REAL SERVICE - Part 1

 

Service is - or should be - at the core of every organization.

Service is - or should be - at the core of every team.

Service is - or should be - a core driver of every individual working as part of an organization.

 

The good thing today is that practically everyone knows this. I am therefore never surprised to see – all over adverts and other promotional and motivational literature a reference to “first class”, “superb”, “customer oriented” or “extra value” service!

The reality though, when reviewing independent feedback from customers of many organizations, is far wide of the rhetoric in the literature. A closer look into the definition of service given by some of these organizations – as well as “highly respected” contributors to studies on service – throws up a chronic lack of understanding of what service is all about.

Service should NOT be what you do to -

• Ensure Customer Loyalty
• Win New Business
• Improve Business Profitability
• Gain Competitive Advantage

Too many organizations woo prospective clients with classic “at your service” spiel – and then turn internally to “school” employees on how to use service to manufacture loyalty, repeat business, profitability etc...

Therefore, the perfect smile becomes a bait to reel in the unsuspecting fish – in the same way as answering the phone in less than three rings becomes a gimmick to play on the prospect's mind. Stats on almost everything pervade the environment and bonuses drive staff to look for the “end game targets” rather than serve to satisfy.

Many of these organizations – in perfect “hydra-mode” also have a total disconnect between what they stand for corporately and what individuals and teams do within that “identity”. The concept of service and how it is delivered is effectively imposed on workers. These workers thus become actors in a movie in whose script they neither fully understand nor believe.

The bottom line is that the insincerity of the scripted movie known as customer service shows itself so glaringly that customers can see it a mile off. They are not impressed, but still do the “dance” with the “customer services advisor” or whatever fancy title the person may carry. This is much more laughable when your telephone, utilities or banking providers ask you to grade each call. The “How well did I serve you today” question is slotted in irrespective of the quality of service, after all, it is an automatic part of the “process”!

In my next post [Real Service Part 2] I will write about getting real with service...

Yomi Odukoya