Herb Kelleher, co-founder and former CEO of Southwest Airlines, once said, “We have a strategic plan. It’s called doing things.” He makes a great point. Developing strategies shouldn’t be an overly academic or formal exercise, with the result being a plan that’s really not put to use. In this video, I’ll discuss five common pitfalls when developing strategies. You can …
Establishing the right quality standards for your organization is essential to delivering efficient and effective service. In my LinkedIn Learning course “Quality Standards in Customer Service,” I outline four quality standards that can help you define what quality and value mean. Standards for the service operation: Quality and value from Quality Standards in Customer Service by Brad Cleveland
Whether your organization’s a print shop with three employees, a government agency with 3,000, or a multinational company with 300,000, six steps are required to manage customer feedback. Together, these steps make up a powerful approach that can drive innovation and improvements in products and services and processes. There’s a magic that takes place when you decide to be intentional …
When a strategy goes out of date, decisions become fragmented and results begin to suffer. Effective leaders know how to develop strategies that don’t go out of date. They know how to implement processes and procedures that will keep the strategy current and the business moving forward long after they’re gone. How has your strategy held up this year? Is …
It’s a smart move and highly recommended for any organization to instill the principles of customer advocacy in the customer service and operations functions. Unfortunately not all do. In this video from the LinkedIn Learning course “Customer Advocacy,” we’ll look at why this is so important and some examples of how to put customer advocacy to work. Harnessing service and …
Ensuring that your organization is getting maximum benefit from the effort and investments you’re putting into customer service is an important leadership opportunity. In this video, I explore three levels on which effective service creates value. This video is from my LinkedIn Learning course “Customer Service Leadership.” During these difficult times, leadership is crucial. You may find this course can …
Organizations that consistently use their strategies to help guide decisions tend to go from strength to strength. They make better decisions and then have a better read on how well those decisions ultimately support their vision. How can you best use your strategy to guide decisions and direction? I have found four best practices that can help. Explore these best …
Have you ever heard or been part of this conversation: I thought we fixed that problem, why are we talking about it again? Chances are, a symptom was addressed, at least temporarily, but the root cause was not fully identified and resolved. Your proof that a problem has been fixed is that it doesn’t recur or its frequency is reduced …
Studies show a strong link between engaged employees and higher levels of productivity and profitability. In one example, Gallup found that companies ranked in the top quartile for employee engagement are 18% more productive and 12% more profitable than those in lower quartiles. What do successful contact centers, those with the most engaged employees, have in common? Watch the video …
The right place at the right time. It’s a common phrase, but in customer service, it matters more than ever. Timing is critical. In customer service, we’re like pilots or stage hands. Like them, we also work in a time-driven environment. It’s not just what we do, it’s when we do it that counts so much. Learn more about how …
