Building a world class organisation is exciting. The leader’s role is to generate that excitement and inspire the team to share the journey to an extraordinary future.
That’s a key ability for a leader – to share a vision and inspire the team to action. When people understand the what and the why of success, they’re more invested and will be excited about achieving the end result and proud of their achievements.
The leader is responsible for the culture of the organisation. They set the tone which is critical to achieving world class. A successful culture embraces trust, freedom to make decisions and two-way communication that has real value.
Every aspect of the organisation’s activity must be focused on one thing – giving the customer an unforgettable, positive experience that makes them feel special, valued and listened to.
The leader’s approach is crucial and their passion for world class customer satisfaction will percolate through the organisation. Sharing this passion with the teams will inspire confidence, competence and innovation.
What does the customer really want?
Don’t guess what your customer wants; find out. Understanding your customer at every level is essential to creating the level of service that will build a long-lasting and powerful relationship.
For this to work, the experience must be the same wherever the customer interacts with the organisation. From their first enquiry, through the buying process, the quality of product and services, the delivery of the product or service, the after-sales process, product servicing, and accounts the client must enjoy a world class experience. This means that every person in your organisation must be focused on how their activity serves the customer. The customer’s impression of your business is an integrated result of a combination of experiences.
Get it right – first time
Consistency is everything. Human nature is such that customers talk more about bad experiences than good ones, so every team member needs to be focused on delivering a world class service every time.
Customers expect you to meet their expectations. To be world-class your service must exceed their expectations, consistently. The objective is to impress so that they talk about their amazing positive experiences as readily as they would talk about negative ones.
World class service is three dimensional. Think about what your customer will see in your organisation. What will they hear? What will they feel as a result of their interaction with your organisation – whether it’s a phone call, an email or in person?
A superior experience is the result of all these facets of the customer’s perception. Think about all of these, an off-hand response from a member of your accounts team when the customer calls to check something on their invoice can bring all those good impressions tumbling down.
Clients will be attracted and retained by a business which provides a complete brand experience. A world class experience will have far more value than an average experience. Define the key elements of your brand experience to be notable and exceptional.
Everything you do must add value for the customer.