How to Make "Service" Your Brand Signature

Global Service Guru Ron Kaufman explains why traditional definitions of "customer service" are holding companies back. Organizations with a powerful service reputation and a superior service culture attract and retain the best talent, and enjoy sustainable success. How to redefine "service" for today’s competitive marketplace Across industries, the main challenge today is not necessarily how to differentiate product, but how to differentiate service. In a global market increasingly characterized by commoditization of product, quality, speed of delivery, and price, the one thing that makes your organization stand out from the crowd is the quality of your service. Ron Kaufman understands this better than most people. He was part of the team that took Singapore Airlines from the small island carrier it was to the global brand it is today – built on a customer service culture second to none. He has since become an evangelist for service, working with leading – and lagging – brands to drive performance and success through a modern day interpretation of service and, more specifically, what it means to serve. The companies he works with have recognized that incremental improvements to service won’t cut it. They need a service revolution and they need it now. The problem with trying to drive service improvements with only internal resources, however, is that you are relying on the very people who created the problem in the first place to solve it, when what’s needed is a powerful new definition and a vigorous new approach. "We are no longer talking about the kind of service traditionally associated with restaurants or retail," explains Ron. "I define service as taking action to create value for someone else. It's far removed from the warm and fuzzy notion of 'customer service' most people have in mind. It’s no longer just about sharing a smile – it's about taking a strategic approach to creating value in everything you do – including serving customers." It's this notion of creating value for someone else, Ron believes, that differentiates not just a product or service, but the business. "If you recognize service as creating value for someone else, then it's clear that each business function's purpose is to take actions that drive value," he says. "Taken a step further, it’s clear that everyone is a service provider. Service as creating value – and uplifting the value you create – becomes the business mantra." The benefits of getting this right extend a lot further than a good CSAT score. In today's competitive and global markets, where talent remains the number one driver of performance, a strong service culture translates into an attractive employer brand. And while you may have the recruiting part already down, it's your ability to retain talent that is so crucial, especially once you've invested in it. Surveys have identified the perception, or value, of an employer brand as key to keeping staff engaged and loyal. What that value translates into is a satisfying career, for the individual and the company, explains Ron. Many people say they did their best work at Apple, for example, because the culture fostered excellence. People want to work for companies like that, and they’ll stay with companies like that. Those that have succeeded – Google springs to mind – set the bar high for others. "Think about what Disney has done for entertainment, what The Ritz-Carlton has done for the hotel industry, or what Apple has done for personal technology. Their reputation for delivering a great service experience has elevated their stature to being an employer of choice. And they’ve pushed their competitors into action", he adds. So, how do you deliver that kind of top-notch experience – one that leverages your brand alongside your value? Ron identifies four factors that are common to companies that succeed with service: 1. They get the primary product right This means that the actual product is as good as it can possibly be. If you are Apple, it’s the iPad. If you are Singapore Airlines, it’s the plane, the food, and all the movies on board. If you are an HR department, it’s the quality of employees you recruit and retain and how you develop their talent. 2. The delivery system is user-friendly Whether over the counter or over the phone, through a portal, email or chat, the system delivery you use impacts service perception. Make sure the time it takes to get a response and the ease in communicating with you meets or exceeds customers’ expectations. 3. A strong service mindset underpins delivery When a customer interacts with you, how supportive, responsive and and proactive is the service? How do you meet, greet and treat your customers? These are the soft skills, like body language, eye contact, and tone of voice, that are required to deliver great service. 4. Managing the ongoing relationship is a priority This is about the difference between simply answering a question and understanding the context of the query. Every time a query comes in or a customer seeks service, you have an opportunity to impress. If you merely answer the stated question you will miss the opportunity to add value. This often leads to future follow up calls with more questions. But if you understand the context of the question and the concern behind it, you may be able to offer insight and qualitative support that delivers greater value. What creates relationship value is your ability to understand why certain information will help your customers succeed, and providing that information in a positive and proactive manner. Technology & Making the Emotional Connection New technology solutions, correctly deployed, play well into delivering superlative service. Smart organizations are leveraging a variety of solutions to eliminate boring work and free staff up to do the things that create the kind of value that only humans can deliver well. This means where speed, accuracy, or repetition is concerned, technology can often improve a process. But where human engagement drives value, through understanding, concern, or compassion, you want those humans to be available and skilled to deliver. The danger is that companies may take technology too far in trying to replace most, if not all, customer interactions with self-service. For an example of how to do it right, says Ron, consider Amazon. Amazon has based its service model on automation – the average purchase involves no human interaction whatsoever – and yet, the scripted exchanges, on-screen interaction, and automated replies have been extremely well thought out. These were all crafted by skilled staff – the kind of staff that not only provides answers but also understands context. Companies should pay close attention to who is designing these automated responses or portal communications, warns Ron. If you assign a technical, data entry kind of person, he or she will focus on data capture and processing; but if you get an HR practitioner to help craft content, for example, the user experience may be better as context will be leveraged, and potential "what if’s" considered in advance. It’s also very important that companies recognize the opportunity to engage emotionally with their customers. The brevity of today’s digital exchanges means that there is a very small window through which to make that emotional connection. "The use of chat, for example, creates the challenge of distilling an emotional essence within a sentence or two," Ron points out. "Without the benefit of eye contact or voice, the use of chat or automated communications requires a thoughtful awareness of how the message will be received." Even emoticons, Ron suggests, have a place in engaging your counterpart: "Though I would never overuse emoticons, I certainly believe they have a place within business communications. There have been a number of surveys that prove a link between the use of emoticons and an emotional uplift or satisfaction on the part of the recipient. [J]" With so much of today’s work environment becoming less formal and immediate, channels and tools that used to be deemed inappropriate for business are today proving the very reverse: Facebook, mobile applications, chat, and collaborative social forums are driving businesses to be more effective real-time. As with so many things, getting the balance right is what determines success. The Human Touch While Amazon has worked out how to leverage automated information exchanges that deliver customer satisfaction, the company also knows that when a problem does emerge it is important to respond to it quickly with a personally written email response. Amazon knows that technology alone has limits, and pushing those limits can result in a negative experience. Today, no company can afford this. "I think the days are numbered for companies that deliver an inconsistent and unpredictable service experience – and this goes for internal services as much as it does for external service," warns Ron. While sub-par internal service may work for a while, he explains, the moment management considers the possibility of outsourcing that service, or benchmarking one region’s performance against that of another, the power of competition kicks in to drive improvements. "If a service is not under threat of potential competition it can retain inefficiencies that cost the company time and money," he continues. "You often find this scenario within a mandated environment. What really changes things is when one company breaks away with a culture that stands head and shoulders above the competition. That brand’s value as an employer skyrockets. Google did that, and it caused everyone else in the technology sector to sit up and take notice – and then leap into action." How to Build a Service Culture The key to consistently delivering outstanding service is "culture." The right service culture drives retention, loyalty and recommendations. Without a supportive and enabling culture you cannot sustain outstanding service, Ron insists. The trouble is that how to build a service culture is not something taught at school – and so it is not as easily available or understood as mathematics or literacy. In the past, responsibility for culture was generally lumped into management roles, and more often than not delegated as an ‘HR initiative’. That is no longer appropriate. Ron advocates a fairly scientific approach to building culture – based on an architecture that engineers a service culture. It’s not something you can leave to chance, he says, or simply delegate to a project team. Building a service culture entails a deliberate and intentional approach to reinforce, educate, and support staff members with a culture that surrounds them with reminders and enablers. TIP: How to Drive Quick Wins by Developing a Better Service Culture A Service Recognition and Rewards program is one of the most effective ways of kick-starting a more service-oriented culture. While many companies offer rewards and recognition for customer compliments, sales, and order size, very few have recognized the value of rewarding good internal service. Identify areas of service improvement that are a priority, and launch an Awards campaign that recognizes exemplary service. This creates focus, highlights the importance of service, and costs next to nothing to implement. This necessary structure or architecture is based on a foundation of Actionable Service Education – not "customer service training", Ron points out – and an aligned top team that follows The Seven Rules of Service Leadership. The culture is supported by 12 building blocks, areas of supportive activity that include communication, recognition, and metrics. While there is always some low hanging fruit available [see sidebar above] the real benefits accrue from a long-term commitment that requires resources, time, and executive sponsorship, Ron explains. "It takes time to establish a culture," says Ron. "Singapore Airlines did not reach world-class status overnight, but the step-by-step approach implemented over years resulted in a service culture that permeates the business, top to bottom, and which cemented the airline’s reputation for excellence."

How to Make "Service" Your Brand Signature

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