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LET'S TALK








        Defining Customer Service






        Lorri Andersen, DTM - District 7 Director






        What are your experiences and thoughts on good         There are one or two tellers and the people
        customer service? Have you had one of these            being served at the counter have issues that take

        experiences:                                           longer than a normal transaction. You look to the
           You’re in the grocery store checkout line with      window on your left and see someone is quietly
        one checker. The person in front of you has a          counting money. You gaze at them, hoping
        large cart and the checker calls for a price check.    they will look up and beckon you to their open

        You stand patiently, at first, as you wait with a      window, and the next thing you know, they close
        few items in your hands. By the time you get to        their window displaying a sign, next window
        the checkout, you are in no mood to smile when         please.
        the checker says, “thank you for shopping with             Now standing in line when we don’t want

        us today.”                                             to does not necessarily mean the service needs
           Or you’re at the bank on a Friday afternoon.        to change, although it often feels that way. At
                                                                             the financial institution where I
                                                                             work, one of the key indicators

                                                                             on our company’s scoresheet is
                                                                             our Membership Feedback scored
                                                                             through our customer service
                                                                             surveys. We also have internal

                                                                             surveys, as well, where back-
                                                                             office teams are graded on their
                                                                             performance to one another. A
                                                                             few years ago, we had an initiative

                                                                             to read a book by Ron Kaufman,
                                                                             Uplifting Service.   I encourage you
                                                                                               [1]
                                                                             to read this great book that defines
                                                                             the why and the  how of customer

                                                                             service. Equally enjoyable and
                                                                             rather humorous, is his YouTube
                                                                             video on how he defines the five
                                                                             levels of service. From outstanding




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