One of the key pieces to develop an effective service strategy is: the manager. The head of the organization, which sets priorities, leads in a certain direction, facilitates the way… but this is not always the case and, unfortunately, errors abound that end up suffocating that culture of incipient service that has begun to emerge.
In this article I want to highlight some of these errors, which I have noticed are repeated and affect the results of an organization that wants to excel in service. Be aware, be vigilant, and avoid them, to see a vocation for common service flourish, which highlights the unique offer that the organization seeks to deliver to its customers, achieving their desired loyalty.
Mistake 1: Following trends or fads, without anchoring these decisions with good foundations
The manager is often tempted to follow certain trends, because his competition does, or because that is being talked about in the business world. Certainly, trends are positive in themselves, but they have no value if they are not personalized to the particularities of each organization.
Each company is unique, and for this reason it must adapt, personalize what it wants to implement to its particular characteristics. It is not a question of wearing the pants that are in fashion, regardless of whether your body fits well.
In the same way, the manager must be convinced to adopt certain strategies, with the adequate foundation that allows him to visualize what will be his contribution to the success of his organization.
You want to develop a service strategy, but what will that strategy look like for this particular organization? What is expected to happen as a result of this implementation?
There is a litmus test that is valid for any strategy, and it is: will this strategy make a real contribution to the sustainability of my organization? And in that case, how will you do it specifically?
Organizations were born to make a valuable contribution to all those interested in their survival: clients, shareholders, employees, suppliers…
So, before diving into a certain strategy, the manager must ask himself what will be his specific contribution to the sustainability of his organization. With a solid foundation, it will be more feasible to stay firm and consistent when the waters are rough and you need to reassert your course.
Mistake 2: Not communicating clearly what the organization intends regarding customer service
It is very common to see managers convinced and who know very well what they want but… they do not communicate it!
This is a fatal mistake, because each contributor cannot be expected to have a crystal ball to guess what management wants them to do. What do we mean by "vocation of service"? What attitudes and behaviors do we specifically expect from you? What specific projects or actions will we initiate and for what?
In this sense, communicating must be a task that is assumed with responsibility. Formalize this communication, so that everyone is aligned behind a common strategy, involving them from their specific roles, and joining efforts to achieve common goals.
Communication must also be open and empathetic. This means that, when a strategic course is set, we must as managers understand what it means for each member of the organization to join this strategy, and what they will need to do it well. Will they need incentives? Training? Collaboration of others?
From my experience, round-trip communication is very positive. The manager expresses what he wants, and also listens to the reactions and opinions of those who must join. This information will give you powerful data on how to remove obstacles and prepare a good ground that will succeed in your service strategy.
Mistake 3: Expressing the priority of serving the customer in words, but contradicting yourself with the facts
This is perhaps the most "poisonous" mistake. When there is a contradiction between what is said and what is done, there is no doubt: the message that counts is that of the facts.
That is why, although a good communication job has been done, everything falls apart if there are then decisions or actions that contradict those priorities that have been proclaimed.
Those actions can be incentives. When a new strategy or competitive priority is implemented, the entire incentive system must reflect this. If we measure sellers by the number of customers they serve (speed), we cannot expect them to spend the necessary time to advise them, attend to all their queries, show different options… in short, provide a good service. The employee who is measured by speed, even if they tell him to do something else, will seek to pursue the goal for which he will be paid at the end of the month.
Therefore, the manager must adjust the incentive systems, the objectives of each area, the guidelines he gives, to those priorities he has proclaimed, confident that this set of measures will give the results he expects, and that he has analyzed and substantiated as we saw in error 1.
