Let's not get confused here.
Databases and technology are tools that we can use in our
businesses. There has been a lot of emphasis on Customer
Relationship Management recently which is very much about using
this technology. But what has this got to do with customer
service? Absolutely nothing. Not unless the people running that
business are motivated and passionate enough to use that
information in the right way.
I see fabulous examples of customer service from all over the
world. And the amazing thing is that, in most cases, it comes
from businesses that have no technology. Little shops and
restaurants, taxi drivers, libraries, one person businesses.
They have found a way to dazzle and delight their customers that
has nothing whatsoever to do with technology.
And yet the larger businesses put so much emphasis on
technology. "Let's profile our customers. Let's monitor their
spending patterns. Let's change the layout of our shop so that
they spend more. Let's give them reward points."
This is not customer service. This is a misguided attempt to
increase sales without understanding that customer service is
about dealing with people. We buy from people we like. We want
to fall in love with the businesses that we buy from. And love
doesn't come from databases.
My research into literally hundreds of businesses has identified
a number of key elements that I believe combine to create a
great service experience. They are like pieces of a jigsaw; the
more that you can assemble the clearer the picture becomes. But
let me tell you about just three of them. The three that I think
are the most important.
The first is communication. How do we communicate with our
customers? And I don't mean email or letter or telephone. What I
mean is, do we really make an effort to get on side with our
customer? Do we look at things from our customers point of view?
Do we understand all the things that our customer is feeling,
seeing, hearing, tasting and smelling? Do we communicate in ways
that our customer understands? And do we listen? Really listen?
The second is systems. I don't mean computer or technology
systems. Just simple systems. How do we do things? How we treat
our customers? Think about all the businesses that you have ever
worked in. Did any one of them ever say to you on your very
first day, "This is how we treat our customers here"? More
likely they probably said, "This is how you take the money. This
is how you chase up payments. This is how you operate the
computer". Most employees do what they think is expected of them.
The third element is leadership. There is a direct correlation
between strength of leadership and the amount of extra effort
that people put into serving customers. Great leaders understand
their internal customers - their employees. They understand what
motivates them, what inspires them, what pleasure they can get
from giving great service.
Great leaders also understand what huge benefits customer
loyalty brings. The very best customer service businesses don't
need to advertise. They don't lose customers and they get huge
numbers of referrals.
Business leaders in the UK need to wake up to the fact that the
best technology will not replace simple human understanding. The
greatest database will not replace some basic customer service
training. I worry that UK leaders are simply too reserved and
too conservative to ever fully grasp this issue. We dismiss as
"too American" anything that appears to break the rules. "Have a
nice day" might not be for us. But understanding how to make our
customers smile would be a huge step forward.
About the author:
Derek Williams is creator of The WOW! Awards™ an International
Professional Speaker and Chief Executive for the Society of
Consumer Affairs Professionals in Europe.
For more information about Derek Williams visit
www.MrWow.co.uk.
For The WOW! Awards (including access to a FREE customer service
newsletter) visit
www.TheWowAwards.com
