To compete, put your service culture firstSalt Lake TribuneThe ultimate goal is and continues to be to build and protect the national "brand" of high-quality hospitality. How can companies integrate these practices?
Singapore, saw an opportunity to improve its competitive position in the world by focusing on service. Not manufacturing...service. Dawn House, the author of this article says companies should do the same... and we agree. Companies lose when they forget that they are in business to serve. Apple makes great products...but it is the emphasis on customer experience that drives growth and profitability.
Dawn refers to it as "uplifting service". Service that raises the level of service for a nation or industry. Uplifting service also describes a result - the sense the customer has that the service provided is meant to support and remove worry. How uplifting is your service and your service culture?
What lessons can be learned?
Dawn suggests:
1. Leadership Alignment - Look at your leaders. What improvements are needed to make sure that leaders in your organization can support the intense shift to service? For many it stops here. Do they view customers as necessary headaches... or the point of their work?
2. Service Culture Steering Committee - While I may not fully agree with the steering committee as a strategy, the aim is correct - Service Culture must be led and directed. It must be a "big deal". It will require a special emphasis and constant diligence. However, be careful about steering committees that they do not remove leadership obligations from others to lead the service effort.
3. Actionable service education - Dawn is right, you must teach people how to apply fundamental service principles - talk is cheap. If your service education does not have behavioral change as an actionable goal then it will fail. It isessential for building a strong service culture. Your service education leaders should be carefully selected for their understanding, attitude and orientation to new action.
4. System and process integration - With the emphasis on Six Sigma and Lean, many organizations have looked a processes. Often they say they are looking at the Voice of the Customer. However, I have seen few who step into the customers shoes. You must review each process involving customers from the customers viewpoint. We modify our flow charting looking at each step from the view of the customer. We also examine every interaction where a customer is involved - we call it the "cycle of service" and each interaction is a "moment of truth". Dramatic changes have taken place where these simple tools were applied.
How we create Customer Focused Organizations