 BUSINESS AND GOVERNMENT COLUMNISTS |
 |
 |
|
|
EDWINA FRAZIER AND ADELE FOSTER
|
|
SISTERS IN BUSINESS, ''OH SAY CAN YOU SEE? CUSTOMER SATISFACTION BEGINS WITH YOU'', WEEK OF JULY 22-29, 2010
by ADELE FOSTER AND EDWINA FRAZIER
The Wilmington Journal
Originally posted 7/21/2010
''Oooh say, can you seeeee?'' Are you humming the melody right now? In honor of Independence Day, SIB is asking the question: ''Oh say can you see where customer satisfaction begins?'' According to C. Britt Beemer and Robert L. Shook, authors of ''The Customer Rules-The 14 Indispensable, Irrefutable, and Indisputable Qualities of the Greatest Service Companies in the World'' it starts with you seeing your customers in a new light. What you see depends on how and where you look. Have you really observed the way they shop? The times of day? The days of the week? How much are they generally spending and on what? Sure, you may say what self-respecting entrepreneur wouldn't know the answers to those questions?
OK, does your team know the answers?
The culture of customer service will not change on its own nor will it change if you're the only one paying attention to it. Your team has to be onboard as well. How do you make that happen?
According to Michael Armstrong, author of ''What Managers Do,''
''… You are there to get things done through people you are engaged in a purposeful activity involving others. But you are concerned with defining ends as well as gaining them. You decide what to do and then ensure that it gets done with the help of the members of your team''.
That said, customer service begins with you taking care of your internal customer, your employee… first. We've said it before and it bears repeating, a disgruntled employee will not take care of the folks coming through the door.
The same can be said for a disengaged employee. Great customer services must first be defined by the way you treat your employees and then providing concrete guidelines for how they will interact with your external customers.
During a recent HR Summit presentation, Rick Dreiling, CEO of Dollar General Corporation, spoke on the importance of treating your employees with dignity.
He referred to it as the ''The style of what you do.'' Your style should never be demeaning or intimidating. The company's mission statement of ''Serving Others'' extends to both their employees, as well as, their customers.
Your people should genuinely know that you care about them as people. Remember the old adage, ''People don't care about how much you know until they know how much you care.'' It's much better to lead by validation than to lead by numbers. Validation says you matter and I appreciate the difference you are making. Numbers are impersonal and don't truly communicate the worth of your employee beyond the bottom line.
If you want to see a difference in your bottom line, pay attention to your people and THEY will take care of your numbers.
Sisters In Business is a non-profit organization. Adele Foster and Edwina Frazier are Entrepreneurial Development Consultants. In addition to their weekly column, they also facilitate self-employment seminars, business coaching and professional development seminars
Adele Foster: foster4119@yahoo.com
Edwina Frazier: ef3835@yahoo.com
|
|
|
|
|
|
