WHO COMES 1st-CUSTOMER or YOU ?

Most service deliveries are sub-standard

 “Customer is the King” . Ask any one who has had some exposure to formal college education or who has heard of ‘ Consumerism ‘ , he will surely say , Consumer always comes first

And yet you see what most organizations invariably do exactly the opposite.

Reason for substandard service deliveries is not lack of talent or sincerity –in fact these are in abundance in India – but a complete lack of right service orientation . They just don’t know what SERVICE is ! Service to them is from their perspective , they don’t understand customer perspective …. As I always say ‘ What you Do is a function of how you See ‘ & if your orientation is not right , your action is unlikely to be too .

It’s like approach of a fruit seller who has best of Mangoes & Chikoos & wants customer to choose from , little realizing that his customer may be a diabetic or have some specific dietary requirement

Can you imagine a highly skilled & well meaning doctor showcasing his treatment options & asking a patient to choose from ; instead of taking diagnosis led treatment route !

Wrong orientation

Most of the service organisations are inwardly focused . They are driven by their pre set financial goals , constrained by their abilities and are structured to suit internal admin logistics - ahead of customer convenience. They produce what suits their abilities not customer needs & their use of technology is towards internal convenience and cost optimization , not for serving customer better ; or creating Service Excellence . It doesn’t make customer’s search or life easier . This happens when you see your investments ( in service ) as expenses

Denying access to customer

That is why the non – human way ( voice command operated , automated teleservice ) is increasingly becoming inhuman … may times you do not get across or have to hold on to it for long or you have to cross 6-7 levels of filtering commands , in the garb of guiding you …. It is actually a deterrent for the customer to continue . Many times you find that the option or issue of service you are seeking resolution for is not even listed in the menu . This is distancing from customers .

As if this ‘ distancing from customers ‘ was not good enough , I’m seeing a new trend of ‘ hiding from customers ‘ . The trend I see in at least 2 major service sector companies : One is a big ‘ Tel – Tel ‘ company in Telecom & another DTH company operating from the sky ; is to say tata to customers by closing down visible service centers – when earlier they had a physical presence in the form of service centers ,where customers had some recourse to issues and grievances , has fast disappeared . When things do not get resolved on phone / Net , in absence of a visible presence or escalation mechanisms , a customer does not know where to go ; company websites do not always give office / service center address .

Similar experience with some domestic airlines , who force passengers to have printed boarding pass , as a pre requisite for checking in . Regardless as to in whose interest this is in , how can we deny passenger a choice & right to check in with / without a pre printed boarding pass ? How can we treat an Adult customer like a Child ?

I consider denying  Transparency , Access and Choice to customers as a Cardinal sin , especially in the Service sector and fundamentally contravenes the service principle of ‘ Customer is the King ‘

A matter of perspective

In India most Organisations , in the name of customer service , serve own interest ; that is because they see themselves and customers as on two opposite sides . They suspect their customers ; that is why they seek ‘ protective ‘ measures from customers & build a fortress wall around themselves . They see Organisaion’s interests & Customer interests as two & often clashing considerations … that is why service levels in India are so pathetically below standard . In the end these organizations neither serve their customers well nor themselves .

If you ask me who comes first ; I’m very clear that on attention hierarchy , it is : Customer -->Organisation --> Employees . It’s always customers first , who are the ‘ Reason for being ‘ for Businesses . Hence it is the Organisation which needs to be aligned to serve customers & not the other way round . It is my conviction that customer success is not just the Better way , but the ONLY way organisation’s success .

 The beauty is that if you are truly aligned with your customers , you will always be on the same side as your customer’s, there is no duality of purpose – Customer win remains  the common cause in serving your customers . , like a Mother to a Child !  

Business results of service organisations , in such cases is a logical Result & not a Reason for their pursuit !