Great service organizations know how to read their customers and respond. Businesses who lose sight or misunderstand who their customers are, what they want, or what matters most to them, are at risk. Focused service organizations train their employees to notice customer body language, to observe the surroundings for all customer touch points, and how to REACT and RESPOND with informed knowledge. Holding employees accountable for this level of service is what makes the difference. "The secret to world-class service is knowing the true customer and aligning all participating resources and people with the value stream that leads to that customer." -John Murphy
Customer interactions need to be designed and not left up to chance. It gives businesses a strategic advantage to focus on figuring out what products and services their customers truly need. Defining the exact characteristics of every customer interaction, from what to say on the phone, to the functionality of the website, or how to best assist in-store shoppers, is the best approach.
Businesses have choices. They can continue to let their employees wonder what they should do to improve the customer experience and misstep as they try to coordinate their own activities with other departments. Or, if they want to be a world-class service organization, they can guide the team towards a common vision and facilitate their efforts by developing a customer service experience strategy that clearly defines the intended experience. So instead of waiting for the customer to ask for assistance at checkout, the focused and informed cashier would know to offer assistance because it is an understood part of this store's service strategy.
Building your customer service experience strategy doesn't have to be complicated. Just start your plan by answering these four basic questions:
- What should we keep doing?
- What should we do differently?
- What should we start doing that we are not doing now?
- What should we stop doing altogether?
John Murphy again says it perfectly, "Design and build reliability into your processes and let the outcomes follow. Let your reliability say, "WOW"!
All of these tactics, once applied, will provide your employees with the tools to enhance the customers experience - and your customers will always choose you. If we can help you to manage your customers' expectations, let us know.
