In the grand scheme of things, service is service, right? Or is it? The degrees to which successful and unsuccessful service is delivered has varying effects on the outcomes. The service industry provides many levels of delivery outcomes. The range can be dramatic. For example: a rude cashier at the 7-11 is annoying while a rude floor nurse not focusing on details is far from annoying- the outcome of this lack of service can be life threatening. So the questions is, "Is it right to expect less from the cashier than we do the floor nurse with regards to service?" The universal answer has arrived at "yes," but perhaps therein lies the service mishaps. How can we develop consistencies in service expectations?  Let's take a look at three industries with separate service challenges, their insights, and comments to three questions. From their perspectives and expert opinions we should be able to gather some overall standards which should be applied across every employee role in every industry.

In your opinion, what MUST you get right to ensure your service is top notch?

• Chris Donohue, General Manager of the Orlando Airport Marriott answers this question as: "Culture is the key! Everyone must be on the same page, with the same vision & mission. For us, it's to Host Each Guest Brilliantly!!"
• Jeff Tindle, CEO of Carroll County Memorial Hospital answers this question as: "Healthcare is, and must be, an exact science.  There is no room for exceptions, time outs so to speak.  The radiation used in a Radiological procedure can’t be one measurement on Monday and less on Tuesday because you are having a bad day. So in our industry what we MUST get right is everything. We have to insist on perfection 100% of the time."
• Kathy Garcia, Senior Regional Sales Manager for Kelly Educational Staffing answers this question as: "In my experience, training is key. You and your employees must be in lock step when it comes to customer service. From the first touch of a customer, it’s crucial to create a positive first impression and to focus on the small things. If you get them right, the large items will follow. You will have fostered a culture of paying attention to every detail, no matter how small, which in turn will ensure any large issue will be handled professionally. Your customers will be delighted in receiving more than they expected and will remain loyal." 

What do you feel is the biggest service challenge that you experience?

• Donohue says, "Our greatest opportunity is price vs. value. Our service remains consistent, however based on time of year, our guests can be paying twice as much. We must raise the bar in season. Better service creates the value." 
• Tindle says, "Well this is a little more interesting in terms of variation and human emotion. Whereas much of our world is “exact” as I described, much is as varied as human touch, a smile on entrance into a room. How we interact with patients and families in many ways is as important as the accuracy of our treatments. In an industry that is so demanding and high stress on staff, we must constantly remind our healthcare providers that every action, comment and expression is being monitored by the person in the bed and family in the chair. So we train and train and train again on the importance of how we interact with patients."
• Garcia says, "That would be poor listening skills and lack of communication. Not paying attention to a complaint, issue or concern means the issue will not be resolved and will escalate to a larger problem. It’s critical for individuals to ‘be in the moment’ and actively listen to the concern. It’s also important to deal with the issue in a timely manner." 

What is the best advice you can give on how to provide quality service?  

• Donohue says, "Hire well! It starts with the right Host in the right Role. Service comes from the heart. You can't fake it. So we spend our time on hiring, with a thorough review and buy off from all stakeholders." 
• Tindle says, "In healthcare it's understanding the littlest of things. We are a small community and many of our customers (patients) know us and we know them.  We must always have our staff enter the room and begin the customer experience with the end in mind. Our nurses actions will have a lasting effect on our patients. When that care worker leaves a patient room we train them to say, 'Is there anything else that I can do for you? Call me if you need me.'  Most importantly is to understand, a person having a bad morning in most customer service jobs results in a unhappy customer, not a possible life threatening event. Therefore, I encourage all industries to treat customer service as entering into a patient’s room."
• Garcia says, "Ritz-Carlton’s motto is, 'We are ladies and gentlemen serving ladies and gentlemen.' If every company’s customer-facing employees honored this motto in dealing with their customers, those customers would be loyal fans.  Service such as this fosters a positive work environment for the employees as well. Treating employees well will pay large dividends in retaining your customers." 

These are great insights and great advice given as we all look to be the best we can be. Service professionals from all industries should embrace these keys learning:

• Engagement in your culture
• Commitment to incorporate training in to action
• Sharpen all communications
• Push for perfection ~ ALL the time

  "Great things are done by a series of small things brought together." Vincent Van Gogh