Of course this is a trick question.
(The answer is “everyone.”)
…This answer isn’t as pie-in-the-sky as it sounds. “Everyone” here is shorthand for “everyone, to the extent of their abilities, to the extent of their trainability and to the extent they interact with customers.”
The picture of customer service we need to get out of our heads — and out of our businesses — is the old, compartmentalized version: an isolated clerk on an upper floor of a venerable department store, where customers have to schlep their returns to get an adjustment.
Instead, teach Joan in Sales and Jeff in Shipping how they themselves can initiate a service recovery. Jeff may not be the right person ultimately to fix the problem, but if he encounters an unsatisfied customer, he needs to know how to do more than say ‘‘I can’t help you, I just send boxes.’’ Even Dale, who cleans the toilets, should be empowered beyond helpless reactions like ‘‘Um, you’d need to ask a manager about that.’’ Customers hate to hear ‘‘You need to ask a manager.’’
Dale will feel better about himself and your company, his customer will feel better about herself and your company, and service problems will tend to turn out better if Dale has been trained to express confident enthusiasm: ‘‘Certainly, I am so sorry. I will help you with that,’’ followed by finding the right person to solve the problem (even if that does happen to be, in fact, a manager).
3 responses so far ↓
Jay Jaboneta // September 10, 2009 at 6:34 am |
I completely agree. Whole organizations must re-orient to integrate customer service in every position and every level up to the CEO level. Think Herb Kelleher of Southwest Airlines. Even in our personal lives, it makes sense to adopt a customer-focused attitude. Our family and friends are our “customers” and we need to help them any way we can.
Christiane // November 9, 2009 at 2:47 pm |
Very refreshing to read this! This concept is included in my own personal set of convictions on the business as well as the personal level too.
I really like how Micah writes that it also empowers the employees that others may think are at the bottom of the chain.
I always feel well taken care of when I phone a company and am surprised to find out that the person initially helping me was not the correct person to fix my problem, but was helpful and cordial enough to direct me to the appropriate person without making me feel like i was getting the run-around.
micah solomon // November 9, 2009 at 2:55 pm |
Thank you, Christiane and Jay, for taking the time to write in. I like how you both expand the topic into how this can reach into our personal lives as well, something I tangentially grasped at in my post, but is good to bring to the center as a consideration.