What makes quality customer service so important? Let’s find the answer in the numbers: 94% of customers will want to make another purchase if they enjoy a good customer service experience; 60% of business leaders say there is a strong link between high-quality customer service and improved customer retention; and 88% of customers feel the experience a business provides is as important as its products or services.
The customer service that your facilities management department or company offers directly contributes to your business’s success. Here, we explore seven steps to craft a service culture so you can offer exceptional service to your customers and improve your company’s bottom line in the process.
Embed Customer Service Into Your Mission and Vision Statements
Every company comes with its own customer service philosophy. But at the end of the day, it all boils down to one main thing: providing excellent service to their customers.
Successful businesses know exactly how to make their customers feel valued. A great way to communicate your commitment toward customer satisfaction would be to include customer service as an important part of your company’s mission or vision statement.
For instance, your vision statement could include service excellence through service-related goals and objectives. On the other hand, your mission statement could shine the spotlight on service culture by highlighting your team’s commitment to building long-lasting relationships with customers.
Ultimately, it is your employees who determine the way your customers see your business. So, unless your commitment to customer service is reflected in your goals, objectives, and vision, it will quickly slip away from your team’s priority list. A solid service-oriented vision or mission statement is often the best way to remind your team of the importance you place on the satisfaction of your customers.
Invest in Training Your Team Members
Let’s face it: Every business owner understands the value of providing top-notch service. However, only a few truly invest in training their workforce for the tasks associated with it.
Training your team to serve your customers unlocks multiple creative and imaginative solutions. Your team members learn to step into customers’ shoes, deep dive into their concerns, and find innovative ways to serve them in the best possible manner.
Training starts with hiring. Make sure your new employees learn to handle complaints and resolve issues in a way that creates happy customers and improves your bottom line. Training, however, shouldn’t stop once your employees’ onboarding journey is complete.
Instead, your employees must receive consistent coaching so they remain fully aware of the industry standards, best practices, and updates in company processes.
In addition to healthy onboarding and ongoing training, software for general contractors can assist in the process of creating a customer service culture throughout your organization.
Talk to Your Stakeholders
Sure, crafting comprehensive service goals is critical for your facilities management company. But how do you ensure these goals are understood, supported, and (most importantly!) executed?
The answer in one word: communication.
Communicate your customer service literature with all your stakeholders including management, leaders, key employees, and front-line staff. Without communication, your team will never know how their efforts contribute to service excellence.
Get all your stakeholders on the same page when it comes to your service excellence goals. Tell them personally as well as professionally why these goals matter. Show them how great service can benefit every department of your facilities management business. Your customer service reps, more than anyone, must understand how service directly impacts your bottom line. Your managers must recognize that happy customers mean a more productive workforce.
Once everyone realizes the power of great service, they will play an active role in helping you achieve it.
Make Customer Service a Part of Your Company’s Culture
Now that you’ve incorporated service excellence in your training, objectives, mission, and vision statements, it’s time to let its roots grow deep into your company’s culture. This can be done through the powerful combination of training and rewards.
Great service, after all, isn’t just “part of the job.” It is your company’s (and therefore your team’s) guiding light toward success. If you see anyone offering great service to your customers, don’t hesitate to acknowledge their efforts through rewards. Remember, what gets rewarded gets repeated. When other employees see good service quality rewarded, they will naturally come forward to create better customer experiences.
With your employees now focused on creating happy customers, high-quality customer service naturally ends up becoming an important part of your overall company culture.
Tap Into the Power of Technology
Technology is the secret ingredient of every great business move. So, why hold back from deploying it for your customer service efforts?
Determine which areas of your customer service need improvement. Next, find the right tools to assist you in the process. Remember, tech must enhance person-to-person interaction, not eliminate it.
We live in a world that is immersed in technology and where customers stand to make or break a business’s reputation. Delivering great customer service isn’t linked to good customer service reps alone. Your management and staff must be empowered with the right tools to boost quality, meet customer needs almost instantly, and create a consistent customer experience.
Track and Measure the Results
Your FM company will need specific measurements to gauge your team’s performance at delivering service that meets customer expectations. To measure the performance of your processes, make sure you craft a system of measuring service outcomes. This will help employees and customer service managers monitor their efforts and improve their performances on an ongoing basis.
Ask Customers and Team Members for Feedback
In the words of psychologist Daniel Kahneman, “True intuitive expertise is learned from prolonged experience with good feedback on mistakes.”
Feedback is one of the best ways to enhance the quality of your customer service and detect minor issues associated with your systems and processes. Create crisp feedback forms and share them with your team and customers. Find which areas are doing well and which areas may need more work. Finally, determine which solutions can turn your service’s weaknesses into strengths.
Conclusion
What is your service culture philosophy? Do you have a comprehensive plan in place to create happy customers?
If not, it’s time to start building one. Start by determining your service values, goals, and vision that clearly communicate your FM company’s commitment to service quality. Next, bring your entire workforce on board to execute your vision. Finally, keep your service excellence ship sailing to retain existing customers and eventually expand your customer base!
Author Bio
Ralph P. Sita Jr., CPA, is a serial entrepreneur and the co-founder of FieldBin, a field service management software provider for trade business owners. In addition, Sita co-founded Cybrary and serves as both CEO and co-founder of TrainACE and GamePlannerPro.com.