Most customer-service improvement efforts fail to provide this type of architecture because their design misses, in particular, the strong impact of structure on behavior. Structure may include reporting relationships or physical structures that best facilitate service process. The designers are wary of changing structures to support service outcomes because such change is emotionally charged, takes a significant amount of effort and requires intense commitment. Yet, few individuals or departments can be effective and shine unless their organizational and physical structures are aligned with their brand’s customer service promise.

Heated discussions in the executive suite often revolve around costs and customer service: “Why do we still have service failures when we’ve spent so many resources on solutions?” These discussions are painful and often are replayed over and over again in different ways. They are more likely to spread frustration and create a mood of resignation in managers than produce new or better results.

Emotionally charged territory

Organizations that have difficulty improving service culture and improving the service experience often have a strong hierarchical reporting structure. For an existing hierarchy, the shift from organizational lines of authority to an emphasis on service process and service culture is emotionally charged territory. The change to process-driven service management affects how people work, how they are managed and how their efforts are evaluated. Process-driven management alters the power and influence of individuals and units.

Even managers who haven’t been educated in service processes or in leading a vibrant service culture recognize intuitively that a shift to process management will rock their world. As a result, it is common to find managers who would rather talk about process improvement and work at the edges of the issues rather than implement a complete customer-service solution.

When an organization shifts to process orientation without updating its structure to support the effort, failure can be expected and, indeed, is common.

Process is not difficult to understand, and customer-service process failures are comparatively easy to analyze. With skillful analysis, implementation planning and effective mobilization, the task of finding ways to improve processes is rarely out of reach.

Changing structure and service culture, however, presents an entirely different challenge.

Mom was correct

When your mother reminded you to stand up straight, it turns out she was deeply aware of the power of structure. In our bodies, good posture equals effective structure. People with good posture digest their food better than those who slouch. With good posture you can throw a ball farther and with more accuracy, and you are less prone to injury. It is the same with organizations. Structure that is aligned with what we promise our customers enables a healthy service environment.

Here is an example of the impact of physical structure on service delivery.

In hotels, the concierge is a center of hospitality. A concierge’s primary job is to provide for the needs of guests and to anticipate what will make their visit more satisfying. He or she can help shape guests’ choices to complement their current mood and needs. This offering is an exquisite gift and when executed well, it is service of a very high order.

We recently found concierge desks that were redesigned to reflect a modern architectural look. They are beautiful, but the structure of the redesigned desk works against the concierge. Instead of having all materials right at hand (as the former desks did), the arrangement of the new desk often forces a concierge to leave the location to retrieve basic items, such as packing slips, small-size envelopes and boxes for overnight courier service. The result is that when a guest approaches the concierge with something to send, the concierge grimaces ever so slightly because he must leave his station to fulfill the request instead of naturally opening up the moment of service. A concierge knows that while she is gone, this guest will be kept waiting—actually a lack of service—and there is always the chance that others will arrive and find no one at the desk, making their first encounter empty instead of fulfilling. The structure of the new desk has shaped behavior in a negative way. Those of you who have frontline experience can think of many similar examples from your own work.

Structure can intentionally be shaped to be constructive and to nourish those involved in delivering their company’s service promise. The key is to start with the customer service promise and develop processes that enable 100 percent delivery on that promise. Design reporting relationships to effectively manage these processes. Test the physical structures to see if they efficiently support on brand service. Teach service principles and practices to drive a strong service culture. Together these create a solid platform that makes your best service efforts shine.

Want proof? Look into the companies that you most admire. You will see that their processes are aligned with their service promise and that those companies have intentionally designed an infrastructure that facilitates excellence in the individuals who serve their customers.

Copyright, Todd Lapidus. Contact the author at www.c3corp.com

As a previous blog post stated, leaders who want to create a cultural revolution—and make it stick—must get everyone involved. They must engage and empower everyone at every level. Strong leadership, especially on the people side, is essential. Yet it remains elusive. Why?

Responses commonly include:

• Building service culture is seen by leaders as “feel good” activity; nice to have but not essential to the business. Leaders will pursue this when they have the time, but it is not part of the core business.

• There are too many other serious business issues that take priority. These may be product, process or financial initiatives, and are often seen as having greater short-term importance to shareholders or stakeholders.

• Frequent changes in top leadership and organization structure make it difficult to commit and sustain a culture building strategy over time.

Let’s face it. Engaging, focusing and inspiring employees can be challenging. Role modeling new behaviors over a sustained period is hard work.

Question:
If you are a leader, what issues keep you from supporting a service culture change? What enables to give your full support?

Question:
If you are an implementer of a service initiative, how have you successfully gained and sustained top leadership support?

Some of these revolutions were due to growing frustration at their countries’ dysfunctional systems, some were more forward looking. Most began as independent affairs, not creations of specific political parties. Many were enabled by easy access to—and the global reach of—technology (social media in particular).

They all had one thing in common – millions of people were committed and involved. These revolutions were not triggered by inspirational leaders with answers to problems – in fact, very few people even knew the solution, the sentiment that mattered was ‘I know what I don’t want’.

What does this have to do with your service culture?

Consider this: Over 70% of large scale change initiatives fail. (source: HBR)
The human and financial cost is enormous. The larger the change implementation, the higher the risk and cost. When you consider that very smart people are typically involved in designing these large scale interventions, it is apparent that ‘knowing the right solution’ is not enough.

When leaders in large organizations come to work with us, they are not looking for incremental improvements in service levels. They see the need for large scale change, almost revolutionary shifts in their culture and service performance – whether for improvement or differentiation. And they want to build a strong service culture to make sure the improvements stick.

One of the first conversations we have with every client is about scale and speed – and the need to get the entire organization involved quickly. This is not a nice-to-have for successful culture shifts – it is essential, and more importantly, easy to overlook.

Size does matter.

As human beings, we view reality as a function of, and only of, agreement. When it was ‘agreed’ that the world was flat, people lived as if the world was really flat. Most ships would turn back before they lost sight of land. In your culture for example, when it is agreed that ‘customers only care about price’ or ‘that department is always slow’, everything your organization does is a manifestation of that agreement.

We crave for agreement. Countless studies and experiments in psychology, behavioral economics and neuroscience have shown this to be true. Few people will go against a crowd, even if they know themselves to be right.

Therein lies the power as well. The key to a cultural shift is in the ability to alter these agreements. And this cannot be done by the leadership team or a few individuals alone. Everyone, from finance to frontline, needs to align with your service vision and agree that service excellence is critical. And everyone needs to understand that they can genuinely do something about it.

(Yes, you can get employees to do something by ordering them around, but that’s not an approach that produces sustainable results.)

Culture eats strategy for breakfast

Peter Drucker got it right.

Leaders and change designers typically spend a lot of time figuring out the right strategy for every new large scale change initiative. The quest for data, analysis, validations and approvals often result in huge reports and no immediate action. The conversations are more theoretical and intellectual than actionable. Many pure consulting businesses thrive on this appetite for analysis.

But only a very small percentage of all employees are actually involved during these early stages. And when a new strategy is ‘rolled out’ to the entire organization, the level of ownership, emotional involvement and commitment required is often missing. The existing culture nips the new strategy in its bud.

Organization cultures are built on long histories of conversations and agreements. Trying to shift these top down, chipping away slowly, does not work. A culture likes status quo, it’s like an organism that protects itself from the fear of uncertainty that change brings with it. The larger the organization, the tougher it is to break through.

Go big. Go fast.

Get a high percentage of your people involved early and you will see the culture shift. Leadership’s role is critical to prevent chaos and create the conversations, but not sufficient to build an uplifting service culture. What you know at the top does not matter as much as how many are engaged and involved throughout the organization.

For most companies today, to change or not to change is not the question. Change is necessary to survive. Large organization culture change is possible, and it can be done quickly and economically with a high likelihood of success. Going big and going fast—neither may be easy—but that’s another reason why those who do both, will succeed in differentiating themselves.

One example of this in your own life is you reading this blog post. You might agree with everything being said on this blog, but unless the rest of your leadership team and organization agrees and acts accordingly, you won’t see quick or dramatic improvements in service levels where you work. So, go big and go fast. Share this post quickly and widely with the members of your team.

Each of us can become a change agent to make a difference. Not only can one person create dramatic change, but one action can. Think about just one thing that would surprise and delight your customers (internal or external customer). Just one thing. Something as small as writing “thank you for coming” with your signature on the back of your business card and handing it to each customer as they leave your place of business. Something as small as calling a colleague at home one day after work to let them know how much you appreciated their help during the day. Something as small as sending an email to a vendor to praise them for their good service. The number of these small actions is endless. And any one can surprise and delight.

My goal is not to determine what that one thing will be for you. You can choose that on your own. I want to focus more on the “how” than on the what. Most resolutions, or dedications to making a change, are short lived. I believe this is true because the resolution is not clearly articulated, the value not clearly understood, the details not finely tuned.

Here are some proven actionable steps that you can take to assist you:

1) Write down your goal. Be very specific using words, numbers, and images. The more detailed you are, the more likely your vision will come to fruition. Remind yourself of the value you are creating for others by doing this one thing

2) Create a roadmap. How will you do this, when will you begin, what are your needed resources, if applicable, your budget?

3) Determine who else will be involved, or required, in order to complete this goal? Have you secured their agreement?

4) What is your time frame? Most goals fade away over time. Allow yourself a set timeline. Perhaps your goal will be 30-60-90 days and then you can evaluate the results.

5) Do you see any roadblocks on your roadmap? How can you clear them away?

6) Is there accountability to completion or to achieving this outcome? This can be valuable in keeping you on track.

7) Set up regular check points to see if you are sticking to the plan, or if the plan needs revision. Remember, if you miss the goal, quickly set a new goal based on your learning from the first miss.

The New Year is upon us. How are you going to move into this New Year? What changes are you willing (and excited) to make to improve the way you are viewed by your customers.  What is the ONE THING you will commit to do to surprise and delight?

Share with us…we would love to hear from you.

Performance management, performance appraisal, employee review – whatever name you have for it – is a common, often dreaded, and largely under-utilized process for managing an organization. Yet it can be one of the most effective tools for leading change – ensuring a service culture, or any cultural focus, can be created and sustained over time.

Performance management practices range from a sophisticated, leader driven, technology-enhanced core business process to an HR-only-driven, form-based compliance process that becomes irrelevant to the success of the business. They can be a multi-faceted, with ongoing measures of performance, or simple once a year events. They can be highly formal (often in large organizations) or casual discussions (common in smaller organizations). Regardless, this is an organizational system that can be tapped, improved or reconstituted to drive a major service culture change.

Any effective performance management process, no matter how sophisticated or simple, must answer 3 questions for employees. Defining these and connecting them to service excellence transforms the performance management system into a leadership tool to align the focus on service at all levels of the organization and keep it alive over many years.

The three questions to answer:

1. What do we need to accomplish? These are the larger goals and the specific objectives, targets, or outcomes the business must meet to succeed.  This starts at the top and must cascade down through the organization so everyone’s actions are alignmed. If the CEO sets a critical goal to increase customer retention to drive revenue and profitability, one objective for the CEO may be to “conduct executive review meetings with our top 10 clients by June 1.”  An aligned objective for an entry-level customer representative, supporting that same retention goal, might be to “respond to all current client enquiries within 4 hours of request.”  Different objectives, and both supporting the same business goal.  Traditionally companies set annual objectives for employees, but in today’s rapidly changing markets, 90-day objectives may keep the process more relevant and responsive.

2. How will our people accomplish these goals and objectives? What are the 5-6 key competencies or behaviors that employees will use to meet the business goals? How employees conduct business must also align with your values. For example, it is doesn’t work for a sales person to achieve a sales target by promising a service you do not offer, or by offering what you do provide but not embodying the service values you profess. You might reach a revenue target in the short term, but will sacrifice the service culture you need for longer-term success.

“Providing superior service” may itself be one of your values, but other common values such as continuous improvement, innovation, driving for results or teamwork must all support, not conflict, with the service culture you are seeking to create.

3.Where do we need to grow? Individual and organizational talent must continually be expanding and improving to meet new goals, to compete in changing markets and to support the values that ensure success. Where does the organization need to develop talent? Each individual must also have a plan to develop needed skills and behaviors. Related to service this may include such skills as Building Partnerships, Increasing Customer Loyalty, Proactive Communication, Collaboration or Effective Following-up.

Identify skills that will build service talent across all functional areas for better internal and external service. This is good for the business and good for the individual. Document, track and provide ongoing feedback on these plans as part of the performance management process. While this is critical for people continually stepping up service excellence, this development piece is often missing or lacking in performance management systems.

If you have a good system – use it as a leadership tool to drive the development of your service culture. If you have an old system that is out of date or stuck in the mire of compliance, then reinvigorate and streamline it to focus clearly on service culture. And if you don’t have any performance management process, create a simple plan that answers these 3 questions to align your team to focus on uplifting service.

I was distracted from my reading, and a little puzzled. The extra lighting from above was too bright for my comfort. I like soft, even dim lighting when I read, but friendly cabin crew did not know that. She thought she was serving me well. After she left, I reached up and turned off the light.

We define service as “taking action to create value for someone else”. The question is who decides what is of value? In the story above, the service provider assumed she knew what I would value. She did not check with me first or after. She was well-intentioned, but she was wrong.

The tendency to assume can be a trap for service providers, especially those of us who consider ourselves to be true experts in our fields. “I have the experience,” we may think, “and am in the best position to decide what is valuable for my customers.”­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­

While confidence is a positive trait for any service provider, curiosity about others is even more important. Before making an expert prescription, do we take the time to ask and fully understand? In medicine “prescription without diagnosis is malpractice”. In service, action without understanding can be unwise.

Even if we think we know the situation well from many years of service, each customer (or colleague) is unique. Even the same customer may value something different under different circumstances. I enjoy soft light for reading, but if I am working on my computer I like it bright! Is knowing what worked in the past and doing it again in the present really good enough? Or should we check again with questions to understand what’s valued now?

This idea of understanding first is also relevant for senior managers. It is common for leaders to feel frustrated when team members do not seem to notice or appreciate the incentives and bonuses provided.

But this goes back to question whether team members actually value what has been provided? Are channels of communication open for the leaders to enquire? Do managers assume that monetary rewards are the best way to win team members’ hearts and minds?

This need for curiosity also applies in our personal lives when the receivers of our “service” are spouses, children and other family members. Do we seek regular update about their needs? Do we confirm their current interests? Or do we simply do what we have done before and expect others to be delighted? When there is no shared understanding of what is valued between service providers and receivers, feelings of frustration can arise on both sides.

Stephen Covey’s fifth habit begins “Seek First to Understand”. This is an excellent habit in any communication, and especially so in service. Good advice to apply with customers, colleagues and our family members.

If only the smiling cabin crew member understood that.

Here are the tips I use to be a better customer and enjoy receiving better service:

1. Be appreciative and polite. Remember, there is a fellow human being on the other end of your telephone call, e-mail message or just across the counter. I begin every service interaction with a quick: “Hi. Thank you for helping me. I really appreciate it.” This takes about two seconds and can dramatically improve the mood of a service provider.

2. Get the service provider’s name, and use it. I make this short and friendly by asking, “Who am I speaking with please?” or if we are face-to-face, simply “May I know your name?” Once they tell me, I repeat it with a smile in my voice. “Hello (name here). My name is Ron.” This creates a personal connection, takes about four seconds, and makes it much harder for the service provider to treat me like an anonymous account holder or policy number.

3. Be upbeat, if you can. Most service providers face customer after customer all day long. The routine can be a drag. When one customer appears with energy and a smile, she stands up and stands out, often enjoying special care and treatment. You can be that customer by making your (positive) attitudes contagious.

4. Provide information the way they want it. Every service provider has a preferred sequence of gathering data that fits their forms, screens and procedures. Have all your information ready to go, but give it in the order he prefers.

I say, “I have my all my information ready. Which would you like first?” This lets the service provider know you are prepared and will be easy to work with. They appreciate that and often show appreciation through better service. (The time you take getting everything in order will also save time in the service conversation.)

5. Check each step along the way. Simply repeat what the service provider or promises to do. This helps you to move together step-by-step through the service process, catching any questions and making small changes along the way.

6. Confirm next actions. Be sure you understand what will happen next: what they will do, what should you do and what you can both expect from each other. Confirm dates, times, amounts, promises, responsibilities and commitments. Write down what you agree on or ask that a written confirmation be sent to you.

7. When it’s appropriate, commiserate with your service provider. Sometimes a service providers till let their frustration show. They may be upset by a previous customer, a slow computer, high call volume, overwhelming response, pressure from managers or personal events at home.

Whenever you hear a tone of upset from your service provider, be the one to soothe them. I simply say, “It sounds like things are tough right now.” And then I repeat, “I really appreciate your help.” After this brief empathy I’ve had service providers go way beyond the call of duty to make sure my service had no frustration at all.

8. Show real appreciation. A warm “thank you” over the phone or in person is always appropriate. If your service provider deserves more, give more. A nicely written compliment can make a huge difference in some else’s day, or career. And who knows? The one you praise today may serve you again tomorrow with even greater pleasure and delight.

Service is a two-way street. The traffic of goodwill flows equally between customers and service providers. Don’t wait for someone else to make your day. If you want good things to come to you, start the ball rolling by extending goodwill to others.

The service you receive is the reward and recognition you deserve.

This colorful combination is also loaded with opportunities to accidentally misstep or inadvertently create negative impressions. Since our definition of service is “taking action to create value for someone else”, then service can enhanced when we are conscious of others’ backgrounds and their cultures, and the manner in which they prefer to be served.

Let me tell you a story from my own background, and how I accidentally offended the host from one of my most influential clients (this was before my time with UP! Your Service).

I was in Taipei, Taiwan. I had not traveled internationally much for business, and this was my first time in Taiwan. I was visiting the offices of a major product manufacturer. I had done business together with my contact person for over a year via email, but this was our first face-to-face meeting. My married last name is Ihara, which is Japanese, and can be a bit misleading as I am actually a tall, native born, Caucasian American.

The dilemma began when I was offered a beverage – a sweet, sugary fruit drink in a can. I follow a careful eating regime and would have been very happy with water, so I declined the fruit drink. I was offered a bottle of soda, which I also declined. Uh-oh… you can see where this is going.

Had I been smart (and culturally sensitive), I would have accepted the fruit drink, opened the can, and let it sit idle on the table. But I wasn’t sensitive or smart. The third drink offered was a small box of milk – the kind that can sit on a shelf for years and still be consumable. Oh dear, not a good situation. I did accept the milk box, but didn’t open it. And this whole episode clearly offended my host. Fortunately my error was forgiven, but not before I received a “look” from my host that I remember until this day.

It was a difficult lesson to learn, yet it opened my eyes to the amazing world of cultural etiquette. Even today I am extremely grateful. I will not make the same mistake again, and this experience created an excitement to learn much more.

As a woman in Senior Management in America, I have learned to lead with a firm hand-shake, make direct eye contact, use open communication, and show a genuine interest in the lives of those with whom I interact. I genuinely like people, and am really fond of most of those with whom I do business. I enthusiastically greet my associates, often, with a hug (male, or female!). This direct approach works very well for me in the United States. But as you can imagine, this behavior is not appropriate for all the regions and cultures of our very diverse world.

As you read this, you may have your own thoughts about how this approach would be received in the culture where you work, or where you grew up.

And it’s not just race and gender that contribute to the diversity in our world. We are also a world filled with differences in age, language, religion, physical abilities, dietary preferences, social standards, legal frameworks, business practices and more.

But this exploration doesn’t need to be a minefield. With some basic courtesies and considerations you can serve others in a considerate manner that is appreciated by all of your customers and service partners.

I hope to open up dialogue here since this blog is also a global messenger. You have a funny story as awkward as mine. Perhaps yours is funny, or more serious. It would be wonderful to hear from you about the customs and cultures where you work and live – and the times when you accidentally made a misstep or two. Your sharing could be incredibly valuable to others reading this blog. We can learn from our mistakes, and we can learn from each other.

However, given their intensive schedules and responsibilities, it’s unreasonable to expect high-level leaders to know the details of all service improvement and culture-building initiatives. While they meet to review initiatives periodically, the Ultimate Question 1.0 can significantly leverage their time and commitment every day.

Ultimate Question 1.0: What is your team’s best idea to improve service today?

Why is this question so effective?

• It’s simple, easy to remember and to ask.

• It works throughout the organization: from leadership teams to frontline and across all departments.

• It connects leaders with employees by demonstrating interest and desire to listen.

• It creates conversations for ideas and possibilities. Conversations for action will naturally follow.

• It does not ask for final answers. It asks for good ideas.

• It drives teamwork. Even solo superstars should collaborate to answer this one.

• It can be asked and be effective every day.

• It is free of risk and fear.

Why focus on ideas, and not actions?

The first step to sustainable results is people thinking differently from the past, with good ideas and then actions towards the future. (If you haven’t seen it already, watch Ron’s video on Measuring What Matters.)

In a nutshell:
Good Ideas –> New Actions –> Stronger Culture –> Sustainable Results

Keys to Success and Pitfalls to Avoid

• Leaders should ask this question inside a larger context towards transforming an entire culture.

• Don’t get hung up on the quality of ideas you hear. Encourage a volume of new ideas instead. Ask first. Listen second. Analyze for new actions third.

• An internal communications team can support and reinforce this question, but should not drive the conversation by themselves. Asking this question and listening to answers is a good use of leader’s time.

• Wikis, suggestion boxes and online portals deliver scale, but simple emails and hallway discussions will keep this question personal and engaging.

• If your teams do not come up with many ideas, you can enable them with effective service education for new insights and perspectives.

What do you think?

As you read this post, you may already have an opinion about whether your leaders will or will not ask this question, and whether it will get a response.

Give it a try!

Ultimate Question 1.0: What is your team’s best idea to improve service today?

Ask this question today. Send it to your leaders and ask them to try it, too. Observe the reactions of your team, and share what you see with us in the comments below.

PS: What is the Ultimate Question 2.0? “What new action will you take to improve your service today?”

He wrote: “While mindset matters, great service needs great skillsets too… Proper training is required”

This stirred up memories of my early experiences working in a retail company.

Most new frontline staff joined the company with a very positive mindset and uplifting attitude – but as they regularly encountered situations they were not prepared for, their enthusiasm started fading.

They got stressed and frustrated when they were caught unprepared and uneducated in new situations. Confidence levels dipped.  It was hard to ‘feel good’ about a job when they didn’t know how to do it well.

I vividly remember one particular young lady I hired and trained – let’s call her May.  She did not have any prior retail experience and seemed very quiet and shy. My colleagues didn’t think she would last more than a few weeks. But I felt she was more like a rough gem waiting to be polished – and I believed the right education would help.

However, when May was in my product and service training class, I wondered if I had made a mistake in recruiting her after all. I asked her if she thought she was a good fit for a frontline position in a retail outlet. She was not sure herself. She told me she just desperately needed the job for financial reasons. She was then sent to an outlet where further training would be done on-the-job with the store manager.

When I walked into this outlet two months later, I wasn’t expecting to see her there.

Yet, there she was – attending to customers, speaking confidently, demonstrating products, etc. There was no semblance of what I remembered her to be. The store manager told me he was very pleased with May’s performance – sales had gone up and customers regularly complimented her.

I congratulated May and reminded her of our last meeting. She shared how her store manager had played a big role in coaching her, developing her skills and appreciating her achievements. She said she had been well-educated, and the more she learned the more assured and confident she felt. She even sent notes of appreciation to everyone who had trained her, sharing how their attention and support helped her discover an aptitude she didn’t think she had – to be of service to others.

Many such examples remind me daily of the uplifting value of service education. It is myopic to view training and education as ‘nice-to-have’ or a cost-center with no clear Return on Investment. Of course it is important to measure and ensure a strong ROI, but the benefits of continuous education, and the value of developing life-long learners in your organization, are beyond mere financial calculations.

How do you ensure continuous service learning and improvement in your organization?