“It takes months to find a customer… seconds to lose one.” – Vince Lombardi***
What does good customer Service mean to you? What does it mean to your team? How do you get everyone on the same page…your page?
JJ thought that joking and light-hearted chatter with the internal customers she served, was a good way to connect and be personable. She didn’t realize everyone wasn’t inclined to appreciate her chatty style of service. While some would simply tolerate it, others were sincerely annoyed by it. They just wanted to come in, get what they came for and leave.
Chad is a very straightforward, no nonsense kinda guy. No need to waste time, “let’s just cut to the chase,” were the words he lived by. While he could handle many challenges in life and leadership he truly dreaded walking into the department where JJ worked. She talked way too much and took up too much of his time. She addressed ever issue except the ones he needed addressed! Some days he would avoid some of the work he had to do because it required paperwork he had to obtain from the human resources department; the department where JJ worked.
Yes, I’ve worked with someone like this and of course her name was not actually JJ. She was young, sweet and good intentioned but not necessarily the person who should be working on a front line position. In hind sight she was actually funny, not because she tried to be but because she was so naively whimsical in her approach to work and life that one had to laugh when talking with her. She was so harmlessly cute in her appearance that she received little or no correction from her superiors. Her internal customer service skills were questionable as well.
I remember looking in her desk one day and finding stacks of papers and much sought after documents that no one could find in the places they were supposed to be. They were stacked… no hidden in a deep desk drawer (wide eyed emoji here of course!). Did I tell the manager? Of course not. I was not in management at the time so didn’t feel it necessary to jeopardize her job because it most definitely would have jeopardized her job. I and a few colleagues handled it with her directly.
I cannot honestly say she never did it again because I am realistic enough to know that whatever made her think she could do that in the first place might be a mindset that could motivate her to try it again but in a different hiding place, of course.
Hire Right
If we hire someone who is highly skilled but loud and uncouth in the interview or we fail to find out what a person’s communications skills, style and customer service skill level may be, we are asking for trouble. Then surprisingly, we struggle with turning this naturally loud, uncouth person, or the quiet timid person into a customer service powerhouse. It might help to keep the customer service need in mind from the beginning.
Incorporate screening questions in your hiring process that capture potential customer service stars. In the same vein such questions should also help to identify individuals who might not be the best at serving others. A few examples of questions to ask include:
- Give me an example of a time you had a challenging customer. Tell me what happened and how you resolved the issue.
- Have you ever had a customer ask for something you were unable to provide? Describe the situation and how you handled it.
- Give me an example of a time you received negative feedback from a customer or client. What happened and how did you handle the situation?
In asking the questions, make sure they are behavioral based, forcing the candidate to think of situations in their past as opposed to conjuring up a hypothetical situation and answer. If it is hypothetical, they will naturally answer with what most would perceive to be the correct response. Behavioral based questions are questions that are focused on the candidate’s experiences. They are more likely to get caught up in the memory and the details of the situation and thus tell you much of what actually occurred. This gives you an opportunity to glean what they are likely to do in the future, based on the past. It is not an absolute science but it helps. Ask more than one customer service related question when you know customer service is a major objective in your hiring process.
Customer service applies to internal as well as external customers. This means that coworkers, colleagues, people across departments people from outside the organization and frequent users of our products, facilities or services are all recipients of our customer service provision. Because some of these people are individuals we interact with frequently, we can be tempted to get too familiar.
Serve Everyone Well
We sometimes make the mistake of mishandling younger persons because we think we can. Take for example a young person who has been coming to a particular doctor’s office or a church or community center since they were a young child. Once this individual becomes an adult, our approach should change to match the development and maturity that has taken place in this person’s life. They are now an adult and if we want them to continue to be a recipient, member or participant of what we have to offer, we should afford them the same quality of service and attention we would give anyone else. Unfortunately, many of us fail that test and these young adults choose to seek services elsewhere. This can sometimes be one reason why thriving organizations become struggling operations. They gave a variation in the quality of service and attention to those who were just as valuable in the support of the organization as those from other demographic groups, i.e. older populations. In business everyone matters. Being intentional in how we serve them can and will make a difference. According to Zendesk’s 2021 Customer Experience Trends Report, 80 percent of customers will go to a competitor after just one bad experience. For that reason alone we should stay on our toes.
What is Good Customer Service?
What is good customer service…patient service…service excellence…member service?
Be Friendly – no one wants a mean, surly, dry or exasperated person doing anything for them. Fix your face, paint that smile on your face and make them feel like they are the most important person in the world.
Be Prompt – acknowledge and address people quickly when they present themselves. Do not ignore people just because you are doing something else and you think that’s more important than the person in front of you or on the phone with you at that moment. If you are with someone else, let the newcomer know you will be eight with them and then make sure you do just that or get someone else to take care of them. Do this even in a volunteer situation, fast food or anywhere else. People always matter!
Be Knowledgeable – know the services and products you offer so you can answer whatever questions come up. If a question happens to come up that you cannot answer get the answer or get the person who can answer. Do Not send the person on a wild goose chase trying to find the answer or the person themselves. That’s what would be deemed tacky in the customer service realm.
Be Proactive – anticipate their needs and make it happen.
Be Inclusive – Different people want different things but don’t skimp on the quality of service. Be respectful, insightful and aware of differences without stereotyping or being condescending. We often times want to be extra nice to the elderly, sarcastic towards the young and impatient with those who have already been marginalized by society. Do not yield to that temptation. Color, age, religion, gender etc. have no place in building a customer base…unless you don’t want a customer base that is.
Be Flexible – people need options, especially in this day and age. Give options for providing information, receiving information, product and service selections and more. If you don’t, please understand someone else will. If you only take cash, it won’t take long for people to find another business to patronize where they can use their bank or credit card.
Be Thankful – say thank you and act thankful by listening to what people say about your offerings. It may sting sometimes but hold your head up and listen anyway. It can help you in the long run. It can help identify trouble spots, blind spots and reveal what you are doing right!
Customer Service Should be High Quality at All Times
So how do we ensure consistency and excellence in serving others?
1. Set the standards
2. Document the standards
3. Communicate the standards, multiple times, multiple ways, repeatedly, then do it all again
4. Be inclusive in defining practical, realistic customer service and delivering training to your team members
5. Make the repercussions for poor customer service clear in communications and training
6. Hold everyone accountable for excellence in service – no excuses and no one gets a pass (including you)
Closing Thoughts
Whatever we do and wherever we spend time exercising our leadership skills, customer service is an essential part of its success. Even if it only involves two or three people, it still boils down to you serving them and them serving you… we are all customers and want to be treated well.
No matter where we go, we are keenly aware of how we are treated by others and others are keenly aware of how they are being treated. Whether we are experiencing good or bad days, professional highs or lows, feeling appreciated or neglected, the service we are expected to give has to be high quality, four star service to make the grade. Four star service is top priority service, so as a leader make sure the message is clear to everyone who represents your service or your brand. It starts with who you hire, how you train and holding them accountable; but make sure first and foremost that you are a good example of what you expect to see.