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2016 Issue 2 | THE SCORE
Customer Service Continued from page 35
of everything else in the restaurant ? Everything speaks !
Now imagine a customer entering your place of business . She notices trash in the parking lot . When she enters the reception area , she sees delivery boxes stacked by the receptionist ’ s desk . She sees employees standing around eating and having personal conversations . All this detracts from your business ’ s image . It either consciously or unconsciously raises the customer ’ s antennae and makes them question , “ Do I really want to spend my money here ?”
The “ everything speaks ” philosophy means that all employees understand that even the “ little things ” count . So pay attention to everything , including whether the physical environment is neat and clean , whether all necessary supplies are available , and whether the employees are dressed appropriately . Anything that sticks out as “ wrong ” becomes an intrusion on the customer experience . These intrusions add up and result in customer concern . On the other hand , when customers sense an atmosphere of professionalism , care and order , they feel a sense of confidence .
How many times have you seen employees in a business walk right by trash on the floor or a display that has been bumped out of alignment ? Employees who understand that everything speaks will take a moment to pick up some wadded paper and straighten the display because they know that such behaviors have a direct impact on the customer experience .
Take a moment to think about your company ’ s environment . Since everything speaks , what are the details saying about your organization ?
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Create customer “ wows ”
Small gestures can create customer wows . Walt Disney World housekeepers have a tough job . Cleaning up after people on vacation is a challenge . Even in such a challenging job , housekeepers will do little things that make Disney guests say , “ Wow .” For example , while spending a day in the Magic Kingdom , children will often leave their stuffed Disney characters in their hotel room . Housekeepers have been known to position the characters with playing cards in their hands or tuck the characters into the children ’ s bed to create a moment of magic .
Employees can do many things to create wows . Remembering a customer ’ s name is a
Take a moment to think about your company ’ s environment . Since everything speaks , what are the details saying about your organization ?
huge wow , as it creates a feeling of family . Letting a customer know that another product may better meet their needs is another wow . Sending a goody basket with a handwritten note to that young couple who just took out their first mortgage is a wow . Some wows are small and some are large , but make no mistake about it – wows add up .
One of the most powerful ways to create wows is to share best practices with fellow employees . Hold a company meeting so employees can share things that they have done that dazzled customers . Just talking about these behaviors increases the likelihood that others will adopt some of the practices or create new ones of their own . It is also likely that some wows can become standard procedure , whether it ’ s a grocery store bakery handing out fresh-baked cookies to children , or a vendor buying lunch once a month for salespeople . Next time you ’ re helping a customer , ask yourself , “ Will my behavior make this customer say or think , ‘ wow ?’”
Take action now
Excellent service is not about policy manuals . Excellent service is about excellent behaviors . When employees focus on excellent service , the results can be magical . Customers are happy , employees are happy and shareholders are happy . Everyone wins . The key is to make service excellence a habit . Encourage every employee to internalize the above steps so they become habits . When employees focus on these principles , your company will achieve the most powerful result of all – intense customer loyalty . S
DENNIS SNOW is the president of Snow & Associates , Inc . Dennis worked with the Walt Disney World Company for 20 years and now consults with organizations around the world , helping them achieve their customer service goals . He is the author of
“ Unleashing Excellence : The Complete Guide to Ultimate Customer Service ” and “ Lessons From the Mouse : A Guide for Applying Disney World ’ s Secrets of Success to Your Organization , Your Career , and Your Life .” You can reach Dennis at 407-294-1855 or visit his website at www . snowassociates . com .