It’s been National Customer Service Week, again.  Did you notice anything different?

Did you spot the call centre waiting times drop by a third? 

What about the smiles? The genuine ‘please’ and ‘thank you’s’ in the supermarket?

Or did you just notice how much more helpful everyone became this week?

What, you didn’t?

Don’t get me wrong, I think the idea of a National Customer Service week is a brilliant idea to raise awareness and get people focused, but there’s a challenge, a big challenge and it’s this.

I know why we aren’t particularly good (and I’m primarily referring to the UK here) at providing brilliant levels of service. It’s because we can’t be bothered. 

Here are a couple of examples.

We were travelling with Cross Country trains from Birmingham; a four hour journey.  Within 20 minutes of us leaving the station, a very polite member of staff brought the trolley and offered us a delightful selection of tea, coffee and (if you ask for it) a biscuit. Then she went into the staff area at the end of the carriage and started to chat and have a laugh with the guard.  And there she stayed.  After 90 minutes I went to find her for another cuppa. She informed me that all the tea and coffee had been put away as she was getting off soon. So I settled for a bottle of water.

I travel through Newcastle Airport a lot.  Earlier this week my trip through security had me totally embarrassed. We (Newcastle) should be the most hospitable airport in the world, yet I found myself asking for the Shift Manager and giving him some feedback – again.

I don’t want to be a misery, but I do want them to get better, and feedback given in a positive way is all you can really do when you are rushing for your flight.

Here’s the best (or worst) bit. The Shift Manager was texting, with a packet of ciggies on his desk and no idea what was going on. I asked if he was the Manager, and gave him the feedback. This included one member of his team dropping my laptop in to an x-ray tray and pointing at my feet while saying the word ‘shoes’.

I also told him about the guy who was meant to be looking at the x-ray screen for signs of knives, Semtex and more than 100ml of liquid, but instead was chatting to another guy about what time they were meeting on Friday night and would Baz and Davy be joining them. After listening to my concern he shook his head and told me that two of the people I had mentioned were on their final warning! Ouch.

However it does seem to be National Customer Service week in some places.  I was early for a meeting in London yesterday so ‘camped’ at the Milestone Hotel in Kensington. Brilliant! Attentive staff, lots of smiles, genuine interest in me as a customer, a fond farewell as I left, and a thank you for my custom.  The difference is, every week is National Customer Service Week at the Milestone.

Ok, so it’s different organisations and it’s horses for courses, but (and this is a BIG BUT) there is one startlingly obvious message which jumps out here.  Everyone wants to improve their levels of service, but genuine five star service is all about action.

Next week isn’t National Customer Service Week. I wonder if you’ll notice.

Be Brilliant

Michael

10th October 2008 - Edition #144 

Michael,

I work as part of a team who are all customer facing.  I would like to engage more with customers but I get embarrassed that I may do something wrong. Is there anything you would recommend I do?

Yours truly,

Nadia


Dear Nadia,

Here are three things you can do immediately.

1) Always say please and thank you.  You'll be amazed at how many people miss this one.

2) Be yourself, then you won't have to remember how to act and you can't 'get it wrong'.  Compliment people on things that you like, be interested, use your personality.

3) Smile, smile and smile a little more.  You should go home with an ache on your face because of all the smiling you had to do. 

Get the basics down first and you'll find your attitude and actions will rub off on your colleagues too.

Be Brilliant

Michael