DOES PROVIDING EXCELLENT SERVICE MEAN BEING CONSISTENT?
Before we can identify how to be consistent, we must first answer the question “does providing excellent service mean being consistent?” My answer to this is yes and no, and here’s why. Consistent is defined as not contradictory; uniform in thought and action.
Consider the definition for a moment in relation to customer service. It is important for customers to gain a sense of business integrity, to feel that the employee they are talking to is knowledgeable, and to feel that there is a sense of understanding and sharing of information between departments. It’s also important that customers feel a sense of value every time they interact with you. In these respects, here are some areas where it is important to be consistent:
Processes and standards, which create a consistent first impression (i.e. greeting the customer, transferring calls, putting callers on hold, standards for follow-up with emails, voice messages, general follow-up when we are working on solutions , etc.).
Understand and execute policies (flexible policies and non-flexible policies).
Exchange of information (it is important that the client does not get one answer when dealing with employee A and a different answer to the same question when dealing with employee B).
Common understanding about the company’s customer service philosophies (and how to execute them during daily interactions).
Consider the Disney experience. Everyone knows the philosophy of customer service, every employee plays their part in providing an exceptional experience and each time you visit again, you will have the same experience. Consistency is important.
Now we have to explore the other side. When should we not be consistent? Isn’t it great customer service to treat all customers the exact same way? Customers want to feel valued in their interaction and care about how you are meeting their needs in the moment, not how you are trying to meet everyone’s needs in the same way. After all, the intangible (motives) and tangible needs of a customer are not the same thing. This is where we need to use our business understanding and skills. The inconsistency really relates to your mindset and how you execute. If you intend to treat everyone exactly the same, with the same answers, executing all policies in the same way, etc. you may ignore or miss what this customer is saying at the moment (words, tone, body language). What does he ask for and, through questioning, why does he ask for it. The result will be a transaction versus an interaction, leaving the customer feeling undervalued.
Here is something else to consider. Whether or not your business has formally done this, there are different ratings for your customers. Some of your customers may be long-term, highly transacted, providing feedback and referrals to your business. Other clients may have a lot of growth potential within your business, and some may only do business with you once or twice a year. Will you treat each of these different customer groups the same way? You want to apply different strategies to different segments to meet their different needs. Examples: whether a customer has a dedicated account manager, how often and how they contact, whether a customer goes through the regular phone queue or has been assigned a priority line, return guidelines for higher volume customers vs. single purchase.
HOW IS CONSISTENCY GUARANTEED?
Determine the areas where you want to provide a consistent experience.
Document your philosophies, standards, processes and policies.
Train employees so they have an initial understanding of what the philosophies, standards, processes and policies are AND WHY. Reinforce daily application through training and mentoring.
If you will have different strategies for different types of clients, document them and communicate what and why to the employees who will be responsible for execution.
CONCLUSION
Establish the foundation for a consistent experience by documenting your operation.
Enable “inconsistency” by treating customers as unique human beings.