In our last post, What is Hero-Class Customer Service? Part 1, we discussed why we like the term Hero-Class Customer ServiceTM and the characteristics that customer facing professionals need to become customer service heroes.
The final piece of understanding Hero-Class Customer ServiceTM is to discuss what it looks like in an organization as a whole. What is the essence of Hero-Class Customer ServiceTM itself? How does the sum of the parts, the actions of individual heroes, add up for the organization and its customers?
Hero-Class Customer ServiceTM…
… is super-fast but never rushed
… is proactive more than reactive
… is visible in result but invisible in execution
… is experience-focused and not silo-bound
… is self-aware but not self-centered
… is consistent without being inflexible
… is efficient but not effortless
… is relational not transactional
… is always present but never an imposition
… is referral generating more than referral soliciting
… is surprising but never a surprise
… is data-conscious but not data-dominated
… is broad in concept but individual in application
… is grateful in substance not just in form
The list above represents what an organization should strive for, not what it should or can achieve. Sound-byte slogans often fail under the bright lights of real-world customer service and should not be approached literally. However, they are where we begin for inspiration and objective.
Hero-Class Customer ServiceTM is a holistic approach to the total customer experience that transcends individual initiatives and programs of the week. It is based in a cultural approach that blends customer-focused systems with well-trained brand emissaries.
Put plainly, it is customer service that is all about customers.
Have you enjoyed Hero-Class Customer ServiceTM anywhere lately?
Adam Toporek
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I like the “broad in concept but individual in application”: there’s no one-size-fits-all when dealing with people, and customer service has, and always will be about serving the customer. Cheers! Kaarina
Kaarina Dillabough recently posted..7 Gems from Daniel Pink’s book “To Sell Is Human”
Agreed Kaarina. It’s one of the hardest things for a company to do, yet one of the things that sets companies above their competitors.
Yes, you have to be able to handle emergencies in flight but the more pro-active you can be it will minimize those EIF’s………
Good post sir.
Bill Dorman recently posted..Please retweet this post at 7:34 am EST
Thanks Bill! No doubt, the more proactive you are the less reactive you have to be.
I know that when I receive World Class Customer service, I tell people. I often blog about it.
When the moment arrives that I need help and I look up the phone number to dial, I’m already frustrated. People who understand this earn my respect and future business.
Brian D. Meeks recently posted..Underwood Scotch and Wry Ch 4 pt 1
So true Brian. Understanding what got a customer to that moment of picking up the phone or sending a tweet is the first step to having a successful exchange. Like a warranty department, everyone who calls is upset about something. Reps should embrace that going in.
Hi Adam. This series is of particular interest to me. As professional in a business where focus on CS sometimes takes a back seat I find these tips a pleasure to have access to. In fact, with your permission I may add this to my arsenal for my monthly team building sessions with my team.
The trick will be to find a tangible example to apply to your list.
Cheers sir and thank you for sharing this info. Love it.
Ralph recently posted..QOTW 2013: Week 6: If you have all the answers you don’t know the question.
Ralph, thanks so much for the kind words! Please feel free to share away with your team. I would love to hear about the response to the information.
Best!