How to Get Consistency in Customer Service
Consistency is the Holy Grail for customer-centric companies
Our company has been designing training for customer service for over 30 years, and I’m fairly certain that every single one of our clients during that time, when asked about the goal for their training program, said something like, “I’d like to see greater consistency in the customer service we’re providing.” It is, without question, the Holy Grail for customer-centric companies.
Consistency, however, is elusive (unless, it seems, the goal is to be consistently bad at customer service – many organizations have achieved that). Unless you are one of the rare companies like Disney or Ritz-Carlton, that baked customer experience into their foundation from the beginning, it is a daunting uphill battle.
To achieve real consistency, you need to ensure that every interaction in every channel – direct and indirect – meets the same high standard of care. You need to maintain customer trust in every single action – every customer, every time, no exceptions, no excuses. This level of consistency requires an unwavering focus and a level of commitment that most companies simply aren’t prepared to support.
The Payoff, and the Good News
It’s a shame, really, because once you achieve greater consistency in customer service, things become a lot easier. Do you think that Disney has any problems hiring qualified people? No, and every person they hire already understands Disney’s incredibly high expectations before they even start. The company still conducts rigorous training, but they don’t have to worry about buy-in or the seemingly simple things. (“Cinderella? Oh, she’s over there texting some friends…”). Consistency in customer service does more than just make life easier for HR people. It creates credibility, loyalty, more customers, and ultimately, greater profitability.
The good news is that, even if a company isn’t committed to an organization-wide transformation, you can still make a difference in your little piece of it. Department by department, team by team. You’ll be surprised at how quickly people begin to notice when a single department ups its game.
Start from the Inside Out
The best place to begin is by creating a micro-culture (your department or team) that prioritizes helping each other succeed. This is the essence of internal customer service, and you really want to make sure that is in place. After that, there are six things to focus on:
Six Things to Focus on:
1. Commitment: Start at the Top
Achieving consistency in customer service requires a clear commitment from all leaders involved – executives, managers, supervisors. We’re not talking about a passive endorsement, but real action and prioritization.
2. Training: Give People the Skills to Succeed
Achieving consistently high levels of customer service simply can’t happen without training. A wise person once said, “If you always do what you’ve always done, you’ll always get what you’ve always got.” Truer words were never spoken. Professional, evidence-based training on customer service will help people adopt new, more effective skills. Don’t skimp on this one.
3. Coaching: Give People Continued Support in Their Journey to Improve
Outstanding training is critical, but without continual support, even the best initiatives fade. Managers need to be engaged in coaching their staff, offering feedforward, encouragement, and constant reinforcement of expectations. It needs to be proactive, with managers providing real-time support to help employees continuously improve.
4. Ownership: Empower Employees to Make Customer-Centric Decisions
Ownership is part of integrity – one of the fundamental pillars of Trust-Based Service. For customer service to be consistently high, employees have to be comfortable taking ownership of the experience. This means giving them the freedom and empowerment to make customer-centric decisions.
5. Standards: Hold Everyone to the Same High Bar
It is impossible to get greater consistency in anything if you don’t have clear, non-negotiable standards. Holding everyone to the same standards reinforces both the competency and integrity pillars of trust and ensures that customers will receive outstanding service every time they interact with you.
6. Customer-Focused Culture: Make Service Part of Your DNA
Ultimately, consistency in customer service comes down to your organizational culture – one where caring, competency, and integrity are the norm and the expectation. An environment with a sense of shared responsibility, with every team member invested in delivering seamless and consistent internal and external customer experiences.
The Payoff will Exceed Your Expectations
Having worked with many organizations that have achieved this level of consistency, I know that consistency in customer service is achievable, and not quite the unicorn it appears to be – but it does take a lot of focus, effort, and persistence. I can also say with absolute confidence that the payoff will far exceed your expectations.
