1#. "The customer is always right"- This proposition used to be a familiar part of customer service literature, but has now virtually disappeared.
- It is not true that the customer is always right, especially if the customer is asking the organization to do something illegal, or technically impossible, or ethically inappropriate, or something which would create a dangerous precedent when transacting with other customers.
- We may still try to convince the customer that they are right, whilst also steering them towards a different course of action.
2#. "Treat the customer as you would want to be treated"
- This proposition is not always an acceptable guideline for service action, because sometimes the people delivering customer service have personal expectations not shared by many customers, e.g., they don't like being addressed by name, or having eye contact.
- A much more effective principle is 'Treat each customer as they want to be treated'.
- This is the approach used by companies like First Direct, who expect their contact-center staff to take their behavioral cues from those offered by the customer: if the customer wants incisive, immediate action, then it is given to him;if the customer wants social intercourse, then this is given to him.
happy customers"
- In general, this is a proposition which commands respect. In the Reichhled Service-Profitability Cycle, treating staff well is a factor which precedes customer service, and many consultants preaching about world- class customer service would agree that staff need to be respected (and so forth) before respect can be disseminated to customers.
- A note of caution surrounds the adjective "happy", however, if this is interpreted to mean a concentration on the 'hygiene' factors at work, i.e., working conditions, people-centered leadership, remuneration and job security. Much better to design the task so that it is intrinsically satisfying because it offers opportunities for variety, autonomous decision-making and the exercise of discretion.
- "Happy" also relies on appropriate recruitment and selection, so that staff are comfortable about what they are doing.
4#. "Select for attitude, train for skill"
- This is a popular mantra, and has earned a good deal of support on the grounds that if the organization wants to major on service excellence as a competitive differentiator, then it is much more cost-effective to recruit people with the right aptitudes and attitude in the first place.
- The 'right' aptitudes and attitudes will include: a positive disposition, a 'cando' mentality, a willingness to work collaboratively with others, friendliness towards people (including customers) and competent interpersonal skills.
- However, there are some customer service roles where individuals also require technical knowledge and capabilities, e.g., medical receptionists in a hospital.
- The problem here is that customer satisfaction is not enough to ensure competitive survival, especially if customers routinely expect to be satisfied as a result of their service experience with the business.
- Customer delight goes beyond 'satisfaction' to record service experienced which are truly memorable for being outstandingly different.
- Examples: Lands End Clothing ("Don't worry about what's good fir the company - worry about what's good for the customer") and John Lewis Partnership ("random acts of kindness" towards fellow 'partners' and customers).
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