Customer Service Week – 2018.
Hey! It’s Customer Service Week, and you know what that means?!
Don’t change a thing!
Customer Service week at your business should be every week. Delighting customers with well-trained, well-placed employees providing top-notch customer service should be an everyday occurrence, and one that you work hard to provide every day. (By the way, it all starts with your hiring practices!)
You get what we’re saying, right? If you are in a customer focused business, then every single day is all about providing an excellent customer experience.
We found some inspiring examples based on research from The American Customer Satisfaction Index, the only national cross-industry measure of customer satisfaction in the United States. According to ACSI, “the index measures the satisfaction of U.S. household consumers with the quality of products and services offered by both foreign and domestic firms with significant share in U.S. markets.”
Costco Wholesale has an ACSI score of 84.4. ACSI says “Maybe it’s the low prices, the liberal return policy, or the delicious free samples, but customers love Costco.” Customers say: “The prices are unbeatable and Kirkland is a very reliable brand.” Claim to fame: Costco has numerous service awards and a service-centric corporate culture.
Subaru boasts an ACSI Score of 83.9. ACSI says “The safety-focused carmaker has spun its popularity with customers into record U.S. sales in recent years.” Customers say: “That it’s just an all-around good safe car and goes great in the winter season.” Claim to fame: Kelley Blue Book named Subaru the “most trusted” car brand for 2018.
FedEx has a ACSI Score of 82.0. ACSI says “Its rapid delivery and easy package tracking make FedEx customers satisfied.” Customers say: “The very happy person with a big smile who delivers my parcels. Very sweet.” Claim to fame: Recipient of multiple international customer service awards, including the Ruban d’Honneur award for outstanding customer focus.
See the common ground: reliability, dependability, smiles all help create a deep, measurable sense of customer satisfaction.
There are more where these came from. Check out this list from Forbes.
So, get back to work, and don’t make a big deal about “Customer Service Week.” Instead, make a big deal about customer service!
P.S. Why not take the opportunity to use Customer Service Week as an opportunity to train and reward your employees for great customer service? Set aside staff meeting time to talk about difficult customers and brainstorm solutions. As CEO, make some simple videos on your iPhone and send them out to reinforce your company’s dedication to customer delight. Encourage the self and peer reporting of your employees providing customers with a terrific experience. Hand out gift cards and house-made certificates if your employees work alone. If they work as a team, then hire the taco truck to pay a visit during lunch next week. Nothing says “thank you” like free Taco Tuesday!