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CUSTOMER SERVICE ACTIVISM:
Lobbying for Good Customer Service at the Workplace
By Ben Henry
The delivery of quality customer service is not something that
is widespread in Jamaica. Indeed, only a few organizations see this
as crucial to their survival. Even with the present competition,
most organizations still do not seem to realize that training of
employees in customer service is important in order to maintain a
competitive advantage in the sector in which they do business. The
coming of the Caribbean Single Market and Economy (CSME) will
intensify competition. It will be a “dog eat dog” world out there,
like it or not.
In businesses like hardware and home improvement, the sector is
crowded and it is getting worse. Rapid Sheffield and Hardware and
Lumber have merged. Then there is Mainland, Stewart’s Hardware, and
other substantial businesses in the sector. And then you have
numerous small mom and pop enterprises. The supermarket sector in
Jamaica is just as crowded.
How does one do business and remain viable in such as ever-changing
environment? A whole new thinking is absolutely essential to
survival. It cannot be business as usual if an organization is to
survive.
It’s time Jamaican businesses wake up and smell the coffee. They
have to begin to see the need for training their staff. Spending
money on training staff is not a luxury … it’s an absolute
necessity.
In every organization that is devoid of a service culture, there is
at least one person who delivers world-class service. I am calling
upon that tiny group in such an organization to become Customer
Service Activists. These excellent service providers could use their
influence to persuade their supervisors and managers to embrace the
idea that delivering exceptional customer service is a win-win for
all stakeholders – customers, employees, supervisors and managers,
and the organization.
There are a number of core or fundamental characteristics that
define customer service activism. The customer service activist is
committed to spreading the advantages of good customer service to
co-workers and supervisors/managers alike. They will lobby for good
customer service at the workplace, and get others to buy into the
idea of good customer service delivery.
The customer service activist is committed to attending customer
service seminars and workshops. If the organization is reluctant to
pay for the activist to go to these seminars, he does not hesitate
to pay for the seminar out of his own pocket. The customer service
activist always keeps abreast on new customer service thinking. This
kind of behaviour gets noticed by managers, supervisors and line
employees.
The following descriptors of customer service delivery, divided in
three dimensions, are practiced daily by customer service activists:
Dimension 1: (Personal Excitement): Enthusiastic, Knowledgeable,
Inspiring, Humorous, Interesting, Organizer, Engaging, Prepared,
Energetic, Fun, Creative, Communicative
Dimension 2: (Interpersonal Concern): Concerned, Caring, Available,
Friendly, Accessible, Approachable, Interested, Respectful,
Understanding, Personable
Dimension 3: (Effective Teamwork): Helpful, Encouraging, Fair,
Patient, Dedicated, Committed
World-class service providers in organizations that do not buy into
customer service owe it to their organizations to lobby for good
customer service.
Customer service has become the new frontier. It is now the new tool
in the competitive game. An organization’s differentiation comes in
the service. Customer service activists in an organization not
committed to the consistent delivery of quality customer care have a
crucial role to play in changing this mindset.
Dr. Ben Henry is Managing Director of Customer Service Academy
of Jamaica Limited, a customer service and management consultancy
based in New Kingston.
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