How Can We Better Serve Those We Serve?

What do 3M, Southwest Airlines and GE have in common? All are customer driven and encourage a "how can we better serve the customer" spirit at every level.

For example: 3M encourages its research staff to mingle with customers and discover new product ideas. This innovative environment has created the famous Post-it notes and other very profitable products.

Southwest Airlines, at every location, has a culture committee to walk, talk and improve customer service at that particular site or community. The airline realizes that different cities or regions have different ways of doing things. It's important to serve the customer based on what the customer expects rather than what headquarters thinks the customer expects.

The Work-Out program at GE continually asks at every level: What procedures don't make sense; where are we wasting time; and how can we add value? Then changes are made to make life easier for its employees, suppliers and customers.

You don't have to be a huge corporation to cultivate a "how can we better serve the customer" spirit in your business, agency or institution. Here are three strategies for small to medium size organizations that will prime the pump for great ideas. .

1. Go On A Treasure Hunt.
The problem in most organization is not lack of good ideas ...it's lack of interest or willingness to search for treasure that already exist. In our QEW's program, front line staff brainstorms better ways to delight or WOW the customers. This exercise never fails to generate around 100 "gems". A steady stream of small ideas helps prime the pump for the big ones.

These gems can range from something as simple as coffee and cookies for waiting customers to something that is more costly but could be more highly valued as providing for busy parents free limousine service to pick up and return their children for orthodontic appointments.

2. Start A One Solution A Month Program.
Ask people to focus their creative juices each month on a specific service problem. It could be late delivers or customer's orders getting lost or whatever. Have a special team assess the ideas and make recommendations. Each month make sure at least one idea is implemented and the contributors are recognized and rewarded. .

Some companies even have quarterly drawing for a cash and merchandise prizes. Everyone, who has contributed an idea, whether it has been implemented or not, gets a chance to win. This becomes added incentive.

3. Talk With Your Customers At The Point Of Service.
Leaders can learn a great deal simply by spending time watching, listening to or interacting with actual customers. There is no substitute for getting out "where the action is" to learn from the customers themselves how you might serve them better.

There is nothing more disturbing than hearing a customer say your service is bad, or the wait time was too long or they had to talk to four people before my problem was solved. You then turn this around by asking what would have made it a more positive experience. Then bring back their suggestions and ask your people how to best implement them.

Recently we were asked by a performing arts organization, whose program subscriptions were decreasing at a rapid rate, to help them expand its brand identity and customer base. We gathered satisfaction data on pricing, programming, and packaging from different patron groups which led to more options for subscribers and a change in marketing communications. Because they "tuned in" to their customers needs, they were able to stop the hemorrhaging of ticket sales and start climbing back to profitability.

When an organization asks employees and customers for their ideas and then uses them, it sends an important message. That message is that they --- the employees and customers --- are valuable partners and that they can be a force for the future.

Here are resources to help you build powerful leaders and powerful organizations / have powerful leaders at all levels: Coaching 4 Results, Planning 4 Change, Speaking 4 Impact, W.O.W.W. Tools.

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Copyright 2006-2008, Marcia Zidle. Will you have a bright future? Are you ready to make your organization stand out in the crowd in competing for customers, clients, funders or community awareness? Contact us and let us show you how to make that happen.

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