There are as many definitions of "customer service" as there are customer service books and gurus. And, while there is no single correct definition, I would like to submit mine for consideration:
Customer service is a voluntary act that demonstrates a genuine desire to satisfy, if not delight, a customer.
Within this short definition, there are six elements that I suggest we explore further:
Voluntary: Providing exceptional customer service, unlike executing mandatory job functions for which an employee is paid, is always voluntary. Employees don't have to deliver it. And most don't. (This explains why you almost always receive the deli sandwich you ordered but may not always receive it with a smile.)
Act: Service is a verb. As such, it requires action. Without initiative, one's readiness and ability to initiate action, there is no exceptional customer service.
Genuine: Exceptional customer service is not about masking your true feelings. It's about actualizing them. There's no place for duplicity or phoniness in the delivery of exceptional customer service.
Desire: Employees must want to provide exceptional customer service. Exceptional customer service doesn't happen by chance. It happens by choice.
Delight: Employees decide for themselves whether or not to expend the discretionary effort required to elevate a customer service experience from satisfactory (ordinary) to delightful (extraordinary).
Customer: Customers are our highest priority at work and the ultimate basis for our employment.
What's your definition of customer service? If you don't have one at your place of business, consider scheduling the development of a definition as a group activity at your next department meeting.
Put your staff at ease by reminding them that there's no single correct definition of customer service. Whatever you come up with together will be just right for your work group. And, you'll be raising awareness about the topic of customer service, which, besides actually serving customers, may be the best use of your time at work.
About the author
Steve has 20 years of experience between hotel operations, sales and marketing, training and development, and customer service roles working for Marriott International, one of the premiere customer-focused companies in the world.
Don't settle for ordinary. Choose extraordinary. (It's always a choice.) Order Delight Your Customers: 7 Simple Ways to Raise Your Customer Service from Ordinary to Extraordinary (AMACOM Books) by Steve Curtin or purchase from select retailers, including Barnes & Noble.
