Real Customer Service

In order to stay competitive in today's marketplace, it is a fact that you must exceed your customer's expectations (this is the definition of quality).

However - when I say "customer service," I mean both internal and external customers.

You will not be capable of providing great customer service to your external customers IF you don't provide great service to your internal customers first. It is that simple.

In this sense, I beg you to be frank and answer this question to yourself candidly:

Does your company truly provide customer service? Or is it just lip service in the face of all employees?

Not giving great customer service to both your internal and your external customers has two implications:

First: It will be very difficult for your company - if not impossible - to create a committed and truly engaged workforce (customer focus is a critical driver of employee engagement).

Second: Your external customers won't be 100 pleased - and if they are not 100 per cent pleased with the service you give to them, eventually they might end up going somewhere else.

According to a Watson Wyatt study (Watson Wyatt is a global consultancy on people and financial issues), only about half of all employees surveyed believe their companies base decisions on what is best for the customer - they believe that "put the customer first" is just an empty slogan at their company.

Remember:

Remember that customer service means, includes, and implies both internal AND external customers.

Remember that customer service is a "real" corporate value that all high performing organizations have in common - which means that putting customers first (both internal and external) is a key driver of financial success.

Questions? Feedback? Reply to this Newsletter and tell me what you would like future issues to be about.

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