In customer service as in any other area of the business, it is in the details where we strike the defining difference between meeting our competitors on the same plane or rising above them to a level that leaves them wondering what on earth happened.
I found this TED talk by Rory Sutherland packed with great insight as to why those details matter.
Watch the TED video and feel your creative energy begin to form….(under 13 minutes)
I have often felt we’re missing some key positions within companies; roles that could launch an organization passed the competitor but also offer the kind of innovative and creative culture Generation Y is seeking.
Idea Generation Specialist
This person would meet with all levels of the organization listening to thoughts and solutions raised by both employees and senior executive and have a clear understanding of both the challenges and the things which work well. As a bridge between management and front-line, they would have an overall picture many organizations might miss.
Creative Use Product Designer
This person would be tapped into the customer, would know exactly how the product is being used and know what ways the customer would WANT the product to be used. Caution here, we are not saying add any feature requested, but demand and need would drive innovation from the user’s perspective.
Customer Experience Analyst
When building a company customer service department, many organizations work hard to develop a streamlined, efficient manner of approach to customer service. They see this part of the organization as a reactive force to customer complaints and frustrations rather than a pro-active department who’s purpose is to respond with already defined pro-active ways of making the customer feel not only ‘served’ but leaving with the experience of a lifetime that makes them feel like they are royalty. This person would know what the customer is EXPERIENCING. There is a difference between experience and response.
Front-line Knowledge Collector
This is the most fun for me – an individual who knows exactly what is happening at the front-line. A person who’s job it is to share company-wide the great ideas generated by the front-line staff. As Rory Sutherland says, the best ideas that cost the least money are generated by those without authority or budget. How interesting to implement cost-saving, creative and thought-provoking ways to get messages to the customer, all generated at the front-line. Company awards for most creative / least expensive ideas may be worth striving for. (Trust your front-line, they do know your business and your customer.)
Employee Satisfaction Analyst
When was the last time someone came to your office and asked you what it would take for you to feel valued in your organization? How about someone who spent their day helping to create the kind of culture an employee would love to work within. Evaluating organizations to strive for making a difference for the customer base, the world and rallied the employees to strive for satisfying not only themselves, but the organization as a whole through collaboration and team work? You have the people – Generation Y are experts at these things, we have a lot to learn from them.