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 Don
Hales.
Don is the Managing Director of Customer Service World and
founder of the UK National Customer Service Awards. Don has
addressed audiences in 19 different countries and contributed
hundreds of articles to dozens of publications on the field of
Service Quality. He works closely with the Institute of Customer
Service and the Society of Consumer Affairs Professionals, as well
as most of the leading academics, trainers and consultants working
in the customer focus profession. His first book: "WOW! That's What
I Call Service", was published in 2007.
1. What is the difference between offering good
customer service and delivering service excellence?
Often the difference lies in perceptions. The perception
of an organisation that they are delivering good customer service,
often based on the fact that they are meeting all their KPIs (call
waiting time, number of complaints, first time resolutions,
customer satisfaction surveys etc) and the perception of the
customers as to how they feel about the service they have
received. All too often there is a real gap between these
perceptions.
2. What do you think is the deadliest mistake in customer
service or "Service Excellence"?
Complacency. Customer expectations are rising all the time
and I frequently see organisations strive to reach a good standard
and then move onto another change management programme as though
"Service Excellence" has been fixed. Inevitably they slide
back into the pack of mediocrity.
3. Do any examples of companies come to mind which clearly
show the difference between offering good customer service and
delivering service excellence?
In the UK the John Lewis store group are consistently
outstanding. They have unrivalled levels of staff
engagement and regularly top the UK Customer Service Index across
all sectors. In fact right now they occupy the number one
spot and in second position is Waitrose, the supermarket chain,
which is itself a part of the John Lewis Group.
Another stunning example of great service excellence in the UK
is Tower 42 an office block in the City of London, offering
tenancies to city firms such as stockbrokers, lawyers, assurance,
banking and so on. They charge the highest rents in London
and offer 5-star hotel service to occupants. They are a great
example as to how it is possible to charge a premium for great
service. Every tenant could move a short distance and save
money - there is plenty of vacant office space in London right now
- but they have maintained 95-98% occupancy throughout the last
decade. If anyone is coming to town and wants to see real
customer excellence, let me know and I will arrange a site
visit.
4. 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?
Hey this is my pet subject and I cannot do this justice
here. However, I would emphasise that great customer service
starts at the top. If the top level of management are not
committed to building the right environment in which a service
culture can flourish, then that organisation will never achieve
consistently great service across the whole organisation. I
will be featuring this subject in my workshop at the UAE Customer
Service Week Forum in Abu Dhabi later this month.
Last months Q&A sessions was with Bernadette De Souza, if
you missed it please click here to read Bernadette's
answers. For more information on Don Hales and to read about Don's
contribute to Customer Service please visit www.worldofcustomerservice.com
