Customer Service to Service Quality

The International Customer Service Institute is running a regular Q&A session with internationally recognised service quality experts. This months Q&A session is with Program Director, Research, Marketing and International Initiatives Institute for Citizen-Centred Service (ICCS), Bernadette de Souza.

Bernadette leads the national research studies of the ICCS, including the Taking Care of Business and Citizen's First survey series with government sector partners across Canada, to identify the public's and business' service needs and expectations, track satisfaction over time, and identify areas for improvement at a national and local level. She is also responsible for the development of the ICCS long-term strategic plan, marketing of the ICCS internationally, building and supporting international relationships, and facilitating action learning events on themes of common interest to the service delivery community.

Q1. What is the difference between offering good customer service and delivering service excellence?

Good customer service is living up to the expectations of the service provider to the extent that it is "what the customer needs". Service excellence is listening to and responding to the voice of the customer and constantly striving to meet or exceed "what the customer expects".

Q2. What do you think is the deadliest mistake in customer service or "Service Excellence"?

Complacency. Assuming that, as the service provider, you know what the customer expects without constantly keeping the customer in the line of sight, and constantly working to improve services in line with customer expectations. There is never an "end state" to service excellence.

Q3. Do any examples of companies come to mind which clearly show the difference between offering good customer service and delivering service excellence?

Disney, Walmart. They go beyond customer service - they anticipate, verify and respond to customer expectations.

Q4. Please give practical advice to the leaders who are striving for excellence. What are the main steps the organisations should follow to achieve service excellence?
  • Listen to the voice of the customer
  • Establish a vision that is customer-focused
  • Recruit right. Recruit and develop leaders who are proponents of customer service excellence and who live and exemplify the vision
  • Create a service culture - including people, process, systems
  • Invest in your people - communications, information, training
  • Obtain feedback (internal and external) and act on results (research is king)
  • Measure performance and progress
  • Benchmark against leading organizations
  • Constantly evolve

Last months Q&A sessions was with Kate Dickens, if you missed it please click here to read Kate's answers.