Customer Service Is An Inside Job

With the economy struggling, many businesses are having to take a closer look at how they can better sell their products and services to consumers. Some are focusing on the age-old question, "Can we drop our prices even more to be competitive?" Still others are persevering at making their businesses more customer-friendly in hopes of building customer loyalty and dependence, not only on a product and service, (which likely can be purchased elsewhere) but also on a service standard that consumers can count on.

Delivering quality customer service is an inside job. What do I mean by that? I mean that regardless of your business--car dealership, real estate agent, retail shop, bank, dentist office--customer service starts on the inside.

No, I don't just mean the inside "staff" as a whole entity. I mean inside of each individual staff member. You see, it's an inside job because quality customer service begins inside each employee. If their heads are filled with job or personal stress they will have difficulty delivering their best customer service attitude or making the best decisions on behalf of the company and clients.

When a choice such as going the extra distance to service a client is presented, employees who are feeling unfulfilled or consumed by inner turmoil will likely look for shortcuts, leaving the consumer feeling a lack of quality customer care. This, of course, ultimately reflects poorly on your company.

If you're an employer, this should be reason enough for you to care about what's inside your employees' heads. I'm not recommending you become their therapist or even their coach. However, I am suggesting that in weekly meetings, setting the customer service standard must begin with setting quality employee care in the office.

Three things employers can do to create an ambience of quality care for their employees:

1. Respect others: like the golden rule, respect is the core foundation for a thriving company, yet it's often the missing ingredient. Respect is demanded in an upward motion: e.g., respect for the CEO/President or General Manager but not the other way around, for instance, down to the lower tier--the receptionist. Remember, the receptionist is the "face" of your company. The one the consumer hears and sees first--despite an inequitable salary difference between the CEO and the receptionist. Wouldn't you agree that the receptionist has the power to turn away clients if his/her attitude is unappealing and lacking in quality customer care? (More on this subject in a future blog!)

2. Listen! "Can you hear me now?" Is a popular slogan for a cellular company. The phrase has become a catch-all phrase for many people offering a multitude of meanings. In the case of creating quality care for employees, can you hear me now? should be all companies' mantra. Many executives claim to listen to their employees but instead they shoot down ideas from their employees and discourage different opinions (which often creates a fear to speak up) and therefore companies may lose possibly valuable contributions.

3. Create a Pay-It-Forward business culture. Encouraging a business culture that influences employees to help not only customers but also each other to build a Pay-It-Forward culture and generate opportunities for growth, creative development, and leadership. A title is not what makes a leader--action does. Allowing all levels of employees to add ideas, voice concerns, and help build the company provides an effective and enriching environment for them and one that breeds quality customer care.

Helping create an environment that supports employees to deliver quality customer care will result in a staff that's unified in its approach to setting the service standard. Your product or service will now be backed with a courteous, unmatched quality- customer-care reputation that attracts and retains loyal clients.