Last week we began a discussion of ten ways to build a company-wide customer obsession in 2019.
By way of review, Customer Obsession is a top-down, company-wide spirit, focus, and priority of delighting customers. It starts with leadership (last week) and (this week) vision. Before Walt Disney began Disneyland he created this statement:
The idea of Disneyland is a simple one. It will be a place
for people to find happiness and knowledge. It will be a
place for parents and children to spend pleasant times in
one another's company: a place for teachers and pupils to
discover greater ways of understanding and education.
Here the older generation can recapture the nostalgia of
days gone by, and the younger generation can savor the
challenges of the future. Here will be the wonders of
Nature and Man for all to see and understand.
This simple statement became the guiding vision of everything that followed at Disneyland. The experience is still true today when you visit Disneyland.
One of the most helpful things we can do, as leaders, to create a company-wide customer obsession, is to formulate (with the help of management and staff) a service vision statement. This is not your mission statement; it's a promise or pledge of service to every customer.
"Visions are like the stars,
we don't reach them, but we set our course by them."
It's a simple and inspirational statement condensing the essence of the best customer experience. It often has words like: "We promise you Mr....Ms....customer
- A friendly experience
- A clean store/restaurant
- Fast service
- To guard the safety and privacy of your data
- To listen to you when there's a problem
- A quality product
Here's what I recommend. Get individuals together away from the job site. (Four walls at work confine creativity) Get everybody brainstorming about the best phrases that describe the ideal customer experience in your business. Write out on a flipchart or projection device the words, "We promise you..." and let every participant contribute. Leaders know that tapping into imagination and creativity is a powerful way to get people moving in a new direction. Create a statement in 100 words or less that condense the best ideas/phrases from your discussion session with staff. The process of working on this together, dreaming, imagining and listening to everyone's ideas is a great second step towards a customer obsession. Remember participation is key:
"No participation...no commitment."
You want employee fingerprints all over the final vision statement.
Your customer service pledge can then be printed and posted in key areas. Put it on your website. Ritz Carlton hotel even has their customer service "motto" ("we are ladies and gentlemen serving ladies and gentlemen") in the pocket/uniform of each employee. I've seen it on banners walking into an auto repair shop. I've seen it on a poster behind the front registration area of hotels.
What a first impression for a customer when they walk into your store or business and immediately feel delighted because your service pledge expresses exactly what they want!
So, what's the second most powerful thing you can do to build company-wide customer obsession in 2019? Get staff together and create a service vision statement. Renew your customer focus and commitment, and it could be the best year you've ever had in your business
