Pivot Point Solutions

Where Does Great Customer Service Start?

July 10, 2009

In a previous post I put forth the idea that great service starts with a customer-focused culture.  And I said that even the best people flounder in a company with a poor culture.  So where does great customer service start?

It might sound cyclic, but great service starts with committed people!  But… not just committed customer service representatives.  The entire company has to share the belief that serving customers is fundamental to their success.  When this happens:

Group / Organization	Committed To	Resists Temptation To
Product Management	Developing Products that Meet Needs	Follow the Crowd, Develop Meaningless Bells and Whistles
Marketing	Accurately Portraying and Advertising Capabilities	Pitch Future Capabilities
Sales	Matching Solutions to Customer Needs, Walking Away when Appropriate	Make a Quick Sale
Customer Service	Serving Customer and Deliver Results	Placate Customer and Make Excuses
Management	Providing Long Term Value to Customers	Succumb to Short-Term Rewards

Too often customer focus is handed to a customer service team.  We’ve all heard “that’s not my problem.”  But to succeed (and not just survive) the service team must be backed up by products and services that work as designed, sold to people whose expectations are realistic and matched to actual capabilities.  Service isn’t optional and it is the responsibility of the whole company.

The pivot point for successful companies is to ensure that the culture embraces a holistic approach to serving customers.  Cultures that promote the idea that any single department can “save” a company from products that are poorly designed, sold, and implemented are doomed to obscurity and eventual obsolescence.

Filed under: Necessary for Success

Tags: Culture, Sales