What Is Your Service Commitment?
Posted by Mike Ferris on Friday, June 05, 2009 and posted in HospiceIf you believe that service is a commodity, something that can be mandated and learned from outside sources, then you are not committed to service excellence. A commitment to service excellence means you attempt to delight your customers in everything your agency does. You cannot achieve remarkable service by simply installing new policies and procedures. You cannot adopt best practices from others and simply expect consistent service as a result. You should look at the outcomes achieved by best practice companies and then analyze how you can achieve the same outcomes. You must act to serve in everything your agency does and closely watch the results. Then you must act to resolve any service breakdowns. Those breakdowns are any that your customers declare. Service is only truly effective when it is meaningful to your customers and they are aware of it.
Leaders in your organization must demonstrate their commitment to service by always acting first to serve the customer and then taking care of anything else. A committed service leader cannot walk past an unanswered ringing phone or an unresolved customer need. They, by their commitment and very nature, must ensure that the customer is served and the staff are supported and empowered to serve. Their commitment, and that of all of their staff, emanates from the knowledge that the customer is the reason for their agency.
Excerpted from LEGENDARY RESULTS: Managing Referrals & Increasing Admissions Vol 1: Referral Management by Michael Ferris and Polly Rehnwall
