The Service Formula

How do you provide service beyond expectations?

Preparation
+
Interaction
+
Follow-through
=
Service beyond expectations

Preparation: Customers expect you to know your products and services and how to get things done. They want to deal with people who know policies and procedures, how to operate equipment and systems and where to go for more information or for help with a problem. You want to be regarded as a professional, ready and able to handle a variety of situations in order to meet and exceed customers’ needs. Preparation is of the utmost importance.

Interaction: It is important to find out what the customer needs and make sure you satisfy those needs. Customers want to receive the right product or service, but they also want to be treated with respect. Interaction skills help you to satisfy both needs.

Follow Through: Not all interactions end when your call with the customer ends. Customers expect you to keep your promises and they like to be kept informed. They appreciate unexpected follow-through, a follow-up note or a phone call to check for satisfaction. You need to follow-through to the organisation, too. As the primary contact with the customer, you are the eyes and ears of your organisation. You need to provide important customer and product information to other people and departments within the organisation.

Customer Satisfaction

Refers to the way in which customers evaluate a service in terms of it having met their needs and expectations. The customer may thus be highly satisfied, just satisfied or dissatisfied with the service.

Service Quality

Refers to the various dimensions of service a customer considers when evaluating service. The evaluation of these dimensions usually determines the customer’s perception of quality being poor, acceptable or good.