The #1 Ingredient for Great Customer Service
by Miki Saxon
What do the companies with the best customer service have in common?
Engaged employees.
Engaging workers isn’t dependent on salary and perks, if it was, Chick-fil-A, Trader Joes and Aldi (TJ’s parent company) wouldn’t hold the top three spaces on the Forbes Best Customer Service List.
While there are many things that can drive engagement, good management is probably at the top of the list.
And while the executive team impacts engagement, it’s the individual’s own manager who really makes the difference.
A bad manager will taint the best corporate culture, while a really good one will offset bad culture by acting sheltering their team from the impact.
Back in 2008 I listed four points needed to engage your team, and they are just as true, if not more so, a decade later.
- The guideline is the same thread that has run through every major philosophy and religion for thousands of years—treat your people as you want to be treated, whether your boss treats you that way or not.
- Authenticity is the current buzz word, but it translates simply to be honest, open and do what you say; never fudge, let alone lie, intentionally or otherwise.
- There are absolutely no circumstances that warrant or excuse the messenger being killed. None. Because if you do, there’s no going back—ever.
- If your company doesn’t have an engaging culture then you must be an umbrella for your people, because you can create one below you, even if you can’t change it above.
Truly great customer service requires engaged employees, because they are the only ones who can provide customers with the best experience possible.
Image credit: mikeg44311
