| What is customer service? Have you ever | | | | may change but the principles stay the same. |
| stopped to really think about this question? We | | | | Staff are not meant to smile all the time, to give |
| have trained literally thousands of people and | | | | customers everything they want, or to satisfy all |
| hundreds of organisations in customer service. No | | | | their needs. Staff are meant to promote the |
| matter who the person or what the organisation, | | | | organisation and its values. If you want to |
| the answer to this question is always generic. | | | | increase the impact of your customer service |
| They will say: "Customer service is about giving | | | | teach staff to represent your organisation and its |
| customers what they want" or perhaps "it's about | | | | unique traits. |
| satisfying customers" some times they will say | | | | When we teach customer service training |
| that it is about "making customers happy." | | | | modules we first focus on what the organisation |
| While at first glance these answers may sound | | | | values, what it's all about and what does it want |
| correct, nothing could be further from the truth. | | | | customers to see. Once we have done this, we |
| Say for example that you ran a restaurant. If a | | | | move on to how to serve in light of these values. |
| customer were to enter your restaurant and ask | | | | This is a very easy way of getting staff to |
| for some office supplies would you be able to | | | | change the way they serve, it produces better |
| give the customer what they want? Would you | | | | results and is a lot more fun to teach. |
| be able to satisfy a customer who was looking | | | | Here is something you can do to help your staff |
| for some jewellery if you worked in a hardware | | | | engage in effective customer service. Take a |
| store? No, it would be impossible. The best that | | | | black/white board and draw a very basic house. |
| you could do would be to politely tell the | | | | Ask staff to take a piece of chalk or the white |
| customer where they can go and get Jewry. | | | | board marker and to take turns to turn this basic |
| Obviously, customer service is not about giving | | | | house into your organisation/company. They may |
| customers what they want, or even satisfying | | | | add pictures or words to the basic drawing. Some |
| customers. | | | | will add words like: quality, professionalism, |
| The same is true for the way we give customer | | | | friendliness, service, money, speed, or simplicity |
| service. When we ask the question: what is the | | | | while others may draw things like customers and |
| most important thing for good customer service, | | | | staff. |
| almost everyone we ask will answer: smile. While | | | | Now ask staff this simple question: in light of this |
| this may be good in some cases it is not | | | | picture, what does a good customer service |
| appropriate in all cases. Just imagine if a distressed | | | | representative do? The participants will now find it |
| mother came up to you and told you that she | | | | easy to see what customer service is really |
| had lost her 2 year old child in your store. Imagine | | | | about in your organisation. They may say for |
| how she would respond if you were to smile at | | | | example, in light of us being a friendly company |
| her? Or imagine if a customer told you that he | | | | we should smile. Or perhaps they will highlight the |
| she slipped while climbing the stairs or escalator in | | | | organisation's professionalism and explain that it's |
| your store and as they explained their | | | | professional to stand up straight and to dress |
| excruciating injuries you smiled back at them. | | | | appropriately. |
| The truth is that customer service is not about | | | | Instead of teaching staff practicalities teach them |
| practicalities, it's about principles. The practicalities | | | | principles and the practicalities will follow naturally. |