So,
here’s a question for you to ponder over. When asked how your customer
service is, how do you reply? Are you confident that you and your staff
have the best customer service? Are you proud that your department knows
how to take care of your customers? If you are unsure, then perhaps
maybe you should take a moment and evaluate your department’s level of
customer service.
Do you have a black belt in customer service? Do you have the whole package?
As
arrogant and narcissistic as this may sound, if you have outstanding
customer service, then brag about it. Talk up your department, ego boost
your staff and let them know what a great job they are doing. Because
as a manager and or director, if your customers are happy, then you’re
happy.
How do you measure the success of customer service? As
fellow colleague Richard Beto suggested, he puts survey cards with all
of the customer’s jobs. What a great idea! What better way to get first
hand response on the front line than from your customers.
In
my department, I train my staff that each customer that walks through
the door is treated with the up most respect and treated like they are
the most important person. From the customer who is a dream to work with
to the customer who is high maintenance. If there is an issue with a
job, they are not to argue over it, but to listen to what the customer
is sharing and then make the necessary corrections as needed. The
customer is not always right! But, it is through proper communication
that the two differences can come together, learn from each other and
move forward to a more positive interaction for future jobs.
I
have come from two failing environments and brought them from almost
closing to now being a thriving department. Why? Because I took the time
to listen to what the customer needed and made some major adjustments
to both the staff and policies. I also took the time to treat each
customer with the up most respect and importance; exactly how I would
want to be treated.
To
be fair…customer service is not rocket science. However, not everyone
is cut out or has the capacity to deal with customers. Therefore, those
are the individuals that you want to just keep tucked in the back of the
department and let them do what they do best and that is running
production and getting the jobs done. It is still a team effort, but
they don’t necessarily have to be front and center.
There is a
whole formula that goes into having successful customer service and I
won’t go into that today. And so let me ask you… do you have a black
belt in customer service?