Service is Dead…

… OK, that may be a little harsh,… but certainly service, in the way I define it, is dying. And how do I define it…? Service is doing something for someone else, or someone else doing something for you. I’m not limiting my comments to just for-fee services, though the transaction of money tends to heighten one’s assessment of their satisfaction in the end. To me, many of those individuals which provide services for others just don’t seem to care anymore, or at least it doesn’t appear they care as much as those that preceded them. Which has me wondering,… is it that they just really don’t care about doing their best, or is it something else that is keeping them from performing at their best when providing a service…?

Maybe some examples will help. Why is it that when drinks, hot or cold, are passed to you at a drive-up window, they either don’t have the lids on tight or worse yet have liquid bubbling out the top or dripping down the sides…?!? It could be they just don’t see it,… but I think they see it, and simply just don’t care. But for sure they have, at some time, been on the receiving end of such service in their personal lives; so they must know it’s not a great experience. It’s as if the transaction is happening blindly in front of them. Some go so far as to acknowledge, “Sorry, the cup is a little full.” But then why didn’t they take the time to resolve the problem before handing you the dripping cup,… that is now running down your hand, onto your shirt sleeve and into your cup holder in your car…?

It’s not just drinks at drive-up windows. It’s the electronic lock that is left on the shirt you just bought, and don’t notice till you are all the way home; it’s the cab driver that acts like you don’t know he’s taking you the long route; it’s the car dealer that is working on your catalytic converter and deactivates your stereo in the process; there are hundreds of examples. Some may think I’m being overly critical, but there are surveys (one in a recent book I read called What’s the Secret? by John R. DiJulius III) that clearly show that service, in terms of customer satisfaction, is decreasing. The author states that only 3 percent of all companies are operating at customer service levels that would be considered ‘world class’,… and 41 percent are operating at levels their customers would rank as ‘below average’ or ‘unacceptable’ in terms of their service experience. Those are frightening stats, and they seem to be slipping.

Again, maybe the reason is that these companies and the persons that work at them are managed in ways that make it difficult to care (e.g., instructed to move customers along as quickly as possible),… or if caring adds to cost, they understand that cost rules. I’m sure they are ‘not’ told to ignore the customer, or to forget about quality. But likewise, they are probably not told that their role is, above all else, to make the customer’s experience a memorable one. It can happen, it’s not an impossible objective,… it merely takes attention to the customer, their specific needs/desires, and focusing on the details to pull it off. I say we need a resurgence of customer service, starting with a caring attitude. And if we do, our businesses will surge and profits will follow. Do you care…?

Comments

[Jeff H]

I think one can look at the Gallup studies that indicate enthusiastic employee engagement with their work or companies hovers around the 17% to 20% range. The rest (around 80%) are actively disengaged or just going through the motions. Simple translation - if the employee isn't being Wow-ed or in a culture that encourages the pursuit of Wow (yup, Tom Peters' stuff), chances of the customer being Wow-ed are slim.

Pondering the possibility of a NASA-like commitment to Organization 2.0 ideals - a culture or environment that actually inspires creativity, innovation, and contagious enthusiasm among everybody, at new levels never achieved before - will help unlock a new level of Wow-like customer experiences (inside and out).