Customer Service
Is all-powerful information technology an ultimate instrument of improvement in quality of customer service? Debate goes on and on. There is, however, an overwhelming evidence to confirm that exceptional customer-service is more a function of the employees’ attitude and the organizational culture. It is the organizational climate that spurs the employees to take that significant extra step to enhance customer satisfaction. Creating such a climate is the exclusive responsibility of the top leadership.
Should leadership betray laxity in customer focus in its day-to-day behavior, the employees are quick to shun prudence. Practices at the operating level begin to depart from company’s stated policy. Conviction is replaced by mere compliance of internal systems. What pleases the boss takes precedence over what is right for the customer. Finally, what the customer gets is no more than mere lip service.
Even the most customer-centered companies can suffer from such cultural swings with the change in leadership. What else could explain the starkly unprofessional handling of a business transaction by one of the high technology companies – the one that was identified as highly customer-focused in the path breaking book, In Search of Excellence (Peters & Waterman, 1983)?
A new medical practice was scheduled to open on July 21, 2003. This Companycontracted to deliverthree computers by 7thof July. The order, however, met a terrible fate. Delivery was delayed by as much as two weeks. The machines arrived with floppy drives totally missing and with incomplete software package. The machines could not be set up in time, staff training had to be postponed, consultant for medical practice had to re-schedule the orientation program and finally the “open house” for the practice had to be postponed.
What distressed the physicianand others most is not that the Murphy law hit the whole project in full fury. What was incomprehensible was that a company of this stature should be so totally lackadaisical in its approach. I happened to be around in the USA and was drawn into the encounter.
The transaction was marred by all the elements of poor service. Twice we reached the CEO’s office and promptly someone was deputed to ‘solve’ our problem. We had to repeat the whole history every time we spoke with some one.
Not too long after, I had another encounter with the Company. It was a brief interaction but it amply reflected the contrast in the employees’ attitude. A small, but well meaning, value -adding gesture revived the hope in me as an ardent admirer of the Company. That retrieval took place in India.
I called the Company’s service-centreto help me restore into service, anerratichome office printer. A customer associate (CA) got on the line and having understood my problem proceeded to give me step by step instructions. For some compelling reason I had to terminate the telephone session abruptly and the printer had to stay out of use. A lesser company would have expected me to call back again. This customer associate did otherwise. She called the next morning to find me too busy. She called again the next day. Repeated the corrective instructions from the beginning to the end and got the printer going.
I found myself comparing the two experiences. In a total talk time of about 25 minutes the following attributes came across very loud and clear. The problem ownership – no respite till the customer’s problem is finally solved; quiet efficiency – clear, step by step instructions; empathy in full measure -not even the slightest hint of irritation at any time during a fairly longish session of repetitive instructions.
What explains the contrasting attitude? What could have made the difference? In line with the Multinational’s overall policy the Country Manager and the Customer Service Manager had decided to create and sustain the right atmosphere for delivering the kind of quality care that has differentiated this company for long. Systems in India were no better. It was simply the kind of local leadership that had made all the difference. That was the Company I had known and admired.
On The GO, Greater Olean Area Chamber of Commerce, February 2006