Managers need a fresh approach to ensure that customers are satisfied and that employees are personally committed to making it happen. After working with dozens of corporations over the years that have been faced with this challenge, I developed the concept of CAST Meetings© (Customer Service Team Meetings). Think of it as a way to breath new life into your corporate mission.
When introducing CAST Meetings, include these seven key elements.
1. Spread your Customers' Words
At CAST Meetings, everyone learns the latest results of your customer surveys, letters and comments. One of the most useful, least expensive ways to collect customer feedback is to ensure that employees directly ask customers a magic question, “What can we do to improve our service?” Asking that question and bringing the responses to CAST not only provides valuable information, it also reminds front line employees of one of their most valuable roles - being the eyes and ears of the company.
2. Get People Thinking
Prior to introducing the first CAST Meeting, conduct training sessions for management and staff on ways to enhance customer satisfaction - without working harder. As part of these seminars, brainstorm ways to boost customer satisfaction at each Point of Perception©. Here, generate a list of ways one might enhance customers' experience at every point where they form an impression of the company - on the website, when they phone in, as they enter the parking lot, while waiting on site, and so on. Later, bring those ideas to CAST Meetings.
3. Sift to Find the Nuggets
At monthly CAST Meetings, sift through the feedback generated by both the customers and the employees. Just because we've collected a list of ideas from these groups, doesn't necessarily mean that we can or should act on each suggestion. At the CAST use two primary tools to evaluate the suggestions. One way is using a feedback grid that was discussed in management training seminars. This grid reveals how your customers rate the various services you provide and how important those services are to them.
4. Implement Now… Perfect Later
Pilot. Pilot. Pilot. When you identify an idea that on the surface looks like it has merit, the next step is to launch a preliminary test run, or ‘pilot'. So, let's say for a 30-day trial basis you are going to give several front line employees in a specific department the authority to make a decision that typically requires management approval. Those same employees volunteer to try the program, monitor the results, and report their findings at the next CAST Meeting. If they indicate that the pilot went well, then at the CAST it can be fine-tuned and expanded to other areas within the organization.
5. Replace Policies with Parables
Perhaps the most critical element of any CAST Meeting is “story-time.” During this part of the agenda, managers call upon selected front line employees, who recently provided exceptional service, to share a specific on-the-job incident, and explain why they did what they did. These stories become your organization's parables - living examples of your beliefs. Parables have been used to teach history and values since before the creation of the written word. They endure because they are interesting, teach us lessons, and are easily remembered. These stories become your ‘code' - the way you do business. In other words, these real-life stories not only reflect your organization's mission, vision and values - they become its living and breathing embodiment.
“When it comes to employee morale, sound decision-making, and customer loyalty, most organizations would do well to replace policies with parables.”
6. Coach instead of Fighting Fires
At CAST Meetings one of the roles of the manager is to take one of the customer service ideas that was shared in the training seminar and reinforce its application. That way, simple vital customer service tips are repeated and are more likely to be remembered and applied. So rather than reacting to individual crises, managers help all employees to prevent customer service problems before they occur.
7. Celebrate Service - not Seniority
In a study of Fortune 500 corporations, researchers found that the number two motivator of employees is recognition - knowing that they are appreciated. CAST Meetings give managers a forum to provide recognition that's not based on seniority - but on exemplary customer service. Perhaps even more important is that the recognition doesn't just come from management - it comes from the workers' peers. That means you're creating a shift in culture right at the grass roots. Add to that a few words of open praise from the senior manager to the team, and everyone feels like they are part of a greater good. Combine it with pizza, snacks or lunch and you've created a customer-focused event that employees look forward to.
Bottom Line - It Gets Results
It's easy for corporate leaders to pay lip service to the importance of customers. Mission statements may play well for advertising purposes and look good on the boardroom wall. But employees see beneath the veil of slogans. They need to know that you as a leader actually mean what you say - and that you're willing to back statements with action. Simple logic dictates that if that kind of integrity is missing, even the best employee will eventually become de-motivated and start marking time.
With CAST Meetings employees discover that the company indeed practices-what-it-preaches. That's the kind of trust that translates into improved performance for everyone. One client found that within the six months of using CAST, morale had noticeably improved and employee productivity increased by 34%. Meanwhile, they reported that number of customer complaints plummeted fourfold. That's a corporate culture where all the stakeholders benefit. After all, ensuring that everyone wins is very likely what your mission statement is all about.
About the Author:
This article is based on the critically acclaimed book, Becoming a Service Icon in 90 Minutes a Month by customer service strategist and international speaker Jeff Mowatt. To obtain your own copy of his book or to inquire about engaging Jeff for your team, visit
http://www.jeffmowatt.com
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1300
Date Published :
Sep 10 2006