Customer service is an inside-out proposition. That means, for you to create exceptional customer experiences you must first have great internal service throughout your organizations. I think it is the only way for you and your organization to be able to consistently create memorable experiences for your external customers.
The best service organizations in the world all have one thing in common, and that is that they have exceptional internal service cooperation. Gallup recently found that “Highly engaged business units achieve 10% increase in customer metrics and 20% increase in sales. Plus, when taken altogether, the behaviors of highly engaged business units result in 21% greater profitability.” (Gallup, 2017)
That’s right, engaged employees = greater profits for you and your organization!
Here are a few ways to create exceptional internal service in your organization that will translate into customers who stay longer, buy more, and positively refer others.
Firstly, you should always stay positive and polite. Nobody wants to work with someone who brings down the team, and customers especially do not want to spend their time and money to interact with someone who is negative. When you are positive and polite with your colleagues, they will be more responsive and efficient, which results in better service for your external customers.
Be sure to honor your commitments with both your colleagues and customers. Communicate transparently about any obstacles you encounter that might delay your service. If you communicate honestly and transparently you will set their expectations and be able to over deliver on your service!
It’s also important to step out of your silo and learn about the organization and service workflow. This will help you to discover how your output can be a better input for your colleagues and customers.
Lastly, you should always look for ways to be helpful by directly or indirectly supporting a customer or co-worker. It’s easy to play the “It’s not my job” game, but when you have a servant attitude that puts your colleagues and customers first you will find much more joy in your service interactions.
An employee engagement program can also be very effective at supporting this “inside out” proposition. When you recognize exceptional internal service cooperation with both monetary and non-monetary rewards, your talent is much more likely to invest their energy and motivation in the form of exceptional service.
For more information about implementing a recognition program in your organization to accelerate your internal service cooperation, get in touch for a 15-minute demo of our engagement and recognition solutions.