Everyone’s talking about the importance of a customer service culture. Leaders like to spend a lot of time creating strategies, which sets out your goals in a logical way.
But as the saying goes, “
Culture eats strategy for breakfast.” Culture communicates goals through values. It permeates the company and guides group behavior through (often unspoken) beliefs.
The Power of Defining your Culture
Your corporate culture will always exist — even if you don’t do anything to create it. That just means your culture will come from unconscious values and beliefs.
Deliberately setting your team’s customer service values can go a long way toward building a workplace mindset that brings all of you together with a shared purpose.
It engages employees and attracts customers.
When declaring customer service core values, remember they must be shared by the entire structure from the top down.
The best way to promote a value is to lead your team by demonstrating and modeling that value yourself. Then, correct people who disregard your values — whether they are management, staffers, suppliers, or even customers.
The customer is always the customer, but that doesn’t mean you tolerate disrespect. Setting firm boundaries shows how important your values are to you. It demonstrates your commitment to creating a culture in line with your beliefs.
As a leader, it’s your responsibility to express your values through your actions and words through public statements and inter-office communication. If your values are to make a real difference to your company, you must exhibit sincerity and dedication over time.
Once you have an established corporate culture, you’ll attract people who are in line with your values. People who are opposed to them will tend to stay away.
The role of customer service core values in your contact center for employees
This list of customer service values plays will help you guide and support your customer-facing team in providing the best service they can.
1. Accountability
Your customers expect your business to be accountable for your promises, and your customer service team creates the “face” of your company. Customers turn to them when problems arise. Accountability means that your agent takes responsibility for the issue and does their best to fix it.
To fulfill this value, you must empower your agents to make decisions in the moment. “I’m so sorry you had to experience that. Let me resolve that issue for you,” is a statement of accountability. “I’ll have to ask my manager,” passes the buck and (usually) frustrates the customer.
2. Optimism
Wouldn’t you rather spend time with someone who has a cheerful outlook? Negativity isn’t just a personal pain — it rubs off on customers too. Not only is it unpleasant to deal with, but it also shows a lack of confidence in your brand. Customer service agents should face problems with a can-do attitude.
Phrase statements in a positive way and even severe issues won’t seem unsolvable.
Don’t say something can’t be done. Open yourself up to an optimistic state of mind that looks for solutions instead of thinking of the negative.
3. Authenticity
Good customer service feels fresh and real. Customers don’t want to interact with robotic representatives repeating prepared scripts. They’ve probably already talked to your chatbot. They want real people who react to them in a personal, human way.
Encourage authenticity by asking for your staffers’ input and welcome their contributions. Ask them to express themselves and show interest in who they are as a person. Then, when the customer calls, they’ll reflect that attitude.
4. Respect
The first order of business is to have respect for your staff. This is a customer service core value.
When respect permeates your organization, you attract people who respect you. They respect themselves and their job. As a natural outgrowth of this, they have respect for the customer.
It’s vital to have respect for the customer service department too. Don’t see it as a cost center.
It is a solutions center, an answers center, and an opportunity center. When customers call in, they can feel the difference in the energy and attitude that your agents will have.
5. Trust
Trust is the basis of good communication. It means telling the truth, even if you’ve made a mistake. After all, everyone is human. Errors are inevitable. The key is to own up to it and do your best to fix it. Making mistakes in the right spirit
increases customer loyalty.
Show your trust in your agents by empowering them to handle problems on their own. If they must go up the chain of command to ask permission for every little thing, it shows that you think they’re not honest or competent enough to do it on their own. You hired them because they had talent and fit the position. Train them and then trust them to do their job.
6. Communication
The playwright George Bernard Shaw once said, “The single biggest problem in communication is the illusion that it has taken place.” It’s easy to assume that you understand what the other person has communicated. This is true for friends, colleagues, and customers. Don’t be afraid to ask for clarification if you’re feeling a little confused. Really listen to what people are saying rather than waiting for your turn to speak.
7. Loyalty
Loyalty must flow both ways if you are going to earn it from your staff and customers. When your team sees that you value them as people (not just task-performing robots), you’ll get the best they have to offer.
Set the Right Example for Your Team and See Results
When you demonstrate the values of accountability, optimism, authenticity, respect, trust, and communication, you can earn the loyalty of your customers. People choose brands that are a reflection of their values. Keeping your values strong is good business as well as good karma.
As a leader, it’s your job to set the tone and uphold the company’s values within your team.
When you do that with intention, you’ll see the results in your team’s performance.
