4 Steps to Spectacular Customer Service
Implement this simple 4-step process for creating a spectacular flashpoint culture of your own..
Most towns have at least one “flashpoint” business—a place that’s famous for its turbo-charged workers and lines of eager customers.
These are the local hot spots that are “always jumping,”
places in which employee motivation and customer satisfaction
fuel each other in a flashpoint of contagious enthusiasm.
But flashpoint businesses don’t just happen by lucky accident.
They have to be made to happen. If there aren’t many such
businesses, it can only be because so few owners and managers
understand the simple 4-step process for creating a flashpoint
culture in their own workplaces.
Not convinced such a process could be that simple? Not sure any
such process could ever work in your own business setting?
Here’s a quick and easy way to find out.
Step 1: Invite your employees to come up with some ideas for
improving the customer experience. For this process to work, the
ideas for changes in behavior or procedure need to come from the
workers themselves.
The old way is to dictate in memos or training programs the
kinds of behaviors management wants employees to adopt, and then
try to legislate these new behaviors into the workplace—a way
that has never worked. Employees will only get behind a change
if it’s one they believe in. And employees are always more
likely to believe in a change if the idea for it comes from
themselves, instead of their bosses.
Step 2: Choose one employee idea, and help the employee(s)
implement it successfully. The objective is to make the workers
who came up with the idea look like heroes in customers’ eyes.
If there are costs associated with the idea, helping with
implementation will mean providing funding for it. (Think of
this cost as an investment in positive word-of-mouth, the most
effective form of advertising on the planet).
If the idea requires changing a policy or procedure, do
everything possible to make the change. Eliminate all obstacles
to successful implementation of the employees’ initiative.
Step 3: Make it easy for customers to give positive feedback
about the new initiative. It’s always good business practice to
hear what your customers have to say—but few businesses make it
convenient and easy for customers to give feedback on a regular
basis.
To test this process, make a point of soliciting feedback
that relates specifically to the idea the employees implemented.
Use various methods to collect feedback, especially that most
powerful method of all: simple face-to-face conversation with
the customers themselves.
Step 4: Let the employee(s) bask in the motivational effect of
the positive feedback. This is where the magic begins. Let’s say
an employee came up with the idea of installing a bench so
senior citizens would no longer have to stand while waiting in
line.
When delighted seniors begin to rave about the convenience of
the bench, tell them, "This bench was actually Terry’s idea. In
fact, Terry, could you come over here for a moment—these folks
would like to tell you something about your bench"
And now watch the effect this feedback has on Terry. You’re
watching the first spark of the flashpoint effect: customer
satisfaction driving up employee motivation, and employee
motivation driving up customer satisfaction.
Once you’ve seen how well the process works, apply it again. And
again. Keep the ball rolling by holding regular employee
brainstorming sessions to come up with a rich supply of new ways
to delight customers. Break a typical customer transaction down
into its individual steps, and get employees thinking about ways
to add a “wow factor” element in each step.
Not every idea will be implemented, of course, but make sure enough are implemented to keep the positive customer feedback flowing in. And give your workers opportunities to hear this feedback directly from their customers. Immediate positive feedback from delighted customers is the primary motivational fuel all flashpoint businesses use to keep the fires of employee enthusiasm burning hot and bright.
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