Moments of Truth: ABC’s of Customer Care by JNPangilinan

Anyone who  walks  the streets of Japan, will notice how a street vendor, say, in Nagoya, will render exactly the same level of quality service as their counterpart chefs at plush Sushi restaurants in Ropponggi, Minato-Ku, or Teppanyaki-Yas in Kobe.

So much has been written about KAIZEN, Total Quality Management, Lean Operations, or Six Sigma and how to build quality into organizations. The quest to understand determinants of Service Quality particularly in business-to-business situations, nearly always leads to  Customer Care issues.. or wrong assumptions (and thus, decisions) about customer perceptions and preferences.

Which Vendor is easiest to work with? Who has the best quality contact person? Which vendor makes me feel better, more secure, more wise? Who looks most professional? I summarize some “findings” here by  coming up with a list. Here we go: The ABC’s of Quality in Customer Care.

A-llocate time and money for Customer Care

B-uild quality into people & processes

C-lean your bathrooms and receiving areas.
D-o it right the first time all the time.
E-xceed customer expectations
F-eedback of customers must drive Innovation.
G-et your facts straight before reacting.
H-elp Customers save time, money & energy.
I-nnovate on value, not just product.
J-ust Do it – help the customer solve problems.
K-eep your promises &commitments always.
L-earn what works for Customers & what doesn’t.
M-onitor determinants of Service Quality!
N-ever violate your values nor your customer’s.
O-ver-respond to Customer requests.
P-lan Quality improvements constantly
Q-uality is not expensive. Poor quality is.
R-eply to emails & return calls promptly!
S-ave money to add Value, by reducing Non-Value.
T-reat customers with courtesy, respect always
U-nderstand your Customer’s business inside out.
V-alue is equal to Customer benefits less costs.
W-in-win or no deal, is the best policy.
X-traordinary suppliers put in that “extra” effort.
Y-es. we can (do this)!
Z-ero Defects begin by eliminating the first Defect.

It is always a pleasure to witness that Japanese salesperson in Akihabara, or an oden vendor in the streets of Shibuya. Their fascination for excellence is awe-inspiring. Perhaps it is their Bushido warrior ancestry, or their Samurai DNA, but trust a typical Japanese worker to deliver consistently high levels of service quality, without hesitation. Simply put, quality customer care and service seem par for the Nihon-jin’s course.

Aristotle was alleged to have written, “Excellence is not an act, but a habit.” Humbly, we have a lot to learn from the Japanese. Caring for customers is not a requirement of the job, or a result of a set of “slogans” or Six Sigma campaigns. Customer care must be welded into an organization’s DNA, its culture, and turned into a collective habit; whether through environmental change, or recruitment, training or incentive schemes, regurgitation and mastery need to be fostered and supported.

 

Former Scandindavian Air CEO, Jan Carlsson referred to close encounters of employees with the customers, as “Moments of Truth” of companies. What we do during those moments – to care or not to care – spell the difference between excellence and mediocrity. Ultimately, in their every action and decision, people and systems, will either care for customers, or they will not.What do customers have to say about those “moments of truth” with you and your company?

 

Joseph Pangilinan jnpangilinan@arrowheads-inc.com is CEO of Arrowhead Consulting, Inc. and Professional lecturer of Strategic Management and International Business at the De La Salle University, Manila, Philippines.