The quality of a product or service is not the only factor for success. The best-performing service providers also impress by taking these 7 basic rules of an outstanding service mentality into account.
Have you ever wondered why some people find it incredibly easy to delight customers, while others, even when they do a good job, are always met with reticence and reserved faces? Maybe it's because the latter don't know the basic aspects of an outstanding service mentality.
The internet is full of horror stories of disappointed customers who have been left out in the cold by companies. The social media accounts of telephone service providers in particular provide plenty of illustrative material. Sometimes the child has fallen so far down the well that even the most competent appearance won't help you out of the mess. In most cases, however, sticking to the following rules will help you a lot, even in difficult cases:
1. look at the problem from the other person's point of view!
In any case, the customer has a problem to begin with. Sometimes even a very big one, for example when a machine that is very important for the production chain breaks down. In other cases, however, it is not immediately clear what the big deal is. An outstanding service mentality means that such concerns are also taken seriously.
Because the customer's point of view is crucial! Of course, for the service employee, they may only be the twentieth person on the line that day with this or a similar problem. However, what is everyday business for us in service is often the biggest annoyance of the last few weeks for the customer. This disparity is one of the key challenges we have to face in the service area. That's why service employees need to approach such conversations with the necessary energy and make it clear through their demeanor that the issue in question is important to them.
2. show your own enthusiasm for service!
Without enthusiasm, it may be possible to manage the basic, established work processes - the area of "business as usual" - satisfactorily. But you will not be able to develop intelligent and practical solutions to respond to changing requirements. Service means more than just fixing the same old faults. It also means developing innovative solutions that address the customer's needs even better than before.
This is especially true if you don't just want to fix problems with your service, but want to expand it into a fully-fledged business segment. Enthusiasm is the necessary driving force to ask yourself the crucial question again and again: How can we become even better? To find a satisfactory answer to this question, it is essential to keep up with the times (...and subscribe to the ServiceLobby articles on this page by e-mail 😉 ).
3. ownership as a basic attitude in service
The term Ownership in this case means identifying with your own work and the challenges that arise. It requires a certain sense of personal responsibility on the part of employees in order to be able to provide excellent service for customers. Ownership is the opposite of the dull office work mode where everyone puts in just as much effort as necessary to solve a problem. You can no longer afford this "I'm not responsible for that" mentality if you want to keep up in the future. The customer's problem is your problem - always!
The concept of ownership should also be taken into account in the development of an effective Complaints management be taken into account.
4. find the right balance
You must always keep two factors in mind: On the one hand, there are the customer's needs and, on the other, your company's resources. If you overstretch the latter or do not use them in a targeted manner, you will not be able to satisfy the former in the long term. You must avoid unnecessary Reduce costs in after-salesto focus the available financial resources on expenditure that actually serves to increase customer satisfaction. You need to make a conscious decision here as to how and, above all, how many resources should be used for which customer group. Provide your employees with guidelines for this. Please also take a look at the articles we have published on the topic of Profitability have summarized.
5 Remain adaptable!
When we have been doing the same work over and over again for a while, a certain inertia often sets in. However, you should consciously fight against this inertia! This is because customer needs can change over time and also innovative technology developments must not be overlooked in service. We have no guarantee that the solutions we found yesterday will still lead to the desired goal in the future.
Unfortunately, it is often far too late to realize that you are no longer optimally positioned in your steady state. Time must be taken from time to time to question the methods used. Sharing experiences with colleagues from other companies, attending a suitable seminar or consciously reflecting on your own organization as a team can provide helpful impetus here.
6. have a thick skin!
Setbacks and unfair customers are part of everyday life in a service department. It is important not to let this get you down. As Service Manager you are responsible for keeping morale high among your employees. This includes measures in the area of soft skills, such as team building or simply having an open ear for the concerns of your employees. But also Financial compensation is an important aspect here. Service staff who increasingly have to deal with problem customers should also be adequately compensated for their efforts.
7. keep agreements and promises!
The customer should be able to trust your word. This starts with the fact that you do not make promises lightly that you cannot keep in the end. Unfortunately, it happens all too quickly that an angry customer is appeased by promises that cannot be kept. This then takes its revenge later on. In this case, employees should be able to follow standardized procedures set by management. The Complaints management must be organized efficiently so that not everyone does as they please and such mistakes are avoided. Of course, the right attitude towards the customer is also crucial in order to fulfill this point.
