Leadership Lessons: Cutting-Edge Customer Service

The Problem

Maybe your organization doesn't make cutting-edge products. You don't necessarily have to. But do your employees deliver cutting-edge customer service?

With today's uncertain economy and belt-tightening occurring on every level, people are scrambling to maintain profitability and grow their businesses. Add to that competition and a world that relies on social networking and word-of-mouth marketing ... well, let's just call it a tough sell.

Retaining and gaining edge hinges on the kind of customer service that brings people to your door, helps you through the economic downturn and creates customer advocacy.

Who should you be training to provide cutting-edge customer service?

• Sales and service representatives

• All employees who deal with your customers

• Anyone who has internal and external customer contact

That sounds like almost everyone in an organization needs training, doesn't it? In truth, every employee can use customer service training. Such training helps an organization shift its culture to one that encourages cutting-edge thinking and progressive service.

The following are examples of organizations known for delivering superb, memorable customer service.

Nordstrom

An American business more than 100 years old, Nordstrom is touted in a destinationcrm.com article as the gold standard for customer service excellence. The company now relies on word of mouth as a primary marketing tool.

Nordstrom makes customer service a priority, and customers know they will be treated special. One longtime employee said that he felt empowered to pave his own career path and to bring customers along with him. Nordstrom also gives employees on the frontline the ability to make decisions.

Ford

Ford was founded in 1903, and remains a leader in the American auto industry. A Ford division customer relationship manager was interviewed, and she said the company has been responsive by listening to what customers want instead of telling them what they need. The Ford philosophy has always been to focus on the customer experience at every touch point.

Men's Wearhouse

A FastCompany.com article, "They Sell Suits With Soul," shares the story of Men's Wearhouse's record of turning "reluctant shoppers into loyal customers." One top executive said that the company's training curriculum is less about how to sell suits than about understanding people. In addition, Men's Wearhouse believes in "the ability to move beyond the initial customer request and to satisfy a true need."

The Solution

Design Customer Service Training and Make it Happen

Consider the level of customer service your organization provides today. What might you consider in the way of training for employees so they feel the kind of empowerment that leads to cutting-edge customer service?

Assessment must be a part of your customer service methodology. Some assessment firms indicate that finding the right operational targets and customer satisfaction information to determine where service and delivery integrate is key. Next, design a CSR training program that builds service levels to satisfy your customers; this will have a direct bearing on your organization's productivity and profitability.

Vital Learning, in conjunction with your training representative, offers a variety of customer service training programs. Each program is flexible to fit your needs and provides both traditional classroom-based and online options.

STAR Service is a powerful, four-hour program that teaches participants how to achieve the following:

• S: Sync up with customers
• T: Target customer needs
• A: Assist customer needs
• R: Reaffirm assistance and the relationship

The STAR Service program offers maximum training in a short period of time to improve CSRs' consistency and create positive and memorable experiences for your customers. It also helps increase customer retention, expand business relationships and drive increased customer referrals. Vital Learning's Winning Through Customer Service program offers four modules to train participants about professionalism that leads to a proactive, problem-solving culture. The program also focuses on communication skills while using a structured process/model for conducting customer service transactions. Furthermore, participants practice strategies for appropriately dealing with difficult customer situations.

Two complementary online programs, Delivering Customer-Focused Service and Dealing With Difficult Customer Situations, allow organizations to deliver training as either stand-alone, self-paced modules or blended learning to complement to the classroom-based programs.

There has never been a more compelling time to keep your organization moving and on the cutting edge with customer service training.

For general supervisory leadership skills, we continue to offer you the award-winning series by Vital Learning. Available in Classroom, Online, or Blended delivery options, the Vital Learning curriculum includes the following essential topics.

• Delegating - understanding when to use delegation and how to make it motivating
• Complaints - being able to effectively manage complaints
  
• Coaching - knowing how to productively coach job skills
  
• Project Management - being able to run projects, both on-time and on-budget
  
• Conflict - understanding how to successfully resolve conflict
  
• Hiring Winning Talent- knowing what to do to consistently hire the right talent
  
• Providing Feedback - understanding how to establish performance goals and standards and give feedback
  
• And more...