In working with some of the best customer service companies in the U.S., including Southwest Airlines, Nordstrom and Wegmans, I’ve found that almost universally these organizations believe their most important customers are internal — their people.
If they take care of their people — train them, empower them and love them — their people will go out of their way to take care of their external customers, the folks who use their products and services.
In contrast, organizations that are not as well-known for being customer-focused have very different priorities: Their external customers are somewhat important, but their internal customers — their people — are expendable.
I look at this dual focus through five important elements of customer service: ideal service, a culture of service, attentiveness and responsiveness toward customers, and empowerment of front-line service providers.
Represented by the acronym ICARE, these five elements set out a road map for organizations that want to create a competitive edge by taking care of their internal and external customers.
Ideal service and culture of service begin with the belief that providing ideal service to your customers is a key competitive edge. That belief has to start with top management. Without endorsement from the top, some people will serve customers well and others won’t.
Colleen Barrett, president emeritus of Southwest and a good friend and co-author of mine, tells a story that perfectly illustrates this concept. A top-rated pilot applied to Southwest and was invited to interview for a position. But when he showed up for his interview, he was condescending and rude to many of the people he met while waiting for his appointment. Before he was called in for the interview, the front-desk person called ahead and shared her experience and opinion of him as a potential fit for the company. His interview was short, and he was not offered the job.
A true culture of service can exist only by intention. You know a company has a strong service culture when its leaders consciously foster an environment to serve both internal and external customers. Everyone is keyed in to what’s important and knows what behaviors are expected.
Once the visionary and strategic I and C of ICARE are in place, the energy moves toward the implementation and operational aspect of creating legendary service. Simply put, you have to put your vision into action. My father broke it down even further: “Talk is cheap, but it takes money to buy whiskey.”
The A in the acronym — attentiveness — is all about getting to know your customers and their preferences. Acting on that knowledge, the R — responsiveness — takes customer service to the next level by demonstrating a genuine willingness to serve. Finally, the E — empowerment — is the icing on the implementation cake. It’s about letting your people bring their ideas to work.
To illustrate this point, here’s another Southwest story. Waiting for her order at a crowded airport hamburger counter, a hungry Southwest customer had her eye on the gate. The passengers began to board; she knew her group was next. Deciding to abandon her burger order, she turned to leave and nearly ran into a tall, uniformed man. Learning she was headed to Denver, he introduced himself as the pilot on her flight and said, “Why don’t you give me your receipt? I’ll pick up your order.”
The woman ran to board the plane and settled into her seat. Ten minutes later, a flight attendant delivered her meal. It’s not always the big things; sometimes it’s the small ways that employees are attentive, responsive and empowered that make all the difference.
So where is your company on the ICARE scorecard? Take a look at what you are doing at a strategic level to create a strong vision and culture of service, beginning with your internal customers — your people. Then implement that vision by turning strategy into action through attentiveness, responsiveness and empowerment. It’s a five-step road map that will help you create a powerful and long-lasting competitive advantage.