Engagement remains my passion and without a doubt the MOST important part of any organization - and not just for Customer Service. Employees are the lifeline of any company and survey after survey shows that well over half of employees are DISENGAGED in the workforce. This is an epidemic and needs to change, and FAST.

One of the first things I look for to see if a company get's it, is whether or not employees or people are mentioned in their mission, vision and/or corporate values. Moreover, where are they on the priority scale? Often, companies omit people altogether in their mission, vision and values and that is the first red flag.

Here's how the best do it - Again, I will showcase South West Airlines, simply because I cannot find another organization who so blatantly celebrates the value and importance of their employees. In their MISSION statement they carve out a unique COMMITMENT to their employees and it says:

"We are committed to provide our Employees a stable work environment with equal opportunity for learning and personal growth. Creativity and innovation are encouraged for improving the effectiveness of Southwest Airlines. Above all, Employees will be provided the same concern, respect, and caring attitude within the organization that they are expected to share externally with every Southwest Customer."

Simply poetic and something for every other company who wants to improve their engagement to learn from.

Enjoy the attached ARTICLE from the Globe and Mail, which does an excellent job talking about engagement.

We are Customer Service Simplified. If you need help with any facet of your customer experience, we can help!

Until next time!

A great article in the New York Times, suggests Russia is starting to take a leadership role when it comes to customer service. Check out this article, which highlights their service first mentality on their flagship airline. A recent survey in Europe shows Aeroflot is Eastern Europe's best for in flight service. Moreover, research analysts suggest Russia may soon past the West at providing exemplary customer service.

Click here and enjoy! Russian Service Story

For every Call Centre, there's usually a quality program of some kind in place to ensure employees deliver acceptable and often great customer experiences. While these programs have evolved to cover all channels such as chat, e-mail and social media, we will focus on building a program for the traditional phone call.

STEP 1

• Gather input from both leaders and employees - most assume that leaders should design the program but that is a big mistake. If you want your employes to buy into a call quality program for the right reasons, have them help create it. They know more than anyone how to best take care of your customers and the important points to cover in any conversation.
  

STEP 2

• Consider no more than 10 evaluation points that you'd like to measure. This is typically the most difficult part of creating any effective call quality program, especially if you are measuring service and sales quality. It is easy to consider more than 10 evaluation points, but doing so will only make the end to end evaluation process more complicated and ultimately more difficult.
  

STEP 3

• When deciding on 10 evaluation points, stick to those that really matter. Measuring how well an employee listened and empathized with a customer, is far more important that if he/she used a scripted greeting to say hello/goodbye and/or used the customer's name throughout the call. Other key themes to measure include, appropriate display of product knowledge, keeping the customer engaged and avoid placing on hold, confirming the conversation outcome and in a sales environment trying to sell. There is no science on what to measure, just good judgement. 

STEP 4

• Create a document that is easy to use. Consider either word or excel. The advantage of excel is that you can have it become an evaluation and scorecard all in one. Of course if you have the right technology program you can often create and use a form directly within. Also, it's a good idea to create room for both employee and Q/A Monitor or Team Leader to sign so there is a record of these discussions. Primarily, it validates that the employee is receiving support. 

STEP 5

• Lastly, decide on how how to implement and continually use the form. Be mindful of how quality programs are often perceived by employees (e.g. as a big brother tool). Ensure you have employees help promote the program and how it will be used (e.g. to help them provide the best possible customer experience). It also offers protection for the organization that mandatory items are covered with customers, such as disclosures or product returns policy information. 

Also, keep in mind the following:

• Frequency of evaluations - daily, weekly, monthly?
  
• Side by side vs. remote call listening (the benefits of both)
  
• Who does the call listening? Team Leaders, Q/A Monitors? A Q/A team is a great idea.
  
• Facilitate peer to peer listening sessions for employees
  
• Define your evaluation points as yes or now answers as often as possible  

A simple, well thought out and supported call quality program is integral to providing an exceptional customer experience. Organizations that get this right will absolutely have a competitive advantage.

To learn about our services click here What We Can Do. To talk about creating or improving your call quality program call 647-202-7385 or email eli@simplifyingservice.com.

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Talk soon!

I don't often go out of my way to promote how well some organizations deliver on the customer experience, but in this case, it is absolutely deserved. The Keg is one of Canada's finest mid-priced steakhouses and while the quality of food is stellar, what sets it apart is how they treat you.

The Keg has a simple formula: provide quality food at an affordable price and do so in a pleasant eating environment. They have been nailing this formula since they opened and remain one of Canada's favourite dining establishments. But what make them special is this: if you are not completely satisfied with any part of your dining experience, they WILL make it right.

To begin with, as soon as you receive your meal, expect your server to check in and make sure everything is made to your liking.  If it isn't perfect, you can expect a SINCERE apology every time, from both the server and the restaurant manager, who immediately takes over when something goes wrong. Along the way he/she will personally deliver your food replacement, for example if your steak is not cooked right, and wait at your table till you tell them you are happy. And you DON'T pay for food that is replaced (at least that is has been my experience).

The above is not a one time only event. It is consistent and to be expected and many Keg-goers I have talked to agree. The Keg is a shining example of how when truly committed to the customer experience, you can make a difference by providing great service. It's easy to tell by interacting with Keg employees that they enjoy working there and are considered part of a GREAT team. 

I have not interviewed anyone from the Keg for this blog - This is simply a story based on my experiences and one I think there is value in sharing. Hope you enjoyed it!

Eli