How to Create a Customer-Focused Team
By Debra Schmidt
There is no magic formula for creating a team of
customer-focused employees. But one thing is certain: it's the
manager's responsibility to create an environment that motivates
employees to want to take care of customers. In order to create a
team of employees that are personally committed to service
excellence, managers may need a fresh point of view. One of the
great problems in customer service is the reluctance of managers to
view service as a marketing strategy. Too many see it as after-sale
service, something that relates back to a previous sale, rather
than ahead to the next one. Studies prove that great service is
more effective at increasing profits than marketing or advertising.
The following conditions need to be met for creating
customer-focused
teams:
Management commitment
Replace lip service with words and actions that consistently
show employees that management is committed to the delivery of
exceptional customer service. Staff meeting should focus more on
meeting the needs of the customer than meeting the needs of the
manager. 
Employee involvement
Listen to employee ideas. Sam Walton said, "Listen to everyone
in your company, especially the ones who actually talk to
customers. They really know what's going on out there." Implement
realistic, creative ideas that benefit the customer. No matter how
far removed employees are from the front line, they need to believe
that their work affects the customer perceptions of the
company.
Internal customer service
Create a "we're in this together" environment. Help your
employees to recognize that everyone in the company is one big
team. Meet with other departments on a regular basis to build
understanding and collaboration between work teams. Set ground
rules that simply do not tolerate gossip. Redirect employees who
complain by challenging them to come up with the solutions to
problems.
Training
View training as an investment, not a cost. It's an investment
in both customer and employee retention. It's an investment in
sales and marketing. It's an investment in quality. Training must
be a priority and an ongoing reinforcement of the customer focus.
Provide training that equips employees with the skills and tools
they need to deliver exceptional customer service.
Policies that benefit the customer
Evaluate existing policies and rules to see if they are really
necessary. Who benefits from them? How much do they damage customer
relationships? How often are they bent or broken by managers?
If a policy needs to be in place, make sure that every
employee on the team understands the reasons behind it. Trust
employees. Give employees the ability and power to do the right
thing for the customer right away. Don't undermine an employee by
over-riding their decision to help the
customer.
Shared customer feedback
Everyone on the team needs to hear from the customers. Share
customer satisfaction survey results. Read letters and comments
from customers during staff meetings. Encourage the team to come up
with a list of open-ended questions they can ask customers on a
regular basis to invite feedback and ideas for improving
service.
A quality service program will come to a screeching halt
without management commitment, employee involvement and constant
reinforcement. You know you're part of a customer-focused team when
the most important question on the mind of managers and employees
alike is, "How can I do my work in a way that will delight the
customer?"
Debra J. Schmidt is a professional speaker, corporate
trainer and author who leads businesses to greater customer and
employee loyalty. Subscribe to Deb's FREE newsletter at Loyalty
Leader.com.
