Here is some further food for thought about service that is similar to my earlier letter about being a "tour guide, senator and cheer leader" for your customers.
Imagine a team playing a game of soccer on the field of a stadium, with fans cheering in stands. Imagine that this is a model of a company interacting with its customers. Question: who are the customers and who is the company? Most business people first say that the team is working on behalf of the fans. In other words, that the company is the team and the customers are the fans. But think of the reverse, where the team is the customer, trying to reach their goals, and the company is cheering for their success.
This is the difference between a customer-centered view of service and an organization-centered view. Customer service is about helping others achieve their goals. It mean making a fundamental paradigm shift from the historical view of the company-client relationship.
What do you think? |