I know I’ve done it. I acknowledge the importance of flossing and commit to my dentist that I’ll floss twice daily over the next six months between cleanings. Then, as my appointment nears, I’ll realize how inconsistent I’ve been and make a special effort to floss in the days preceding my visit.
During my oral exam, not wanting to put me on the defensive, Dr. Gates will generally ask me a non-threatening question such as, “So, how have you been doing with your flossing?”
That’s when I say something convincing like, “Uh… Can you repeat the question?”
Dr. Gates already knows the answer.
Next week is Customer Service Week and, similar to my flossing analogy, the customer already knows if you’re serving.
Even if service providers rise to the occasion in the shadow of a prominently displayed Customer Service Week banner, customers know the truth: Customer service across industries is pretty average – and that’s being generous.
Despite the hoopla, banners, and buttons lauding the importance of customers and customer service, the reality is that many customers at participating companies will remain underserved next week, as they were last week, and as they will be in the weeks to come. Besides, shouldn’t every week be Customer Service Week?
Customer service is not a campaign. It’s a commitment. Some companies will spend more time and effort staging events in preparation for Customer Service Week, October 6-10, than they will spend celebrating customers and delivering exceptional customer service during the remaining 51 weeks of the year.
And, despite the frenzied effort to compensate for inconsistency, just like Dr. Gates, customers will know the truth.
Don’t settle for ordinary. Choose extraordinary. (It’s always a choice.) Order Delight Your Customers: 7 Simple Ways to Raise Your Customer Service from Ordinary to Extraordinary by Steve Curtin or purchase from select retailers, including Barnes & Noble.
Watch the 90-second book trailer.
Photo credit: BigStock Photo
