The Guide to a World-Class Customer Service Experience

There is no ribbon-cutting ceremony to be world-class. 

It’s not some level you need to get to in two or three years – otherwise, it’s going to be a painful three-year journey. 

Instead, it’s a decision to do world-class things, to act world-class, and to be world-class. 

But how do you teach world-class customer service to your frontline to make sure there are zero risks? 

1. Empower your frontline to make decisions.

Simplify what you want to happen. What is the one statement that matters for customer service in your segment? What is your vision? Make sure your frontline understands this and then give them the authority to do what’s right for the customer to make sure they come back. Make sure they leave saying good things about you. Additionally, you can improve customer service by recovery more than anything else you do. Recover from a mistake and people are going to talk about that.

2. Give broad boundaries.

Allow them to execute every moving barrier. Give broad boundaries to your frontline so they can deliver that service and exceed the expectations of your customers. Let your frontline know they have the decision-making authority to make the customer happy and give them some broad boundaries to do that. 

3. Act guests first.

You don’t want people to “think guests first,” you want them to act. You’re never going to be a risk in your role if you act guests first.

Lastly, if you want to truly empower your employees, consider getting rid of the term “policy.” It’s the least personalization you can give to customers. Worst, employees won’t go against policy, which is black and white with a wall, because they’re afraid. And this strips them of their autonomy and empowerment. 

For more information and resources on how to create a world-class customer experience, check out The Customer Service Revolution podcast. If you’d like to listen, head over to 008: The Guide to a World-Class Customer Service Experience with Craig Russell.