Recently I was asked to rate and compare a number of companies on their level of service. As I started the comparison, I thought a scale of 1-5 would be a good way of doing it. (One is bad and five is excellent.) Then creativity kicked in. Why rate them by numbers when you can assign a descriptive name? So, I came up with the following:
“The Five Levels of Service”
- Unacceptable – This is bad service at any level. Call it poor, terrible, less than stellar – bottom line is it is unacceptable for any reason.
- Basic – commodity and minimum standards.
- Good – your customers identify your service as “satisfactory.”
- World Class – This is a big jump from good. It is beyond satisfactory. Customers think of your company as great. You create value. Customers compare you with others in your industry.
- Trademark – Others are compared to you. You are the industry benchmark for great service.
So take a self-assessment. Each of the following questions is a two-part question. One answer is on a company level and the other is on a personal level. If you do not personally deal with outside customers, take a look at how you service your internal customer.
The questions are:
- What level of service do your company and you, as an individual, provide for your customers and clients?
- How would you describe yourself based on the above descriptive levels of service?
- What companies inside your industry could be assigned to each of these levels of service?
- What companies outside of your industry could you assign to each of these service levels?
- What do the companies who have “World Class” and “Trademark” (both inside and outside of your industry) do that you could emulate?
- If you are not already at the “Trademark” level – and very few companies are – what would it take to get you a step closer, or even all of the way there?
The above questions could make for some great discussions.
Summarizing points:
- Recognize that service is a process. It is ongoing. You and your company should always strive to improve, even if you are already at the “Trademark” level.
- While some people have taken service to a scientific level with measurements, testing, etc., the basics are common sense. It is about people thinking about taking care of people.
- No matter how good you and your company rate in the “Five Levels of Service,” everyone must be continuously trained, reminded, and coached. Remember, the quest for “Trademark” service is a process – a never-ending journey!
Ending with an appropriate quote…
“Great service is not the end – the final answer. It is a process that is ongoing, ever-changing and is always being adapted to meet the needs of the current situation.” — Shep Hyken
Shep Hykenis a customer service/CX expert, award-winning keynote speaker, and New York Times bestselling author. Learn more about Shep’scustomer service and customer experience keynote speechesand hiscustomer service training workshopsatwww.Hyken.com. Connect with Shep onLinkedIn.
(Copyright ©MMXI, Shep Hyken)
