Raising the Bar on Service

Monday, April 26, 2021

These days, it is a rare treat to experience true Excellence in service: in almost any industry.  Mediocre is the service mantra of the day but the crazy thing is that MOST companies are advertising their focus on amazing service yet still falling flat when it comes time to truly deliver.

The credit card processing industry is no exception to this rule and maybe that is why we have found that delivering TRULY Above & Beyond service is one of the best ways to set TMC apart from the competition.  We want to share a few of the ways we keep that service bar elevated so A- you know what to expect from us and B- you can share the information with your team and really outperform your competitors on a daily basis!

#1 GET ON THE SAME PAGE No matter how large your organization is, every member of your team needs to know that Above & Beyond is the base level of service you provide.   When the culture of your organization screams- WE ALWAYS GO ABOVE & BEYOND- every 'new hire' and every 'old faithful' staff member will know what is expected of them.

  • TRY THIS:  Ask each person in your organization to tell you what they believe your company's CORE VALUE is?  Is everyone on the same page?  If not, immediately 'circle the wagons' and develop your company's singular vision on your mission and your service expectations.
#2  EDUCATE & ACKNOWLEDGE Everyone's definition of excellent service will be different so helping your staff understand what Above & Beyond looks like to you is critically important.  Educating your team on how your business can consistently deliver an incredible customer experience is key!  Do you have examples of what that experience looks like?  Acknowledging the actions and activities that measure up to your expectations will keep your staff moving in the right direction.
  • TRY THIS:  Encourage your team to consistently recognize the ABOVE & BEYOND service acts of their team by having a floating award that is given out when they catch each other going the extra mile!  We have a small trophy that is passed around and the team member is recognized in a 'Pass the Star' email to the entire team - explaining why they earned the honor.  
#3  GET SOME EXTERNAL FEEDBACK  The best way to find out if you are reaching your goal of consistently delivering a stellar service experience is to ask your customers!  There are lots of ways to do this and today, social media makes this process even easier!  Stay on top of any feedback that lets you know you did not reach a customer's expectation so you can make any necessary corrections.  Engaging with the people who experience your company is simply the most efficient way to confirm that your team is truly delivering that exceptional service experience.
  • TRY THIS:  Whenever a product or service is delivered, include a postage-paid postcard asking for feedback- you can also make it easier by providing an online survey- whatever works best for your business model.  We send handwritten Thank You cards with comment cards (postage paid postcards) tucked inside.
Raising the bar on customer service in your organization is something that will quickly set you apart from your competition!  Getting your team on the same page, educating them on how to deliver that special experience, acknowledging them when they do, and then verifying that your customers are enjoying the experience is a great plan for making sure your company is always going the extra mile!

 

Cheri Perry 4/26/2021