customer Service” and“ Lessons From the Mouse: A Guide for Applying Disney World’ s Secrets of Success to Your Organization, Your Career, and Your Life.” You can reach Dennis at 407-294-1855 or visit www. snowassociates. com.
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