Ep 56: Secrets to Closing the Customer Service Gap

Mar 14

Secrets to Closing the Customer Service Gap

Did you know that your brand experience is only as good as your worst employee? A while ago I made reservations at a really nice restaurant here in Nashville for a large group of business friends that were in town. When we made those reservations, they set some parameters for us around how many people we could add or not add, and what happened if we canceled our reservations.

It's okay to have those kinds of boundaries, but when we got to the restaurant and we realized that one of our friends that was traveling in from out of the country, was arriving early and would be able to join us, we asked to add one chair to the table. Unfortunately, the hostess was not so accommodating. Now, I am completely fine if you have rules that you have to uphold, but you can do so with grace and kindness.

Unfortunately, this hostess was rude. She rolled her eyes. She whispered to another employee right in front of me. Here's the thing, it is an amazing restaurant, and I'm sure the majority of the employees are wonderful. In fact, the waiter that we had ended up accommodating our seating arrangement and gave us an incredible experience. But that one experience with that one employee impacted the way that I view that restaurant and my decision to ever go to that restaurant again.

The Impact of a Single Employee

This is what Seth Godin calls the customer service gap or the hospitality gap. It’s the gap between your best and worst employee when it comes to creating an amazing customer experience. It’s the gap between the employee that goes above and beyond for everyone they encounter to make sure that they are having an incredible experience, and the employee that sees their work as just a job, just something to pay the bills. One bad experience with a single employee can tarnish your entire brand reputation. As a business owner or manager, it is crucial to be aware of this gap and take action to close it.

How to Close the Gap

Seth Godin talks about a couple of ways to close the customer service gap. One is to have great systems in place, including training and scripts for handling customer complaints or requests. This can help ensure that all employees are equipped to handle situations effectively and provide excellent customer service.

The other way to close the gap is to hire great people and give them the freedom to create an amazing experience. This means hiring for character and empowering employees to use their judgment and resources to deliver the best possible customer experience. Creating a clear vision of the kind of experience you want to create is crucial in this approach.

Hiring for Character

Hiring for character is essential when it comes to closing the customer service gap. While skills can be taught, a person's character and attitude towards work and customers cannot. It's crucial to hire individuals who are aligned with your business's vision and culture and who are passionate about delivering excellent customer service.

It reminds me of the Nordstrom employee manual. If you have ever experienced the Nordstrom store, it is a very wonderful customer service experience. It's why people are willing to shop there, spend more and travel to go to Nordstrom because it is an experience unlike any other.

When it comes to department store shopping, you would think that there's intensive training for their employees. You would think they have a very long extensive employee handbook. Their employee handbook is simply a card. On that card are just a few words. It says, “use good judgment in all situations”.

What does that mean? That means that they focus more on who they hire. The character, experience, and the reputation of the people that they are hiring matters more to them because they know when they get the right people in the door, they can trust them to make good decisions and to have good judgment about how to create an amazing experience.

Creating a Culture of Excellence

Creating a culture of excellence is not just about hiring great people but also about empowering them to create an amazing experience. This means providing the right systems and resources but also giving employees the freedom to make decisions that benefit the customer. A culture of excellence extends beyond customer-facing roles to all team members, as the attitudes and behaviors of all employees impact the overall customer experience.

Closing the Customer Service Gap

Closing the customer service gap is crucial for any business that wants to create a positive and consistent brand experience. Hiring for character, creating a clear vision, and empowering employees to deliver an amazing experience are all crucial steps in achieving this goal. With the right approach, every customer interaction can be positive and memorable, leading to loyal customers and a thriving business.

I want you to be thinking about how you can hire for character and people that you can trust to create an amazing experience. I want you to ask yourself as a leader, how effective are you at casting the vision for the kind of experience you want to create? Then if you have cast that vision, and if you've hired that amazing individual, ask yourself if you are empowering them. If you are showing them that you trust them so that they are not held back by the systems that you have, instead they are empowered by the systems. Then see what they produce, see what they're able to create.