Team Members: Our Future is Behind Every Customer
by Kate Nasser | 17 Comments »
Leaders, do you want to ensure that every employee is engaged in the critical business mission, i.e. the customer? Stand up and say “our future is behind every customer!”.
One of the most common traps for all teams is the subtle, unseen shifting of the mission from customer and mutual success to the details of delivering service.
Procedures, policies, scheduling, technology, performance metrics — these are not the mission. They are a means to an end. They are not the future.
This skew toward details also sends a mistaken message within the organization that delivering a great customer experience is ONE department’s mission. We know it isn’t. Each day, take some time from managing details and cross fertilize this inspirational message throughout the company.
Graphic by: Kimb Manson
Customer Service – Our Future Behind Every Customer
Customer focus is simple, respectful, and easily actionable. It is rooted in authentic care and common sense. Look behind each customer to discover the true need and connect for success.
- Behind every customer is the unknown yearning to be known. That’s our future of customer loyalty.
- Behind every customer ID number, is a person with a name whose needs we can fulfill. That’s our future. That’s success.
- Behind every customer question – odd, crazy, simplistic, or repetitive — is a chance to move them to the future and success.
- Behind every customer is another person whom we impact with our actions. Our care is growth for both. That’s our future and theirs.
- Behind every impatient customer is our future success with the tough times of life. That’s a future of skill and ability.
- Behind every customer are the factors that define great service to them. Look behind the customer to reach that future.
- Behind every customer is limitless potential. Cultivate the future.
- Behind every customer is the heart of our success. It beats for our future.
- Behind every customer is a wealth of knowledge free for the taking. Learn!
Empathize!
Ask for their name before their ID number!
Listen with an open mind!
Follow-through!
Study up!
It’s a one-to-one match!
Go to the well!
Maintain heart health!
Action Step: What is one thing each employee could and will do to fulfill the mission? Get their ideas at a company success picnic. Team members offer their actionable ideas and in return the leaders cook and serve food to order (e.g. sandwiches, pancakes, or whatever the culture loves).
Is there a #10? What would you add to this list?
Lead the future of customer loyalty …
Listen
Emapthize
Assess
Deliver
When a brand commits to its customers’ success, the brand and its employees flourish.
Don’t leave success behind! Find it through your customers.
Would you like to easily share this inspiration throughout your company? FREE Offer: Subscribe to this Smart SenseAbilities™ blog and download your free thank you gift poster of Our Future is Behind Every Customer. Hang it in every office and every conference room as a thought-provoking reminder that will positively change your approach and results.
From my professional experience to your success,
Kate Nasser, The People-Skills Coach™
©2011-2012 Kate Nasser, CAS, Inc. Somerville, NJ. If you want to re-post or republish this post, please email info@katenasser.com. Thank you for respecting intellectual capital.
Kate Nasser, The People-Skills Coach, delivers consulting, training, DVDs, and keynotes for the ultimate customer experience, teamwork, employee engagement, and leading change. She turns interaction obstacles into business success. See this site for workshops outlines, customer successes, and her inspiring video footage.
In every mirror, you *are* the customer!
Every rep is also the customer of multiple others. When we recognize how we ourselves have experienced great (or not so great) service, we get ideas about how we can better deliver for others.
10. Behind every customer are potentially many more customers. Through our great products and excellent service we should build a relationship of trust and confidence, leading to referrals to friends and colleagues.
10. Behind every customer comment is the answer, solution, or feature we seek to make our product or service better. Ask for, embrace, and reply to their feedback.
11. Behind every customer’s silly question is the opportunity for you to examine your product and procedures and find improvements. (a play on your #3)
Love your new post, Kate! I’ll add another one: Behind every customer is our competition just waiting to pick them up when we drop the ball!
10. Behind every customer is a smart phone with which they will convey their impressions to their circle of friends, family, and colleagues… Unless of course, it’s in their front pocket…
Be aware–your actions reverberate!
Looks like we all kind of have the same idea for number 10, I was going to say…Behind every customer is a tweet, a post, a blog. Use outstanding service skills to inspire their message.
Kate, once again a fabulous post!
#10, behind every customer is a person who would like to feel their business is truly appreciated! “Customers appreciate associates who appreciate them.
#10 Behind every customer there is a Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn and many more social networks, often with a reach of 100,000’s if not millions – that is if the story is really good but if will become viral even faster should the story be really bad
Great post, Kate, and lot of excellent #10 additions. I guess mine would echo those of yours and others: Behind every customer lies the Golden Rule — do unto others as you’d want done unto you. Oftentimes, just respect of human dignity can go an awfully long way.
Great list, Kate, and I think there are some solid additions being offered here in the comments section. The only thing I can add at this point is that these points only serve to remind people that if you think you don’t need to listen to your customer, that you can simply provide them with what you think they should want, you’re missing the point of how to foster a meaningful relationship with those you’re supposed to problem a service or help solve a problem.
I’d add: Behind every customer (no matter how successful) is a person who has some degree of professional insecurity. Every customer wants to be supported to achieve greater success; not shown how they’ve screwed up. Customer service is more than providing what the customer is overtly purchasing; customer service is ensuring your customer looks good to him/herself and their colleagues.
As a customer of your posts I would add behind every great posts as yours, you get great customers just like the above fine people’s comments 🙂
Right on. #1 might have a corollary. Behind every customer is the fear of making a wrong purchase. If you make sure he gets what he needs first, and put your sale second, you build loyalty.
Adding to fine comments, #12: Some customers do not know or cannot express what they want or really need. Bridge the communication gap and get permission to observe what they do with your product/service or wish to do. With your specialist view you may see what customers cannot and co-create solutions and delight.
Nice additions. When customers get what they need, they connect an emotional “thank you” in their minds to the place that delivered!
I am grateful for your contribution Bn and hope you will share your thoughts on any post of interest here at Smart SenseAbilities(tm).
Have a super weekend.
Kat
Great post Kate. I would agree with everyone else’s #10 – behind every customer there’s a potential ambassador for your business