Thinking About Customer Service

I spoke with my sister last weekend and she talked a little about her experience with hiring people for her customer service intensive business. Her greatest realization came when she realized that “good customer service” meant different things to different employees. She realized she needed crystal clear expectations that could be clearly communicated to her employees. Attitude is everything. The standard she set for her business is what she desires and expects as “good service.” This works because she is her target customer demographic while many of her employees are significantly younger than her most desirable customers. Her employees needed to know exactly what she meant by good service.

What kind of expectations do you have for customer service in your own business? Do your employees know emphatically what you expect from them where customer service is concerned? This may be for internal or external customer service. How fast are emails returned? How are phones answered? Are deadlines met? Does common sense rule the day?

Think of the last three customer service breakdowns in your area. Why did they occur? Is there a pattern developing? Is there a need for a vision clarification or more training? What can you do before problems occur and become part of your company or departmental image?

Answer the question for your company or department. What does “good customer service look like?”

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