The Change Dude’s Blog

Customer Service Week 2010

Contact center professionals, frontline service professionals and everyone associated with putting a little WOW! into a customer’s day, it’s a week to celebrate.

I’ve had the pleasure and privilege to be part of the customer service industry for many years assisting my clients in their quest to offer flawless, professional service to their customers.  There is no more exciting place to work than a dynamic customer focused service group.  Every professional has their customer at top of mind in every interaction.  Thank you for the work you do and the way it’s done.

Customer Service Week is a wonderful opportunity to remind the organization how important the customer service process, people and technology are to the success of the business.  As a senior leader take a  moment out of your day this week to visit with your customer service staff.  Offer a thank you for a very challenging job well done.  Take the time to hear their anecdotes and listen to their advice for improving the customer experience.

In today’s business world a customer service professional may be the only interface between a brand and it’s customers other than the product itself.  Recognize the incredible challenges of customer service professionals in maintaining their poise during difficult conversations and tracking down solutions to unusual problems while smiling all the way.

In my travels over the past ten days I’ve experienced 6 hours of flight delays, a hotel stay with no hot water, a hotel key that refused to open my door and late arriving ground transportation. Through all those annoyances for me, the customer,  service professionals did everything within their power to make the experience better.

My favorite 2010 customer service story occurred about 6 weeks ago at the San Antonio airport.  Weather caused a 3 hour flight delay negating all connections scheduled for every passenger.  Over the course of the next 2 hours a customer service manager along with 2 gate agents rebooked about 80% of the passengers.  What was remarkable to me was the number of times the customer service manager picked up the phone to personally intervene on behalf of passengers with the reservations staff.  At one point he personally went to the baggage area to retrieve luggage for a customer when line staff were unavailable.  It’s that dedication to service that builds brand advocacy.

Customer service professionals are the face of your business  celebrate their efforts.

October 4, 2010 - Posted by thechangedude | Uncategorized