HOW GOOD IS MY SERVICE?

I wanted some technical support as the printer I recently purchased had some connection problems. When I called their help desk the lady started firing a whole load of questions before she would put me thru to technical support. She refused to transfer the call till I had the product and serial number of the printer. Reasoning seemed remote. I hence called home, got the details and called back. Technical support was a shade worse, for they took my entire history before coming to the point of 'WHAT IS THE PROBLEM WITH THE PRINTER?'

68% of customer defection takes place because customers feel poorly treated. Source: TARP

How well do we communicate? How well do we speak the customer's language? How well do we listen? How well do we deliver what we promise? How often do we do things right the first time? How often do we do things on time? How helpful and polite are we? How often do we send customers happy? ...

If you sit back and think, you could come with many more 'how's' related to your work. Do answers to these questions meet company requirements? Does it meet your own standards, does it leave you satisfied? And .... are your customers satisfied?

Remember, so long as you are handling customers, for him you are the company. This is not a burden, but the core of your job. You hold in your hands the power to keep customers coming back. In fact, it is you who wields the power to make or break your company.

Companies formulate procedures and policies with customer satisfaction in mind. The question is do employees have their own policies and procedures in place. How well do they stand up to support company vision and goals? To what extent do they help the company and in turn themselves.

Trainings and refreshers are conducted by company's to help staff improve. It is done to better serve customers, increase business and profits. But do employees take advantage of these trainings.

Unlike technical trainings that are aimed for a specific product, training in customer service is for all customers. Be it printers, airline tickets or in hospitality, so long as you are in frontline, service training helps them all. Hence any piece of information on customer service is valuable to improve, implement and grow. It helps you in your present job and right thru your career. Do you then perform better for company's sake and you own? Do you take home trainings or leave it behind when signing off for the day?

This reminds me of company gifts or giveaways. Normally gifts and giveaways, compliments and souvenirs manage to find their way home. It could be a T-shirt, a cap, pen, organiser, you name it. Employees are tempted to take it home for personal use, to proudly display it, further gift to near or dear ones or just preserve for nostalgia. But what about the training you receive in the office. Do you take it along with you? Do you consider it a gift?

The more you excel in service the more it helps you do well. It also helps your company with more business. But the most important thing is that the service is yours. It belongs to you. It goes with you wherever you go. So if your company recognises your good service and treats you well, then you are in the right place. If not, you take your excellent service elsewhere, where it has a better value. Remember it is a personal possession.

What ever may be the circumstances, so long as you are in frontline or handling customers, you need to tend to your excellent service and don't let it go astray. In fact nurture it. Remind yourself 'Hey this is mine and I got to take care of it', for now and for times to come.

Anita calls Mrs. King from the local store

Anita - 'I understand that you are looking for a good cook'

Mrs. King - 'We were but we have found one'

Anita - 'That's very nice and are you satisfied with her'

Mrs. King - 'Well she does a good job and there is no reason to complain. So things are pretty fine right now'

Anita - 'I am quite happy to note that ma'am. I am sorry to have bothered you and also wish to thank you for your time'

On disconnecting the store owner who happened to overhear the conversation could not help himself but ask 'Anita you are the cook at Mrs. Kings. Why did you call her to fill your own position' Anita replied, 'I just wanted to check how I was doing'

It is not how you think you are doing, that matters. All that matters is how customers think you are doing.

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? POINT TO PONDER

Am I customer focused? Am I doing my best while serving customers? Are the customers happy with my service?

* STEPS TO SATISFY

Take home the gifts of training. Improve and invent better service. Work to delight every customer. Ask yourself 'Am I satisfied', 'Is my customer satisfied'.

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