customer service with a twist_jaquie scammell

10 Principles how to Export Exceptional Customer Services into the Modern Business World(inspired by a 5000 year old ancient practice)

Customer Service with a Twist

JAQUIE SCAMMELL

White Paper – Customer Service With A Twist: 10 Principles on How to Export Exceptional Customer Service into the Modern Business World © Copyright | 2014 | Jaquie Scammell Management Consulting | Melbourne

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Introduction

We live in a fast-changing, modern and open-minded society where our voices are projected on the world’s stage – largely assisted by technology and the web. As such, we continually seek meaning in our lives and at work.

Customers are swamped by the increasing transparency and availability of information. They are demanding of organisations to act sensitively and humanely in their interactions.

Staff and customers demand and expect change.

Customer service means something different in everyone’s business; however, no one questions its importance.

Customers reward the businesses that make them feel good. The quality of your product is no longer enough—you make a great coffee … so what?

Figure 1: Your customers’ viewpoint

My interpretation of customer service is holistic and very much left-side brain thinking. I write this paper with the intention to educate and demonstrate that to survive in the 21st century of business; we must offer a greater sense of purpose to the workforce and to our customers.

We must make our customers feel happy in order to gain a lifetime of loyalty.

Let me show you how to enlighten your bottom line ... with a twist.

According to Lee Resource

“91% of unhappy customers will not

willingly do business with your

organisation again.”

According to Gartner

“80% of your company’s future revenue will come

from just 20% of your existing customers.”


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So what’s the twist?

The twist comes in the form of customer service principles; inspired from the 10 fundamental principles of a 5000-year-old practice—YOGA.

Hmmm ... how does YOGA apply to customer service in the modern world of business?

Easy! It’s proven that staff who serve customers in downward dog are 50% more productive. OK, technically it’s not proven: I'm just trying to lighten the mood for a moment.

Let me explain the concept further ...

As customers, we can sense what sets apart the ordinary and the not-so-ordinary companies. We ‘feel’ a certain energy, awareness and vitality in a business and often cannot tangibly explain what has created this ‘feeling’. We sometimes refer to it as ‘good company culture’ or sometimes as ‘great customer service’.

Furthermore, this ‘feeling’—which we are yet to label—is happening all around us without our realising it. There are companies out there that seemingly have the competitive advantage and know how to extend and export great customer experiences. These experiences provoke emotions and as customers, we walk away ‘feeling’ good. ‘Feeling’ good will equate to loyalty; repeat business; and powerful, positive word-of-mouth.

Within YOGA, I would label this ‘feeling’ a Sanskrit word: ‘pranayama’. This word is composed of two Sanskrit words, ‘prana’ meaning life force, or vital energy and ‘ayama’ meaning to extend or draw out. So how do ordinary companies—the ones that are simply providing a service and product—step- up and breathe some ‘pranayama’ into their business?

How does a company provoke an emotional response from their customers?

How does a company transcend customers’ ordinary, everyday experiences of products and services, into one of meaning?

How does a company survive long-term in a world full of open-minded, beautiful human beings who not only want more but also demand more than ever before?

Let me share with you how to connect your customers to your organisations higher purpose and, more importantly, add greater meaning to your customers’ day.

I’m talking about one of the most important jobs in the world—serving a customer.


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Introducing the 10 new principles for customer service – with a twist

Figure 2: 10 customer service principles

CUSTOMER SERVICE TWIST 1

Free the Ego

There is vastness and richness to serving another human being.

The first twist is the hardest for all of us—me included.

Freeing the ego is about getting out of your own way and losing yourself in the service of others. In other words – leave your ego at the door.

It is fair to say that staff members who can’t get past this first twist, or who are not even remotely aware of their own ego, really should not be in the service industry; they will often struggle to provide authentic customer experiences.

This may sound like a simple concept to apply, right?

Most people feel the pressing need to ‘get in the last word in’; after all, this helps us deal with challenging customers (particularly when a customer is complaining). Unfortunately, that’s the ego getting in the way.

It is critical to recognise that an employee’s job is to give the customer what they want – to resolve their problems and create a happy feeling.

JaQs Tip: Be humble and

listen more


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Various Approaches

When dealing with humans ... let us is realistic: one size does not fit all. Never can one set of service standards or greetings apply to all humans—let alone provoke an emotional response.

Human beings have varied emotional and social preferences when seeking service or experience or whilst buying a product. Therefore, one rule cannot apply to all.

An employee, who is consciously aware of the uniqueness of each customer, who walks through the door, is much more likely to strike a connection and thus influence how that customer feels because of the interaction.

People rarely remember the details of what you may have said but they will always remember how you made them feel.

Whether it’s a thirty-second transaction with an average spend of $4.00 or a 12-month contract worth $100,000.00, customers today expect an experience that makes them feel good.


Moral Virtues

Moral virtues, whether within life or business, are viewed differently; they are treated on separate levels. Why is this? It puzzles me as to why some people have this view, given that all of us seek the same treatment whether at work or not. What we seek is respect.

In a world that offers us more choices than ever before, what matters most to us—about our work and personal lives—is often more similar than you might realise.

We all deserve respect and we seek it constantly. In fact, people not only feel they deserve it but they will turn their back on you the minute they feel respect has been lost. This can happen in an interaction with a customer or employee.

Feeling like a burden as a customer is not an uncommon experience.

Bruce Poon, author of Looptail speaks about the social revolution that is taking place,

“I know that the only brands that will matter in the future are the ones that will make people’s lives better.”

Poon suggests that the average individual tries to keep their work separate from their personal lives and that this outdated view on life is what keeps many people from achieving happiness. The moral virtues that we live by in our inner (personal) lives need to be integrated into our work lives enabling us to focus ourselves toward a higher purpose.

Simply speaking, an organisations higher purpose is to provide information worth communicating. This will promote a culture of employees that not only believe in the business brand (higher purpose) but they will bring pranayama to the workplace and ultimately influence the customer.

JaQs Tip: Ask your customers what they

want – either before they arrive or as they reach your store.

Literally ask:

“what is it that you need today?

“is there something in particular that would make your experience

more enjoyable?”

JaQs Tip: Remind your

employees of your company’s higher

purpose and how they are individually

contributing to this higher purpose.


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Mindful work

What is sometimes lacking between employee and customer is the chemistry created when the service from the employee is not authentic and certainly not mindful.

The only way mindful work can be carried out, by an employee, is when they are present and in the moment.

In order to engage fully with a customer, one must be present. This is the difference between a ‘switched-on’ employee and one that is ‘sleep walking’.

Quite simply, if an employee is not present with a customer, at the time of interaction, they will miss the opportunity to convert a simple interaction into a greater opportunity (sales, revenue).

As much as being present in the work place is the individual’s responsibility, I would suggest that companies could certainly do more to encourage and promote mindful work.

At times, we all suffer from ‘monkey mind’ – the constant chitter chatter internal dialogue that is happening in your head. A little reset or refocus, before you begin work, is all that’s required. You need to recalibrate the mind. Be aware of the emotions and feelings you are displaying at work; acknowledge that this mindset will affect how the customer will feel about their experience.

Click the below link to discover how some leading international organisations have made mindfulness, in the workplace, a way of life.

10 Big Companies that Promote Employee Meditation


Commitment and Self Discipline

Committed and self-disciplined employees will create a high-performing culture that directly impacts the customer’s experience. How a customer ‘feels’ about your brand, product or service will affect their spending behaviours—more positively of course.

The act of service requires considerable personal effort. All the training and company standards in the world, will not address this, unless you have employees that understand their own level of self-discipline and awareness. Knowing where they can improve in regards to commitment to the job; the organisation; and ultimately, the customer, is key.

I have seen many an employee’s commitment to customer service fade owing to their lack of confidence. Often, a lack of confidence comes from fear of making mistakes due to a gap in their knowledge or skill to do their job.

The customer will pick up on this negative energy—prana—and will more than likely result in the customer feeling underwhelmed, flat and lacking in their experience of that interaction.

JaQs Tip: Daily briefings could include

a 1-minute meditation giving your employees a chance to switch on and become present for their

work.

Discover who amongst your team already makes this

their daily practise.

JaQs Tip: Put up a scorecard of the mistakes

(new gifts) made in a week. Include a column to note who made the

mistake. Acknowledging the mistakes on the scorecard not only

clarifies the remedy for ALL employees, but it promotes a

positive culture of learning and reinforces the importance of attitude over skill towards the

customer.

http://www.onlinemba.com/blog/10-big-companies-that-promote-employee-meditation/


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Some of this may initially be unavoidable, especially if you train staff on the job.

To avoid a culture of fear and blame, a business needs to discover how to encourage employees to see that making mistakes can be a gift to the existing and potential customers. It’s an opportunity to introduce improvements and better the business.

If an employee has a great attitude towards customer service but you think their skills are not up to scratch: encourage them – ensure they view their mistakes as gifts or a learning experience without compromising their commitment towards the customer.

Attitude should always trump a not-so-perfect latte.

In handling these situations or ‘mistakes’ appropriately—we make customers for life.


Practise

The only way to be consistent is to practise, practise, practise.

When customers choose your business—to spend money or relish the experience— they have a minimum expectation of the quality of your product, service, atmosphere, cleanliness, speed and value of your business. We call this customer satisfaction.

Customer satisfaction is the bare minimum and is the foundation of your customer service.

Get the foundations of your service right: practise consistency no matter what the time of day, day of the week, or who is serving. Short cuts, bending the rules and slacking off on procedures will not ensure going a satisfactory foundation level.

Consistency is not to be mistaken with boring, same, same.

In order for a business to create foundations of flow for the customer, you need to reinforce the standards and procedures that are put in place and practise them time-and-time again. I’m talking about getting the basics right ... every ... single ... time.


Beautiful People–Ordinary Tasks

As humans, we sometimes forget how to be the student again. We prefer to be the teacher – the master of what we do.

A beginners mind, however, can be extremely liberating. The possibilities are endless when you are learning something new. New employees can teach us a lot—using fresh eyes to see what is not obvious to the rest of the team.

Fresh eyes are critical —in a customer service environment—to ensure that complacency and tunnel vision do not occur.

JaQs Tip: Observe your business from the

customer’s point of view. Where are the gaps that are leading to

inconsistencies? Film or record the staff serving a customer at various

times of the day. Look out for inconsistencies in the customer’s

journey and discuss these with the team.

Discover, from this evidence, the gaps in your service standards and practise till the foundations of your

business are set in stone.

JaQs Tip: Swap roles for the day or a week.

I’ve done this with teams and it has paid off to no end. Appreciation of what someone else does and how they impact the customer not only

generates a greater empathy amongst the team but creates a

fresh awareness of how the business is talking to the heart of the customer and how it makes

them feel at various touch points.


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Let’s not underestimate the power of employees, those who seemingly perform the least skilled or least important roles, on the impact of a great customer experience. Often these employees have a unique perspective on how the customer should be treated; furthermore, they can offer the simplest solutions to some of the main pains or issues that your customers face with your product or service.

An ordinary role is still being conducted by a human being, with a spirit and a connection to how the customers’ experience. All employees add value to a business and touch the customer in some way.


Focus (energy awareness)

Make it a daily ritual to focus your attention to the customer. In fact, make it a business rule—if that sounds more professional.

Intentionally thinking about the customer each day—at an organisational level—will, in turn, be felt by the customer and they will reward you for it.

Energy flows where attention goes! If the attention is focused on what the customers wants and what their needs might be for that particular day, it will come through naturally in verbal and non-verbal communications between the employee and the customer. Picture those times in life when you are thinking about a certain person, then in that moment, they call your mobile. How cool is that? How great does it make you feel?

To help stimulate this business practice, ask questions like: What’s happening in the world today? What’s the weather like? What day of the week is it? What’s impacting my customers’ environment today? Has something changed, in our business, which needs further explaining? How can we improve on yesterday to make the customer feel more at ease and comfortable? And so on ….

If you treat your kindred customers like friends or members of your family, they will ultimately feel and appreciate this energy.

Remind yourself daily: why are you here? Why are you doing this? The customer will notice your attention to them, they will feel your thoughtfulness and they will reward you.

JaQs Tip: Word of the Day!

Nominate a word, on which you all agree, best describes how your

customer might be feeling OR the word that best describes how you want your customer to feel at the end of their interaction with you.

Pin the word up where it is a constant visual reminder to all

employees. Watch the exchange of energy take place

subconsciously.

JaQs Tip: Make a list of possible scenarios

(with some expected boundaries) when situations may arise. Eg. when

to refund a product or give something for free.

Give your staff permission to take it upon themselves to make decisions that they feel is appropriate to the

scenario, and spontaneous and surprising for the customer.


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Empowerment (what’s possible?)

I am not only referring to empowering the staff but also empowering the customer.

Giving the customer permission to ask for something special—not the norm—or make a suggestion on how their experience could have been better is extremely powerful in our world—a world whose future is customer-driven.

Those businesses that invite customers to contribute by asking them questions to seek feedback will be the businesses that survive the customer-driven future. There is no point being flexible with a myriad of choices if it’s not what they are looking for.

The supremacy of empowering your staff, on the other hand, is just as equally critical. Leaders in business must find ways of giving staff permission to discover their highest level of expression and use this to connect authentically with their customer.

Employees need to discover what is possible without constant instruction or initiation by a supervisor or manager. Employees who are encouraged to read a situation and make appropriate judgements will be happier; they will feel they are adding value to the business. In addition, employees that feel they add value to your business are those that generate more sales.

Don’t forfeit the chance to surprise your customer.


A Gradual Process (patience)

Walt Disney once said:

“Whatever you do, do it well. Do it so well that when people see you do it, they will want to come back and see you do it again, and they will want to bring others and show them how well you do what you do.”

The golden nugget of customer service is loyalty. However, loyalty is not created immediately.

The long-term survival of a business—that I referred to in the introduction—is what marries customers to your staff, your products and your brands ... this takes time.

Begin by following one or all of the previous 9 customer service principles, and your efforts will be rewarded that will eventually contribute to creating a successful customer service culture. Over time and with a little patience, these principles will become a way of life for your staff and your customers will feel like part of your family.

No effort is ever wasted. Even the slightest attempt at improving a customer’s experience makes a difference.

JaQs Tip: Start somewhere


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In closing

You may not know how your customer felt, or what they experienced, prior to walking into your business but the employee who is about to serve that customer can certainly impact how they feel when they walk out.

We humans are complex beings, and we will never really figure out all this ‘feeling’ and ‘emotional’ stuff. We are capable, however, of being consciously aware of feelings and how we impact others.

It is a gift, not a duty, to serve another human being. Customer service is so much more about the human interaction than it is about the monetary rewards that great service spins. The bottom line profit can be measured by more than dollars and cents.

We are all very powerful beings, with a growing sense of awareness of how we are impacting each other. Whether we are in our employee shoes or our customer shoes, one thing’s for certain: no one questions the importance of customer service, no matter what side of the counter you’re standing behind.

I wonder why that is? I guess it’s because at the end of the day, we are all the same.

Namaste – The Spirit within me salutes the Spirit in you.

Jaquie Scammell Director www.thetrainingq.com.au


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About Jaquie

Jaquie is a hospitality and retail management professional, well known in the Australian and UK catering, and food and beverage industry.

Jaquie’s passion for the food and beverage industry began 20 years ago when her career skyrocketed within the McDonalds franchise.

The McDonalds management foundation system influenced Jaquie’s structured and systematic approach to business management today.

At the age of 21—soon after achieving a Diploma in Intermediate Operations with McDonalds—her affection for food and beverage operations led her to the catering industry. Jaquie claimed several roles within large international stadiums and sporting/entertainment venues such as the infamous Wembley Stadium (UK) whose annual patronage of 2.5 million.

Over time, Jaquie has acquired a reputation for as high achiever in leading operational teams and she remains instrumental to mobilising major global catering contracts.

Jaquie’s hands-on experience succeeds venues such as: the Sydney Convention and Exhibition Centre (Sydney 2000 Olympics), Melbourne Olympic Park, Rod Laver Arena (home of the Australian Open Grand Slam), Sydney Cricket Ground and Sydney Football Stadium, Vector Arena (Auckland, NZ), Emirates Stadium (Arsenal UK) and Wembley Stadium (London UK).

Jaquie’s proven success in training management teams became evident when she was appointed her first general management role. And today Jaquie leads her company with a natural blend of global operational expertise and proven training techniques tailored multi-sized organisations—relishing real results every time.

customer service with a twist_jaquie scammell

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