Page 32 - Delivering Authentic Customer Experiences

Principle 2 Delivering Authentic Customer Experiences

Attitudes count

The latest customer surveys reaffirm the importance of the core
ingredients of excellent service. Employee competence, attitudes
and behaviour are seen as significant differentiators in developing
sustainable relationships with customers. Customer service is not
a department or a handy job title. It has to be an attitude shared
and demonstrated by every single person in your company.

As you are in the business of providing experiences, much of what
you’ll sell will be intangible. Often, what you’ll offer your
customers is a feeling, a lifestyle choice, a solution, which is
therefore almost entirely dependent on the people who deliver it.
You may have products on sale to complement your service and
supplement your bottom line. However, these are generally
provided to add value to the customers’ experience and are
classed as secondary spend. Repeat business is rarely based on
what you provide - it’s much more about how it is provided. As a
consequence, what you say and how you behave when you’re
dealing with the customer will have more impact on their decision
to stay than the ancillary products you offer.

Ever been into an office, restaurant or fitness club and felt
uncomfortable? You can’t put your finger on exactly what’s
wrong, but you sense something is amiss. The chances are that
you are picking up on an internal misalignment of values or
employee dissatisfaction. The simple truth is if you don’t have
great internal service, you’re very unlikely to deliver exceptional
external service. In any customer facing organisation your people
are your most valuable asset. Love or loathe them, you simply
can’t operate if they’re not there. Nor can you operate
successfully, if they are present but, in their hearts, they would
really prefer to be somewhere else.

21