Have you ever interacted with an organization that the service could not be any better in one area and could not be any worse in another? How can there be such a cultural disconnect in the service that is provided? Every interaction a customer has with an organization is an opportunity to win or lose that customer.
Unfortunately, this is a common problem with organizations that do not have a strategy for customer retention. Organizations need to focus on how the system supports the customer. It doesn’t matter how well trained a salesperson is if the product getting to the customer is delayed by a poor order fulfillment or delivery process. All systems should work together with one goal and that is to make the buying experience as positive as possible for the customer.
So how can an organization create a system for service?
Communicate the Vision
Communicating the vision on a consistent basis to employees is the first step in a customer focused system. Employees should understand how the organization started, where the organization is and where the organization is headed. Employees should also understand how the customer is the avenue to get there.
Connect the Dots
All departments that depend on each other should have overlapping responsibilities to ensure good coordination of efforts. There should be a seamless process for customers. Face it, customers don’t really care if the order fulfillment department allowed their packaging supplies to get depleted which created a delay in the delivery of the product. Customers only care that they did not receive the product when promised.
Set Expectations
Make sure employees have job specific goals that support the business goals of the organization. There should be customer specific goals that support either the department they interact with or the customer if it is a direct interaction. Goals should be specific and accountability for meeting customer requirements should be at the top of the list.
Take Ownership
Train employees to take ownership in customer issues. Every employee should feel responsible and empowered to help a customer as they go through the organizational system. Help employees understand that when they have an interaction with a customer, it is their moment with the “wand” and they need to carry it until they can successfully pass it onto the next department or person.
Process Improvement
Use teams from all interacting departments to focus on process improvement opportunities identified through customer feedback. Incorporate the Focus PDCA model for improvement efforts.
People Skills
Make sure employees have the people skills to help customers. Some employees by nature have better people skills than others. But some employees are teachable; they may just not have a frame-of-reference of good service or basic manners. An example of this is when you walk up to a reception desk and the receptionist is talking to another employee and does not even acknowledge your presence. This is a situation of poor manners and a lack of adhering to organizational service standards and training.
Draw a Picture
A valuable tool for employees to understand a system is to draw it out for them. Use a flow chart or organizational chart to show how departments interact and relate to each other to support the customer going through the system. This picture of the customer experience process can be very valuable in helping employees understand the downstream affect of what they do.
Performance Management
It is important to hold employees accountable for job requirements, especially when it comes to meeting the needs of the customers. Employees who choose to not take responsibility for caring for the customers (whether internal or external) should be managed appropriately. Poor customer service at any level should never be tolerated.
Finally, employees need to understand that it is the customer who pays the bills and ultimately their salary. If employees could only get this revelation and understand that making the customer happy should be a goal that their job depends on.
