Page 55 - Delivering Authentic Customer Experiences

Principle 3 Delivering Authentic Customer Experiences

Continual service improvement

To run a successful business, you have to be willing to embark on
a journey of continual improvement, taking small steps towards
your goals each and every day. I heard a wonderful quote which
epitomises the importance of this:

Amateurs practice until they get it right, professionals
practice until they can’t get it wrong.

It’s about constantly seeking ways to make marginal gains,
enhance your service and apply best practice time after time, day
in, day out. As long as you’re in business, the journey doesn’t end.
Remember, todays WOW is tomorrow’s HOW, so you must keep
raising the bar and resetting your aspirations and destination. As
soon as you’ve reached one goal, there’s a new one to be
achieved. There is no growth in your comfort zone. If you’re not
evolving to keep up with the relentlessly changing business
environment, you certainly won’t thrive, and you may not even
survive.

If you love what you do, genuinely want to make a difference and
are curious about your sector, the competition and your
customer, this journey will be far easier. It will also be much more
enjoyable for you and those who travel with you. There are a
number of methods and processes to help you challenge your
existing practices, continually improve and benchmark yourself
against recognised standards of excellence. Investors in People
and ISO 9000 are just two that could help you raise the bar and
measure your progress against a set of nationally recognised
criteria.

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