Customer service expert Paul Cooper reveals his frustration at the lip service companies pay their staff when it comes to offering a great customer experience.
I was talking to someone the other day, who happens to be the Regional Director of one of the top 5 High Street banks. A jovial and optimistic guy, I sympathised over the events of the last couple of years and hoped things were now back on track.
“Actually Im more depressed than ever.” he replied.
“Why?” was my obvious response.
The story he told me was as follows:
Recently he, along with other senior colleagues, had attended the banks AGM and heard the good news on their recent recovery, and how they had turned the corner. It was all to do with how hard everyone had worked, and that customer service was, and was to be even more in the future, the key to their success. He was proud, enthused and had a great feeling about his people, the organisation, and its brand.
They then all went to a senior managers meeting to discuss the strategy and budgets for next year. At this, they were all told that, amongst other things, as belts had to be tightened, all training budgets were to be cut by 20% across the board. The enthusiasm and pride could be seen to be rapidly oozing out of everyone in the room.
I dont think I need to point out to everyone the dichotomy here, but it is yet another of many examples we see every day of the disconnect between spin and reality.
Tom Peters once said that the problem is NOT that your staff dont listen to you, its that they DO listen to you. And the message in the actions above is all too clear. We pay lip service to service, and arent signed up to the fact that our people are the true key to great service, reputation, and success.
Over the last 10 years, I have seen it all over, time and again. Organisations want a day on customer service “training” for their staff. A DAY! However good the message, thats just a sheep-dip, and a cop-out.
There is no measurement of impact; no baking the concepts into induction, appraisal and training programmes; no long-term plans in place for reinforcement or continuous development, etc, etc. Management has forgotten about it happening within weeks, as have the staff who see nothing has changed.
Now, to be fair, I also see some enlightened organisations who have embraced the whole concept as a true investment. They have everyone in the organisation, including the directors involved in the programme; they have introductory presentations and workshops for everyone; workbooks for the staff and managers to cover the topics over, typically a 6-8 month programme and more.
There is an independent qualification at the end, and the programme is embedded in induction for new staff, whilst those who have completed the first part are being prepared for the next level.
They are seeing many benefits from these programmes, like improved satisfaction of staff and customers, lower headcount turnover and the like, which I would have expected. But they initially signed up to them because of belief, not ultimate proof from analysis to the nth degree. Sir Terry Leahy often says, 'Whats good for the customer must be good for Tesco'. That belief doesnt need piles of analysis – just do it!
So, is your organisation now ready for the new, post-depression era? Have you reflected back and realised that none of the organisations who didnt make it through had any decent reputation for service, whilst those who thrived are well known for their service excellence and have been for years?
Is it just a coincidence that those recently recognised in a national poll for service are the same ones that have been right up there for years – John Lewis, Richer Sounds, Lands End, Tesco, Waitrose, Pret a Manger and the like?
In the next two years or so, a lot of talented people may well be coming on to the job market. We all know that when an organisation starts redundancy programmes its the better people that leave and the poorer that stay, and this will certainly be so in the public sector rationalisation. It is essential for your business success that you attract, and keep the excellent, and let others handle the rest. Brand, reputation and great service are a key part of attracting those recruits.
pcooper@customerplus.co.uk
07703 597473
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