Developing a culture of excellence only comes through imagining what excellent client care should be, the total experience as felt by each of your Clients - and then work towards making that experience happen; again and again. This isn’t about lots of training and development – but rather about applying intelligence, willingness to support others and that commodity that seems to be in rather short supply: common sense.
Amongst the various client organisations I am working with I have noticed recently a down-turn in genuine client service. With some it is that gentle slipping of standards, that slightly more churlish manner, maybe dismissive behaviour, or that completely unhelpful: ‘it’s our procedures, we can’t change them’: implying that we have to put up with poor quality or stupid rules as we have nowhere else to go. ‘Big mistake’ (to quote from Pretty Woman) of course we have choice.
Tragically, someone threw themselves under a train, which threw Kings Cross Station into chaos and then a standstill. Clearly the railway staff did their best to help – and I with many others were re-directed to take a train from St Pancras to Nottingham (and on to my destination). At the St. Pancras platform barrier the guards (there were 6 of them), proceeded to exercise their power (and insensitivity) by turning many of us away, refusing to let us use our tickets from their sister station.
Bizarrely in the many years I have used this station, I have never seen any guards check tickets at the barriers before. This is the worst kind of negative Customer Care experience. Just when everyone is feeling pressurised, are late for meetings, or appointments and need help. This behaviour just creates anger, riled feelings and an appalling view of the train operating company. Is this what the CEO of East Midlands trains thinks is happening? He or she should take note.
Maybe it is the pressures of the tightened economy, the more stringent requirements of legislation, or maybe Customer or Client Care is just a passing phase? We can all tell stories of the receptionist who continues to talk to her friend whilst ignoring us, or the drinks that take too long to arrive, or are not what you had asked for, but where are the good stories?
What do your Clients or Customers experience at the hands of your staff and managers? Co-operation, freedom to act and solve problems, independent thought, initiative, a delight – or those dull, uninspired restricted people who are unable to see that ‘what goes around, comes around’. We respond to the emotions given out – positive or negative, so if your staff are able to be positive and supportive, then they will have less hassle from their customers!! It really is very simple – bound up in having the vision and using common sense.
So get out there and check the quality of the experience your customers are getting, ‘be silent shoppers’ – because cream rises, the truly and genuinely excellent organisations are going to survive and thrive in this more competitive environment. Is it a wonderful, luxurious, smooth and efficient experience?
In Aesop’s Fables he tells the story of the Miser who buried his gold under a tree. Each night he would dig it up, gloat over it and bury it again. One night when he went to the tree he discovered it had been stolen. He howled and screamed out at his bad luck. A neighbour came and asked him if he had ever used his Gold, to which the Miser said ‘No’. ‘Well you might as well go and look at the hole, for all the good that Gold did for you! Wealth unused might as well not exist!’
If you allow your staff be visionary then you are using the Gold within your staff; if you do not, then you have a wasted resource, because we can all be excellent at delivering divine customer service. Get out there!
