Have you ever called an organization and were treated horribly by the receptionist, yet the person to whom your call was transferred was nice, courteous, and professional? Have you ever walked into a store and the first employee on the floor you encountered nearly bit your head off, yet the second employee you dealt with bent over backwards to help you? Did the inconsistency in service leave you baffled and wanting to NEVER return, even though one employee provided you with exceptional customer service? Well, you’re not alone.
Real World Story:
I was reading the recent article Customer Service Warning by ENTERPRISE NK and was reminded of this very common problem of two employees from the same organization delivering two different levels of customer service.
To summarize, the article explains how two employees with the same exact job descriptions treated customers completely 
differently. One acted like a policeman, berating customers for not doing things properly. The other was kind and thoughtful, educating customers if they made a mistake with any required paperwork.
Why the big difference?
Same job descriptions but different perceptions on how the job should be carried out. Obviously, the company’s big picture goal or desired outcome must not have been communicated effectively to all employees. For example, is the goal to hurry customers through the line or to provide superior service? Big difference, huh?
Strategies that Turn it Around:
- Training: Consistency in any type of behavior always begins with solid training. Training should be ongoing and not a one-time event. Integrate into your business plan a customer service training program that includes yearly seminars by business speakers and coaches, quarterly hands-on workshops, and monthly one-on-one or group mentoring.
- Written Communications: Backing up your training with written communications will strengthen the desired behaviors you seek from team members. Make sure every employee knows the organization’s mission, vision, and values statements. Review them periodically with your employees, and don’t forget to post them in a public place so everyone can see and read them every workday.
- Written Protocols: It is important that you write down all of your organization’s protocols. Then ensure that all of your employees read and understand those protocols. Review them often with staff and remain flexible, so you see when you need to make changes to your protocols.
- Lead by Example: Even with the best training and written communications and protocols in place, your company won’t succeed in delivering exceptional customer service if the people at the top don’t lead by example. Nothing can break consistency more effectively than having one set of rules and expectations for management and a different set for all other employees.
- Accountability: You must hold every team member in your organization accountable for his or her behaviors and actions. Have every employee sign a written statement, declaring that he or she has read and understands the company’s mission, vision, and values statements, his or her specific job description, and the company’s written protocols. Publically praise team members who excel at adhering to your company’s standards and reward them accordingly. Privately engage employees who are not meeting your expectations. Set timelines for improving bad behavior, and don’t be afraid to fire employees whose values simply don’t align with your company’s standards.
Remember: Customers want and need to experience consistently superior service—from everyone in the organization. And the more we communicate, demonstrate, and expect the desired goal and outcome of great customer service from every one of our team members, the more likely we are to get it. And the more likely we are to provide exceptional service to our customers—on purpose.
What do YOU do to get your team to deliver consistently superior service? Please share in the comments section below.