How do you create and implement customer service standards for your store?

1 Define your goals

The first step is to define what you want to achieve with your customer service standards. What are the specific outcomes and benefits that you want to deliver to your customers, such as satisfaction, loyalty, retention, referrals, or revenue? How do you want your customers to feel and perceive your store, such as friendly, helpful, professional, or trustworthy? How do you want to differentiate yourself from your competitors? Write down your goals and make them SMART: specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound.

2 Identify your customers' needs and expectations

The next step is to identify what your customers need and expect from your store. You can use various methods to gather feedback and insights from your customers, such as surveys, interviews, focus groups, reviews, or social media. You can also observe and analyze their behavior, preferences, and pain points. Try to understand what motivates them, what frustrates them, what delights them, and what makes them loyal. Segment your customers into different groups based on their characteristics and needs, and prioritize the most important ones.

3 Establish your standards and indicators

The third step is to establish your customer service standards and indicators based on your goals and customers' needs. Standards are the specific actions and behaviors that you expect from your staff and yourself to provide excellent customer service. Indicators are the measurable criteria that you use to evaluate and monitor your customer service performance. For example, a standard could be to greet every customer with a smile and a friendly tone, and an indicator could be the percentage of customers who rate their interaction as positive. Write down your standards and indicators and make them clear, realistic, and achievable.

4 Communicate and train your staff

The fourth step is to communicate and train your staff on your customer service standards and indicators. You need to ensure that everyone in your store understands and agrees with your customer service vision, goals, and expectations. You also need to provide them with the necessary skills, knowledge, and tools to deliver your customer service standards. You can use various methods to communicate and train your staff, such as meetings, manuals, workshops, role-plays, or coaching. You should also encourage feedback and suggestions from your staff on how to improve your customer service.

5 Implement and monitor your standards

The fifth step is to implement and monitor your customer service standards and indicators. You need to put your standards into practice and track your progress and results. You can use various tools and methods to monitor your customer service performance, such as reports, dashboards, audits, or mystery shopping. You should also collect and analyze feedback from your customers, staff, and managers on how well you are meeting your customer service standards. You should celebrate your successes and recognize your staff for their achievements.

6 Review and improve your standards

The sixth and final step is to review and improve your customer service standards and indicators. You need to evaluate your customer service performance and identify your strengths and weaknesses. You should also compare your performance with your competitors and industry benchmarks. You should look for opportunities and areas to improve your customer service standards and indicators, and make adjustments and changes as needed. You should also update your standards and indicators based on changing customer needs and expectations, and market trends.

7 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?