Maxine Kamin - 10 Steps to Successful Customer Service

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Although the above instructions are obviously written in jest, often the phrase press one conjures up frustration, stories about service gone bad, and emotions that range from disappointment to anger. In a book about customer service, it would be remiss to ignore that service is not always stellar, and that technological communication channels exponentially increase the ways interactions can go awry.

Nobody can dispute that it is annoying to be misunderstood by an automated attendant (Sorry, we didnt understand that entry); told to call back at more convenient hours for the organization, not the customer (We are at lunch from 122); or admonished for pressing 0 for help (This is a wrong entry. Goodbye.). While the act of being cut off may not seem monumental in and of itself, it goes to the core of our hearts. We have been rejected in our attempt to connect. Whether it is on the phone or in person, everyone wants to connect at some level. This is the foundation of the human experience, of which customer service is a part.

Customers have expectations. Most of them are reasonable. These expectations almost always have a human element, whether it is obvious or not. For instance, customers expect that company officials care enough to make a transaction efficient and easy (human beings are behind the technology), or that face-to-face interactions are friendly and receptive (clearly interpersonal). Associating with any organization is an extension of customer trust: I have chosen you to trust, and I believe that you will take care of my needs.

Trust involves an underlying assumption that someone cares. It requires that there will be a person up front or behind the scenes who is devoted to serving the customer in a responsible way that honors agreements and results in the customer feeling valued.

Top-level executives are responsible for establishing the vision and mission for a responsive customer service culture. Everyone in the organization plays a part in working toward the vision and in making the mission a reality. A well-known hotels vision is to make the customer feel at home. True to the vision, managers empower staff to do whatever it takes to make customers feel welcomed. Housekeepers, front desk clerks, parking attendants, and all staff members are empowered. They have a certain amount of money to use if on-the-spot assistance is required but not available through ordinary channels.

Not all staff members in an organization are fortunate enough to have dollars at their command. However, to piggyback on Hillary Clintons concept of it takes a village, it takes everyone in a company to accomplish the vision of pleasing the customer. If you are a manager, supervisor, coordinator, or any type of leader, your role is to guide and inspire your staff. You are the one who deals with customers whom your associates have done everything within their power to please. They look to you for the one thing you can do to turn the situation around. Then they look to you for support and recognition for their efforts.

If you are a trainer, your expertise is critical to your organization. By providing workshops, seminars, coaching sessions, and even brown bag lunches, you can reinforce the service your company expects. Extra service to colleagues is a plus, such as one-on-one sessions for people who need hands-on help in learning a new program or concept. As one who does not formally evaluate employees, you are often perceived as a safe haven. You can be an enormous formal or informal customer service provider.

If you are a frontline staff member, you are the showcase for all the hard work that has gone on in the background. You display your talents as well. You demonstrate the skills you have every minute of the day. Youre right out there. Everything you do is an opportunity to excel at service.