There is much change afoot in American business and much needed change. Nowhere is that more evident than in the quality movement. Even though consumers have been complaining about poor service for years, businesses have for the most part ignored their complaints or fed them back in the form of often meaningless ad slogans.
The incongruity of the way we have done business in the past few decades now comes to light as America's management and quality gurus ask, 'If service is so important, then why is it so bad?' Service, quality, and satisfaction are not just buzzwords, they are the future of American business if we intend to remain competitive in the international market. So why then don't we just do it?
Business schools have never treated service as a topic worthy of serious study. The study of finance management, production, and manufacturing leaves us unprepared for the management of service as a product or function. Consequently we have had few good models from which to learn the art and skills of the delivery of high quality service. Fortunately that is all changing.
There are several excellent service companies we can use as models to build our own solid foundation for success. L.L. Bean, Xerox, and Federal Express are just a few companies that have moved away from promotional hype and gotten down to the real business of business: satisfying the customer.
Although most companies recognize the value of developing long-term customer relationships, by and large the emphasis has been primarily one of personal effort (often voluntary, unattached to incentive, lacking training or support) on the part of the employee. A cohesive corporate policy and a strong commitment have been missing.
Education is the key to not only understanding the 'how' of the details but also the 'why.' Our service behavior will change when our fundamental belief system changes. We must believe in customer satisfaction. We need to learn understanding as well as skills.
Adults are resistant to change. Change is uncomfortable, it requires effort, it can cause one to feel unsure, out of control. Change means unlearning old habits and learning new ones. Change requires an understanding that change is a process, not an event or a destination.
Changing your service strategy and delivery methods is difficult because service is intangible; it exists only when it's being delivered. Service, it seems, is in the mind of the customer.
Obviously, the best way to begin is to find out what the customer thinks and feels about your existing service and use that as a benchmark for improvement. Meet with other CSRs to determine what they think is important to customers and what they need to know to do their jobs better.
From this brainstorming session, design a survey to distribute to customers. Customer feedback is useful not only for making improvements, but also in providing performance feedback.
When designing the survey, it's crucial to include at least one open-ended question, to eliminate the possibility that the only items included on the survey are those certain to elicit a positive response.
It's important to invite customer communication at every possible turn. Telephone surveys, mail surveys, statement stuffers, suggestion boxes, focus groups, and interactive video are all effective ways to get feedback. Provide a space on forms sent to customers to list compliments and complaints.
Make sure to devise a method of learning why a customer is no longer doing business with you. An 'exit interview' with lost customers will be helpful.
Customers leave for many reasons. Some move, some no longer need your product, some die. But 68% of the customers you lose, you lose because they perceive that you don't care. They believe you are indifferent to their needs.
Think about the last time you were stranded in an airport, or had your wallet stolen, or were ignored by a hotel clerk. Or maybe the time your phone service was mysteriously cut off, or your car wasn't ready when promised. The list could go on and on, but what angers people more than anything is that attitude of cold indifference that says, 'You're not
important or not welcome here.' People who take their business away from indifferent merchants generally do so quietly. They just slip quietly away, and you'll never know why. It's obvious that some people don't care about the business.
After a recent problem with my insurance company, I took the time to write a letter and explained how I believed they had mismanaged a particular situation. I was specific and, I thought, helpful in telling them what I had expected from the situation. I even explained how many customers would just quietly slip away. Guess what? No response to my letter, no apologies. It's business as usual for these folks. I guess they just don't need the business.
We must educate. We must change. We must emphasize the importance of creating a customer-focused culture. The current crisis in business is our opportunity to take better care of our customers, our employees, ourselves. It's an opportunity for growth. It is a challenge for you to do more than serve. It is a challenge to care.