Beyond Customer Service
Talking about customer service with different people will typically provide different views and experiences. That said, customer service is generally considered one of the most significant differentiation factors in a competitive environment. What do we really want to achieve with customer service?
The most successful individuals and organizations have defined the desired result as “Customer Loyalty”! Developing loyal customers goes far beyond “satisfied customers” and can make a critical difference in the sustainability of success. The art is in creating unique, positive points of connection with every customer any time they are in contact with an organization. Such a contact can be between people but also when receiving services and products. Establishing customer loyalty is a powerful and lucrative competitive advantage of strategic value because loyal customers by definition always return, they brag about their suppliers creating invaluable word of mouth advertizing and are often willing to pay a premium for the perceived added value. If there is an occasional problem with the product or service the loyal customer will be more forgiving and cooperative in correcting the mistake.
An important aspect in this context is the definition of “customer”. Again, successful organizations do not distinguish between external and internal customers as they consider them of equal importance. As a matter of fact, if all the internal customer relationships along any given value chain are serviced to the point that they would represent the profile of a happy, loyal customer the reflection of that organization towards their outside world will create an environment that generates loyal “external” customers.
Who provides the positive points of connection which create loyal customers? Any individual the gets in contact with a customer directly and indirectly, from the cleaning personnel in a plant to the CEO setting the visionary agenda. Customer loyalty should be on every one’s mind all the time and must not be reduced to a duty for sales and customer service professionals. In essence, internal AND external customer loyalty must be initiated by the leadership of an organization and requires three organizational (and individual) values to become ingrained:
Emotional Connectivity - to enable everyone to create positive points of connectionUncompromising Integrity - maybe the most challenging concept but also the most important Unleashed Creativity - a value that requires risk taking on all levels of the hierarchy as it demands the freedom to be creative in finding solutions to serve any customer (internal or external) to the best ability. If costumer loyalty becomes a habit in an organization success is consequential.
Manfred Gollent
Business Coach, QLI International
http://www.qli-international.com
phone: (864)877-5235
E-mail: mgollent@qli-international.com
Manfred has 30 years of international Fortune 500 company experience where he has lead corporations as a turn-around executive in Europe, USA and Asia. Now Manfred is consulting to principals of companies of different sizes as well as individuals in entrepreneurial roles with a focus on strategy, efficiency management, as well as human resources development in the areas of leadership, sales, time strategies and customer loyalty. In addition to his engagement with organizations and open enrollment workshops, he is coaching individuals to help them maximize their potential and achieve their goals more consistently.
Tags: advertizing, agenda customer, brag, competitive advantage, competitive environment, contact, critical difference, customer loyalty, customer relationships, customer service, differentiation factors, external customers, internal customer, internal customers, loyal customer, loyal customers, occasional problem, receiving services, satisfied customers, willing to pay