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It can’t be said enough -
today’s marketplace operates at breakneck speeds. In almost every segment,
a customer can have a change of heart and a new priority overnight. Keeping
pace with technology, innovation, competition and fulfilling customers
desires can leave a small business breathless. However, there is one thing
that will never change and that is a customer’s desire for excellent
product and excellent service.
Achieving and managing excellence throughout your
entire organization will give you a leg up in the race for customers. This
can be a challenge of a lifetime when your relationships with vendors,
distributors, employees and suppliers can change as quickly as the blind
impulses of adolescent love. Small businesses typically have limited
resources and can often get swept right off their feet and out of the
marketplace because of rapid changes in technology and customer tastes.
A commitment to excellence is the great equalizer
between small and big companies. In fact, smaller companies are often better
at achieving excellence because there is less bureaucracy, better teamwork
and more personal contact with customers throughout the organization’s
hierarchy.
Consider your business for a moment. Do you have an
explicit commitment to quality and customer satisfaction? Is it written
anywhere and expressed to your entire organization? Do you have clear
processes and systems for handling customer complaints? Similarly, is there
a way for customers to give you feedback? Do you encourage customer
suggestion? Does your entire team share an enthusiastic and genuine
commitment to delivering an excellent product and superior customer service?
Does your team consider it the number one priority?
Working through those questions will put you ahead
of the pack in the race for customers. But don’t expect it to happen
overnight. Achieving and managing excellence throughout your business can
take years. You and your team have to embrace the idea and make it a part of
your business and your personal value system.
Here
are some tips to get you started in your pursuit of excellence:
Let
your team know that a commitment to excellent work and customer service is a requirement for
working here. Post signs around the workplace that reinforce this message. Ask your
team for their input on how to serve customers better. Make excellent
customer service a part of everybody’s performance standards and
employment reviews.
Likewise, improving
customer service and quality must be a commitment shared by all.
Never stop talking about your commitment to
excellence. In every piece of communication, whether it is an ad or a memo to your
team and in every company activity, you should reinforce this commitment as
the number one priority of every person in the business.
Prepare to change.
Significant changes may have to be made to reach your goals. Most
people are uneasy about change and as the leader of the business, you must
set the example and embrace the changes that are going to make your business
better.
Think small. Often it is the little things a
business does that sets it apart from all the rest. Think about all areas of
your business: distributors, suppliers, billing methods and customer
interfaces. Your team probably has scores of ideas on how to improve
customer service in these areas. Taking their ideas into consideration is a
great way to motivate them and often produces low-cost enhancements to your
business.
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