Escort guests rather than pointing out directions…Never say “it’s not my job”…Answer the phone with a smile…These are all examples of service standards. Companies use them to train their staff. For service to become truly a way of life, however, such standards must be embraced by each individual on the team. I must want to escort guests…I must want to answer the phone in 3 rings, and I must want to offer assistance if a customer appears lost. So in addition to your company-wide standards, challenge your individual employees to think of ways they intend to contribute to your company’s service mission. These “personal” service standards are unique to the individual, should reinforce their strengths, and permit them to address their opportunities for improvement. A few that I’ve seen are, “I will always think of ways to exceed expectations, “I will follow up with all customers within 30 minutes”, “I will make each customer feel truly unique”, and “I will find out something interesting about every customer in order to personalize the service”. Like goals, it’s good to write these standards down, look at them daily, and share them. Communicate them with your co-workers and manager. They can help hold […]
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