Who Lost Your Customer? Part 2 of 2
By Ken Ng

Delighting customer service experiences are difficult to come by let alone be created at every opportunity by an organization. So what is within the control of organizations that endeavor to fulfill this highly demanding requirement of everybodies like you and I?

1) Establish a Service Charter
Creating service charter by innovating (read plagiarize) or modifying existing charters created by other organizations and adopting them as your own is like wearing a talisman to bring good luck, a sure way to commit service suicide. Service standards or charters should be a solemn pledge made and committed to with every process and procedure set forth within your organization. This is a statement so strong that your entire organization breathes and lives every single word. They believe, trust and zealously convey at every possible customer interaction.

2) Continuous Consistency
At every interaction point: when a customer calls, walks into your premises, sends you an email, faxes you a request or even sends an SMS to you, can you unequivocally say they receive the same level of service as established in your service charter? There is nothing worse than providing inconsistent service at different interaction points with your customers. Maintaining consistency by Management being religiously aware of what is said by employees to customers at every contact is essential. Ensure they are delivering service that corresponds with the image you wish to project to your precious customers. Coach employees who do not meet the mark or slips from that echelon to ensure there is consistency; CONTINUOUSLY.

3) Attribute it to Attitude
This combination of eight letters creates the most powerful force known to anyone alive today, ATTITUDE. Create awareness within the ranks that attitude counts for everything. Encourage development of proper attitudes by creating motivating working environments, cultivate a nurturing organizational culture that emphasizes individual development, and increase intra-personal and interpersonal consciousness by providing training that effectively internalizes the right attitudes. More importantly, pay recognition to individuals who exude fantastic attitudes to create a powerful infectious wave of morale lifting behaviors.

4) Measure It or Misplace It
“If it’s not measured it’s not done,” an unfortunate truth in the organizational culture of today. Performance management has become a fervid religion in any organization that values productivity and efficiency. Placing Key Performance Indicators to key elements of service delivery is essential to ensure its continuity. Not measuring encouraged practices will undoubtedly result in the dissipation of such elements.

So, what happened after my encounter with Mr. Bank Manager? I feverishly authored an email and sent it to feedback@internationalbank.com relating my experience. It’s been five weeks and counting and I’ve yet to receive a human response. There is another email sitting in the Outbox of my email client as I write this article and it is to inform them that they can collect their checkbook and deposit slips from the bottom of my trash; they’ve lost a customer... “Send.”

Last updated - 30 July 2004