The Extra Mile

By: Renée Cormier

The road to developing extraordinary customer experiences shouldn’t be riddled with pot holes, but it often is. Managers want to know how to get their people to care enough to go the extra mile while customers are fed a line of excuses that would choke a bull. “We’re so busy.” “The truck didn’t come in.” “We only do what we are told.” “That’s our policy.”

Here’s the thing about customers: they don’t care why you can’t do something, or why you failed to deliver. They only care that their expectations were not met. They also get really annoyed when they spend money doing business with you and are treated like an inconvenience, or worse, like they have a mental problem.

Customers may not always be charming to deal with, but you should always be charming when dealing with them. Most of us know that. Still, doing what is unexpected and positive is the best way to charm your customers. That’s called going the extra mile. Seeing something that needs to be done and doing it, even though the customer did not ask for it. Taking time out after hours to make sure your customer has their order on time, because you value the needs of your customer and understand that the health of your business depends on their happiness.

Here’s a fact: There is a direct correlation between engaged employees and customer loyalty. It’s not hard to figure out why. Disengaged employees don’t care about the results they create. They are merely putting in time. Therefore they never consider doing anything that would pleasantly surprise a customer. They deliver service that is mediocre at best, and sometimes downright horrible!
Many companies think that by offering extensive Customer Service training they can fix their Customer Service problems. The trouble is the training is only beneficial after the manager has been trained in how to engage employees. If you’ve ever wondered why “training doesn’t work” that is part of the problem. You need to get to the root of the problem. Bad managers create disengaged employees. Sometimes, in fact, often times, the whole company is comprised of bad managers and that is where the real problem lies.

Getting your customer service staff in gear to exceed your customers’ expectations is key if you want to have an edge over your competition. Here are a few things you can do to get started:

Draw the Line: Some people just don’t get the relationship between behaviours and outcomes, so in a non threatening way, it is important to draw the line, so to speak. Let your employees know how important excellent customer service is to the health of the company (and their jobs). Your front line people are extremely vital in keeping your business afloat. They need to know the value of the role they play in realizing the mission/vision!

Hire Smart: Never hire anyone for any position in your company simply because they are willing to do the job. Customer Service people need to have an attitude of helpfulness and an eagerness to please (as should everyone else). If you hire people with the wrong attitude, you will drive your customers away.
Show Great Appreciation: Given the nature of Customer Service work and the important role your CS staff play in your company, it goes without saying that you must show them appreciation. It is imperative that you make sure they know how important they are and are shown appreciation for their efforts daily!

Outstanding Moments: In the name of delighting your customers and reminding your CS staff how important it is to deliver outstanding service, have a brief meeting after shifts to allow your people to share their outstanding moments. Asking your Customer Service staff to talk about how they went the extra mile that day will inspire their co-workers and reinforce the right mentality. It will also provide the manager with the opportunity to congratulate and openly express appreciation for their efforts, thereby driving up morale and engagement.

Look Inward: Great leaders strive for continuous self-improvement. They are not afraid to let go of their ego and reflect on their own mistakes. As long as you are asking your employees to tell you how they were outstanding each day, you may as well do the same in the confines of your brain. Do take the time to reflect on how you were outstanding each day in the eyes of your employees, and where you could have been better. Make a plan to improve and follow it. No one wants to follow an arrogant leader, so this is a really important exercise to perform.

Train, Train, Train: Ok, now I’ll give myself a plug and tell you to train your people! We all need reminding and there is always something more to learn. Start by getting Leadership and Communication Skills training for your managers and Customer Service and Communications Skills training for CS staff. Yes, it is among the many ways I work with companies to help them achieve employee engagement and positive bottom line results!