Managing Customer Service

Excellent customer service never happens over night. Leaders believe that it should come naturally to their employees . . . but it doesn't. For customer service to exist in an organisation, its leaders and managers must create a service culture. It is the leaders' responsibility to promote an atmosphere of sharing and helping; both internally and externally. Seldom, if ever, will you find a business with weak leadership offering great service. It is essential for any leader to continuously challenge their management style to suit the changing environment, pressures within the business and the needs of their team. Decision-making, team performance and motivation are key elements to enhancing customer service.

Is there a link between leadership, customer service and business success? The answer lies in our leadership abilities: earning the right to lead and the respect of our team.

Great leaders are masters at keeping people informed
They may have to make difficult decisions, but they always show respect for their team. Open communication about the business, ensuring KPI's are understood, setting targets and celebrating successes all lead to a sense of community. Research shows that ensuring that our employees are happy, and are a part of an energetic environment, leads to legendary customer service.

Great leaders inspire a shared vision
This is the dream that invents the future success of our business. Great leaders know exactly what they want to achieve, and everyone gets a share in their vision. They have the passion, strength and energy to work against the odds to achieve their vision.

Great leaders challenge the process
Things can go wrong, mistakes will be made, but it's about learning from them and making sure they don't happen again. If we don't find out why it happened and ask the customer for their point of view, we won't adopt new ideas and better ways of serving our customers. What is delivered at the front line of an organisation is dependent on the processes, systems and leadership behind them; but these policies and procedures are often designed with the company in mind, not the customer.

Great leaders know that dreams don't become realities through the actions of a single person
Customer service is not a department; it is the attitude of the entire organisation, and so leaders must ultimately see themselves as a resource for guidance and encouragement. If you close the door on your team, you risk closing the door on your customer.

Great leaders show appreciation for people's contribution
They encourage the heart by creating a culture of celebration. Never assume that your employees know that they are appreciated for their efforts. If the team believe that they are working for the best company they will let the customer know they are dealing with the best company. Customer service training can offer skills, but great leadership can change attitudes and behaviours.

Great leaders are role-models to their team
A team will gauge how serious your commitment to customer service is by your actions. If you avoid negativity when dealing with problems, and give your team the freedom to create their own solutions, the overall quality of communication within the organisation is raised.

Good customer service may require a small investment, but the returns can be enormous. If organisations measured how many customers they lose, they would be able to calculate if it was worth making an investment in customer service. Research shows that poor customer service is the largest single reason for customers changing their supplier . . . so when dealing with a problem, think about the lifetime value of the customer before making a decision.