What Does it Take to Provide Superior Customer Service
I recently read a blog post on Why Small Companies Are Better at Customer Service by Anthony Tjan. In his post Tony points out,
“The key difference in these experiences is the common sense and empathy of the small local company. Too much customer service — especially in large companies — has devolved to standard operating procedures and scripted answers delivered with artificial calmness.”
I agree that the key differences Tony points out are critical, but they wouldn’t completely explain why companies provide good or bad customer service. It also takes the right culture within the company to ensure that customers are serviced well. We are all aware of Zappos and their unwavering focus on superior customer service. They aren’t a small company; yet, many companies attempt to emulate their customer service. So what is it about Zappos that makes it possible for a large company to provide fabulous customer service. IT’S THE CULTURE!
So let’s bring the thoughts from Tony’s blog post together with the importance of culture. In the end, it is the culture. That doesn’t mean that all small companies have a great culture and all large companies have a poor culture. The key around the size of the company is that it is easier to formulate a culture and execute it within a small company. Take Dovetail for instance. We approach customer service utilizing a slogan I stole from Nike – Just Do It. Our employees know they are empowered to do what they believe is necessary to satisfy the customer, in most cases with empathy and common sense. We don’t hide behind SLAs, SOPs, or other bureaucratic barriers; we find ways to make our customers successful. That doesn’t mean we always satisfy the customer, but in most cases, we do achieve our goal.
Let’s hope other companies pick up our motto towards customer service, especially as we approach Customer Service Week next week.
Until Next Time,
Stephen
