Exceptional Service - The Key to Survival

By: Jodi Walker

The competition is fierce. How do companies stay ahead of the curve and continually find new and innovative measures to provide value and service to their customers? However we're not talking about just any old service, but exceptional service. Companies large and small have realized that they must have people in their organizations that think with a vision and are up to the challenge of breakthroughs, quality and exceptional customer service.

Regardless of the industry, companies know that their level of service directly affects the success of their business. Here's the million-dollar question - Does every employee at every level know how his or her individual job affects the success of the entire organization? As I work with companies around the country I often have an opportunity to interview individuals from front line personnel to the CEO. Depending on the person you are talking with, this answer will vary greatly.

I was interviewing a receptionist in a healthcare organization who wanted to make an impact on her customers and genuinely wanted to have more information to help her customers. However, she said her supervisor was so busy that she could never share her ideas or get any feedback. The receptionist said that she felt that her job was not considered to be that important. Ironically, the receptionist is often the first contact the customer has and one of the most important people in the organization.
In customer service it only takes one weak link in the chain to damage the service reputation of the entire organization. Every individual needs to know their value and how their role fits into the overall company mission if we expect them to go above and beyond in the world of exceptional service.

Exceptional customer service isn't rocket science, yet why is it that so many companies struggle with the very basics. Customer service isn't a department or a complaint center. It is a simple philosophy that needs to be practiced by everyone in an organization. It is a total commitment from the front line personnel to the CEO to recognize how they impact the customer.

Everyone has a customer. If it is not the outside customer, then it is the internal customer. Your internal customer may be someone you work for or a colleague in another department. The key is to lead by example and affect change from the inside out. Southwest Airlines is known for their customer service philosophy and continually receives awards for their outstanding service. They recognize that service is a matter of choice and is reflected in everything anyone in the company does or says.

Customers have far more choices than they have ever had before. As a result of the internet they are often times armed with more information than they have had in the past. The key to survival is getting everyone at every level of the organization to look closely how he or she affects the overall "customer experience". Consistency throughout the organization as it pertains to the level of service being provided can produce dramatic results in the world of exceptional service.

Jodi Walker is an award-winning speaker, trainer and author. She specializes in Customer Service and Entrepreneurial Thinking®. Jodi can be reached at 800-782-1719 or at JodiWalker@aol.com.