In today’s Tuesday Tip we explore the concept of ownership and it’s importance in customer service and experience.
Have you ever sat in a restaurant and been completely ignored by the servers passing you by? In that scenario, no one is taking ownership to serve you, or to see to it that you are served!
Ownership is a vital element in the journey to provide positive customer experiences. Watch today’s Tuesday Tip and then share your thoughts, comments, and experiences!
Most organizations I have worked with understand the importance of documenting Standards of Service. These are the rules of the road if you will, defining how customers are supposed to be treated. But even with service standards in place, so many companies fall short in their quest to consistently provide exceptional customer experiences. Why?
In today’s Tuesday Tip we’re going to look at a few of the service standards from the Broadmoor Hotel. And, I’ll share a key tip as to how the Broadmoor ensures these standards are applied consistently!
When it comes to success in your business, which is more important, culture or strategy? Truth is, it’s not even close. Culture wins out by far.
Culture has to do with defining, communicating, and living your company’s purpose and core values. Culture starts with your thinking…your mindset. For example, if you think of your employees as your greatest asset you will invest in them and do all you can to help them succeed. However, if you think of your employs as a cost of business, an expense, you’ll do what you can to keep those costs down.
Your core values are those behaviors that will never change no matter what else changes in your business. Core values shape the direction of your entire organization.
Applying the filter of your core values to every decision keeps your organization on the right path. It also serves to break down silos as everyone in the organization is aligned by your purpose and core values.
Your thinking (mindset) drives behavior (driven by your core values), which produces results. And here’s the amazing thing. The link between a positive culture and positive business results has been proven through empirical studies countless times.
One such study conducted by researchers at the University of Michigan found that, “…organizations that institute a positive culture achieve significantly higher levels of organizational effectiveness — including financial performance, customer satisfaction, and productivity.”
This is especially true in the customer contact center industry. The top 25 percent most highly engaged organizations continue to have significantly higher productivity, profitability, customer ratings, lower turnover and absenteeism than those in the bottom 25 percent (Source: Gallup, State of the American Workplace, 2013).
So if you are looking to drive performance results start with building an intentional positive culture. Then focus on your strategies. Doing so will drive decisions that are consistent with your core values and produce the results you are looking for.
National Customer Service Week (NCSW) is October 1st through the 5th this year. The International Customer Service Association created NCSW in 1984 as a means of recognizing and celebrating the valuable contributions made by front-line customer service providers each and every day.
In today’s Tuesday Tip, we’re talking about one of the best ways to celebrate National Customer Service Week…and that is by getting your C-Suite involved!
One of the best methods of driving engagement of your front-line service providers is to put their name on their work! How? Well, there’s several ways you can create a greater sense of ownership with your customer service reps. In Tuesday’s Tuesday Tip, we’ll explore a couple of methods you can use to “put their name on it!”
Your contact center should be the source of important customer information and feedback within your organization. In today’s Tuesday Tip we focus on shifting the value of your contact center from transactional to strategic as a key provide of customer feedback!
Many businesses establish a set of “Service Standards.” These are the guidelines for customer service within the organization. At the world famous Broadmoor Resort in Colorado Springs, the Service Standards apply equally for interactions with guests AND with fellow employees. I like that!
But how do you go about establishing Service Standards in your organization? Well, in today’s Tuesday Tip we’ll share a simple and highly effective way of not only identifying your Service Standards, but gaining employee by-in as well! Enjoy!
Quick… think back to the last outstanding service experience you had. What were the circumstances and who provided that exceptional service experience? Do you have that service provider in mind? Good. Now ask yourself this…was that person taught how to provide exceptional service experiences, or, is it just in their nature?
Are the people who provide exceptional service simply wired to do that, or is it something they learned as they navigated their way through orientation and new hire training?
I recently read an article about the skills that you must teach your customer service providers…your front-line, customer facing employees. Let’s look at those skills and you tell me, can these be taught?
According to the author of the article, these are the skills you should develop in your service providers. While I agree these are terrific attributes every service provider should possess, I am not sure they are teachable. Tell me, what is the best “thick skinned” training program you have ever completed?
I believe many “experts” sharing their opinions regarding the “skills” service providers must have are confusing attitude and personality traits with skills. Being thick-skinned, while a valuable attribute for a service provider, is not a skill. It is something you have, or don’t have, or something in between.
We all have some level of tolerance, another more formal term for being thick-skinned. We bring that tolerance level to the job with us. And the same can be said for empathy, patience, consistency, adaptability, and work ethic.
There are skills that can be taught and learned. But I would contend that the most important characteristics of excellent service providers are those they bring to you the day they first walk through your door. I believe the best service providers possess a combination of attitudes, knowledge, and skills.
My advice is to hire attitude, then provide the knowledge and skills necessary for success.
That’s what I believe…but what about you? Are great service providers a result of nature…or nurture? Share your thoughts and let the great debate begin!
Employee recognition is not an option. It is necessary if you want to retain employees and provide exceptional customer service and experience! In today’s Tuesday Tip we’ll look at a handful of easy and effective ways to provide meaningful recognition to your employees!
While it’s not the same buzz-phrase it was 20 years ago, people still do talk about best practices. Why not? What’s wrong with wanting to imitate the best?
I worked on a long-term consulting project with one of the larger BPO’s in Japan. The entire focus of the initiative was to implement best practices from Western contact centers within this organization. In short, they wanted to imitate the best.
I’m not a fan. And here’s why.
The cost of best practices is innovation. In other words, if you are just trying to imitate the best, you are not trying to find something better than the best. A new way.
Uber found a new way. Yellow Cab did not.
Amazon found a new way…Sears did not.
Netflix found a new way…Blockbuster did not.
Disruption is happening in nearly every industry fueled by people and organizations that have no interest in best practices, except, perhaps as a starting point. But they are looking to launch from there into new and innovative ways of doing things.
Best practices needs to be replaced by thought leadership. Individuals and organizations must strive to find new ways and not settle for imitating someone else’s “best.”
In our organization, we encourage innovation at every level. Our front-line service providers are encouraged to bring ideas to the table every day. They are taught to look for opportunities to improve; to create a better customer experience; to reduce friction; to find efficiencies; and to drive better outcomes. Their ideas are carried up to leadership and changes are made.
The contact center should be the hub of innovative ideas for improvement across the entire organization. Who else listens to as many customers talk about what they like and don’t like about your product, packaging, service, processes, etc. If you are operating your customer contact center as a transactional facility you are missing an incredible opportunity for innovation.
Create feedback processes and reward reps who bring ideas that make a difference! Teach them, and everyone in your organization that you are not interested in best practices. You are interested in finding new ways!
Innovate! Disrupt! Lead!
billgessert 