Customer service…it is all about attitude

In my opinion, customer service is a passion that not everyone has. Customer service is not only about delivering a service or product, but customer service must be an experience that should last with the client for a long time to come. We all have our share of a good and bad customer service experience; I have flown with some airlines where I wished the flight would last longer because of the atmosphere that flight crew created during the fight. On the other hand, on my last flight I couldn’t wait for the airplane to land, my seat was really uncomfortable, the food served was not adequate for such a long flight, and the flight attendant was annoyed because the passenger next to me didn’t understand English. As a client for the airlines, my last flight will come into mind the next time I fly and most probably I won’t fly with the same airlines.

As a manager, I keep this small example in my mind as I deal with customers on a daily basis. A customer has many options, and when a particular customer chooses to deal with you, he is actually choosing you over your competitors, so are you going to win him or lose him?

As a manger, I keep a close eye on customer service wherever I go. I keep my eyes open when I sit to eat in a restaurant, when I fly in an airplane, when I send a package, when I walk into a shopping mall, when I drive my car in the street,,,etc.

A restaurant chain I visited impressed me with their responsiveness, they had a customer complaints and suggestion box, if you drop their survey card in the box with a complaint, and you would get a call from their customer service department within hours. This restaurant chain is one of the most successful chains in Saudi Arabia; they are even competing with giants such as Macdonald in the Saudi Market. This restaurant chain is new in the food business and their food does not have that great taste, but as a customer I was fascinated by the quality of service. Each time I visit the place, I try to make notes of their service philosophy, I try to understand their competitive advantage and each time I find it in their great customer service.

Customer service is not a product you can deliver, but it is a culture that you nourish and build with your customers. In today’s economic climate, customer service has become such an important factor that even countries and not only corporations are eager to leave their visitors with the best experience possible.

As a manager, I am really concerned with customer service improvements at my firm; I know from experience that not every staff member will have the attitude to excel at customer service. You can train your staff to deliver good customer service, but you can not instill the service attitude in them. In your staff, you will need to find those few individuals who would go the extra mile to serve, Sit and build your customer service policy with them.