twelve solutions

Many people are unaware of the importance of customer service in attaining success. Organisations never stop to ask what type of service are we offering our customers or how do our customers see us? When we get into brainstorming sessions on how to increase our revenue, we should think along the lines of implementing a customer service culture.

Singapore Airlines is one company known for its high customer service standards. They remain one of the most profitable airlines to date and a lot of analysts feel that their superior customer service culture has been the primary reason for this success. Its management team has always given maximum attention to establishing and maintaining a good customer service culture. They believe its the simple and most cost effective way to remain profitable even in a recession.

Let’s think about it this way, its one thing for a waiter to serve food at a restaurant without being rude. Its another thing for the waiter to serve with a smile. Customers definitely don’t want rude attendants but the experience will last longer in our memory if the attendant has a pleasant disposition. We will also be more attuned to talking about it and definitely be happy to return again.

But just to sound a note of caution, for a customer service culture to succeed, everyone in the organisation must be involved. Its not enough for management to provide the funds and expect magic to happen. We all learn better from our elders/superiors. So if you want your staff to truly embrace a new culture why not start with yourself. How you treat them becomes a reflection of how they will treat your customers.

I read a post online and noted the writers surprise to find a top executive of one of the major courier companies on a ride with the truck driver handling deliveries to their customers. He asked the executive why he would put himself through such a tough task when he didn’t need to. The executive laughed and told him he enjoyed it and often made these trips. He said he wasn’t about to stop either. This top executive knows that without the customers being served with delight the organisation will not exist. He knows exactly what they are serving because he’s serving too.

The question we need to ask ourselves is what are we serving our customers?

This month we’ll take a look at another customer service buzz phrase “customer retention”. Customer retention is often used to refer to strategies employed by organisations to ensure that the keep their existing customers while trying to acquire new ones.

The true measure of customer retention should come from the following key factors: are you getting repeat business from the customers, do they buy your add-on products, are they happy to recommend you to their families and friends or do they do these things because they have no better choice? When an organisation is able to place high marks beside these questions then it may consider itself being on the right part.

For an organisation to have an effective customer retention programme in place it must routinely offer training to key customer facing staff, sharpening their customer service skills along with emphasising their value proposition as an organisation.

A relevant question is how do we as individuals contribute and ensure that the organisation is indeed scoring high marks against these questions; we must focus on giving consistent and excellent customer service, utilise any up sell or cross sell opportunities that come our way during any customer interactions. Also politely ask existing customers for referrals, when the opening emerges during our interactions.

All these things are necessary on your part as CSR’s because the bottom line remains that the customer pays the bills. Any pay rise or personal development you require from the organisation will only come easily if the organisation has a healthy balance sheet.