The “personal’ side of exceeding customer expectations is probably the most gratifying part of the service industry. It makes the customer feel good and special, and it makes you feel like you have done something worthwhile by positively impacting someone else. A strong organizational culture based on being “of service” make that level of personal service the norm. Organizational culture sets the tone for behaviors and decision-making within operations. It provides a framework for the team to operate within it’s boundaries. These boundaries influence and are influenced by service standards, personal service, and procedural service. In a sense, organizational culture is the foundation to build from and the goal you are working toward.
Objectives
• Assess the effectiveness of a given customer service scenario, as it relates to personal service and customer satisfaction.
• From a procedural and personal perspective, apply the six steps to providing quality customer service to four distinct types of service.
Instructions
To start, view the short video by Ross Shafer from the following URL address on You Tube: https://youtu.be/8T54rQrMleA
After viewing the video, think about the experience the presenter had and address the following questions.
• Was Maria Garcia’s actions (getting the Diet Coke) instilled in her through company training or did she act on her own?
• As a comparative example, identify and describe the last time you were “wowed” by a special, unexpected personal service. How did you react? Did you provide positive feedback like Ross did in the video?
• How can we, as managers and leaders, sustain an environment where employees do not hesitate to exceed expectations?
How can we better recognize or anticipate the needs of our customers, especially those like Ross Shafer [presenter in video] checking in after midnight?
