Delivering Perfect Customer Service
Is perfect realistic? Can you deliver the perfect product, service, and experience? What is required to deliver perfect customer service?
Beauty may exist in the eye of the beholder and the same is likely true for the customer experience.
Moments of Customer Service
Most of our experiences are the result of moments. The moment you hold the newest smartphone, the moment you look in the mirror wearing the new outfit, or that moment when you test-drive the new car. All of our experiences are about emotions. Some feel perfect, at least for that moment.
Therefore, the customer service that we deliver, the things that delight and inspire customers, they are all about the moment. Those moments are often connected to people, places, circumstances, situations, and timing.
What is perfect right now, in this moment, may be a one-time experience. What is happening now probably isn’t the exact thing that will happen next.
Perfect customer service is situational. It is like leadership, communication, and delegation. What is perfect in this moment, for this person, in this situation won’t hold true for very long.
Circumstances Define Perfection
If you are insisting on delivering perfect customer service every time, you may want to think about the circumstances before planning for the outcomes.
Having an umbrella at the right moment may be perfect, holding an umbrella all the time, perhaps not so much.
Rules, policies and procedures are necessary, but they seldom consider every possible circumstance.
Perfect Customer Service
If you’re looking for perfection, you’re going to have to have truth. The truth is perfection is a moving target. Consequently, rules and policies are guidelines.
Organizational culture will shape the flexibility around the circumstances that will lead to the perfect moment.
What happens the next time, in the next circumstance is only perfect for that moment.
Your culture won’t define the moments, but the outcomes of the moment are defined by your culture.
– DEG
Dennis E. Gilbert is a business consultant, speaker (CSPTM), and corporate trainer that specializes in helping businesses and individuals accelerate their leadership, their team, and their success. He is a five-time author and some of his work includes, #CustServ The Customer Service Culture, and Forgotten Respect, Navigating A Multigenerational Workforce. Reach him through his website at Dennis-Gilbert.com or by calling +1 646.546.5553.
2 Comments
Gil
November 28, 2017at 8:13 am“Perfect” is a destination to which there are many routes.
Perfect for one customer may not be perfect for another. Add to that the need for a perfect outcome for the merchant or service provider!
Effective + productive customer service is a fine art!
Dennis Gilbert
November 28, 2017at 11:22 amYes, I agree, it is somewhat of an art. Which is why I believe culture is most important for shaping it, not just a set of rules, policies, or procedures. As you say, effective and productive! 🙂