Since sometime the middle of 2007, I have been collecting letters sent to the letter's column in the NST from readers who are unhappy with the various aspects of service provided by Malaysian Airlines (MAS). I have even blogged about the controversy surrounding MAS's decision to switch to meal boxes on regional flights. Thats another story!
Now, what I did with these letters (16 in total) was that I pasted them on 2 manila cards and showed it to the participants of my recent program on Customer Focus. My question was : How would you feel if you are working for a company which gets so many complaints from customers and you read hem on a daily basis in a national newspaper. The unanimous answer was "We will be ashamed"! Yes...that sums it up.
I guess, I made the point of my program with them crystal clear in the first 15 minutes and the rest of the 2-day program was all about "How not to end up like MAS"!
Many times, frontliners are asked to give world class service and often times are required to attend this or that training program. These programs are well intended in the sense that they are aimed at delivering new customer service skills and/or improving upon existing ones. The missing link, however is what does it all mean to them as individuals. Why should THEY provide good service? Why should THEY strive to achieve customer loyalty? Why should THEY bend over backwards to make customers happy? Just so that the company can make a few extra ringgit? I don't think so.
People must have a personal stake in providing excellent service. They must see the connection between excellent service and themselves as individuals. As far as I am concerned, excellent service is a direct result of the good feeling that people gain from providing that service and not merely because customers are happy; that is a by product. Pike's Fish Market should come to your mind right now...
Anyway, the point I am trying to make here is that managers (maybe with the help of consultants) should find ways to make that connection. Out of this connection will come the real meaning of excellent customer service and out of this meaning will come the purpose why they as individuals must at all times strive to provide excellent service. Because, they have a stake in it!
