No matter what business you are involved in, one basic truth is paramount. Your personal standards of excellence must top the list of your priorities. If you want to guarantee allegiance from your customers you have to stand behind your service and be proud to tell them your reasons. You must always determine what is right ? not who is right. The difference between the truly successful business and the average business is that the successful business leaders live, breathe and preach quality. The average business leaders only pay lip service to it.
We all know the supplier who arrives at the door with a product he stands behind ? and is proud to tell you the reasons why. Think of the last one of these salespersons who took the time to convince you to try the new product. Try to remember sales rep that, without an appointment, dropped off a few samples and left.
Now put your business under the microscope. Are you seen as the hit-and-run salesman or the one with the stick-to-it dedicated attitude? A dedicated funeral home personifies company policy and, by inference, convinces the public that service will be top notch. There are companies that have built a reputation on the credibility of their staff and the quality of their service ? as much as the product they sell.
Even if we haven’t been, I’m sure we all know the reputation Disneyland has for the quality of the experience of a visit there. The key ingredient is the attitude of the founder, the late Walt Disney himself. This man lived and breathed this attitude and accepted nothing less from his employees. You can do this for your business. All you need to do is focus on the reasons you serve your public and remember that without them, you are nothing. You need to demonstrate that you are ready to back up your words with action and tend to the little details as though they were major issues.
I quote from Ron Rosenberg?s recent blog ?Service by the Slice?
?Imagine our complete surprise when the manager came over with a grin on his face and set down a plate with another hot slice of mushroom pizza! ?On the house!? he said. If customer loyalty is built by establishing patterns of exceptional service, then this guy had the right idea. He had no idea ? and yet he did the right thing when a problem arose and went beyond what was appropriate to ensure a great experience.?
The manager of the Pizza Place had it right. He tended to the little details like they were major issues. Not only did he impress the Rosenbergs, but he has been quoted and canonized on this site as an example of ?Doing it Right?.
The result is this – standards and procedures are established allowing employees to know exactly what is expected of them in every situation, particularly in an interaction with a customer. Delighted customers come back with their friends.
I, for one, want to get the name of that Pizza Place in Boston. It will be my first stop in that city and you can bet your bottom dollar that I will tell them why I came.
Do people want to switch to your establishment? Are you doing it right?
