- Too often, I'll see a vision or mission statement
on an entry wall, but then observe very different priorities
in day-to-day operations.
We put our customers first,
but keep the time you spend with them to three minutes.
Or we deliver world class service,
but we sure don't have the resources we need on Mondays.
In the most successful organizations,
from that small cafe you love to the iconic brands
that have built such a great reputation for service,
everything aligns with their vision, mission, and values.
Let's explore three essential aspects of enabling
that to happen.
One is creating clear direction.
REI, the successful outdoor clothing and equipment retailer
describes their core purpose this way.
"We inspire, educate, and outfit for a lifetime
"of outdoor adventures."
Consider how this statement can help guide customer service.
If I'm an employee, what does that mean
when a customer calls or walks through the door?
What a great start I already have in understanding
what we do.
Dan Gilbert, who was founder and is chairman
of mortgage giant Quicken Loans,
helps personally facilitate an eight-hour orientation
for new employees.
He wants them to understand the company's values
and know how much they matter to its success.
Second, the specific expectations and standards
you establish should flow directly
from the organization's vision, mission, and values.
Walt Disney Company provides a longstanding
and great example of this principle.
When Disneyland opened in 1955,
they described their vision simply as we create happiness.
They developed a simple set of standards
to operationalize the role of employees,
or in their terminology, cast members.
Those same four standard are at work today.
They're safety, courtesy, show, and efficiency.
Simple, right?
And underneath each standard,
Disney itemizes two or three key actions.
Under show, for example,
are the actions I stay in character,
and I keep my area show ready.
They then describe the behaviors that support each action.
You aren't likely to find gum wrappers littering the ground
or catch Cinderella smoking by the backstage door.
And they don't need a 500-page manual of dos and donts.
Through this simple tiered approach,
standards flow directly from Disney's mission.
Third, ensure your organization's brand,
or what's called a personality, really shines through.
Motorcycle company Harley Davidson
has incredibly loyal customers.
Riders join clubs, wear Harley clothes,
and yes, some have Harley tattoos.
Many CEOs and chief marketing officers point to Harley
as the holy grail of customer loyalty.
They wonder, what could we do to be more like Harley?
The answer, don't be more like Harley, be like you.
Connect with your customers in your own way
to build excitement that's unique to your brand.
The century-old financial services company
Northwestern Mutual has build a reputation
of safety and stability.
I've been a customer for over two decades now,
and there's a formal professionalism in the services
that matches their brand.
It works for them.
I'm sometimes baffled to hear plotting phone menus.
Press one for customer service.
And I don't get service policies that are immediately
overwritten when customers plead their case to managers.
It doesn't have to be that way.
Those are not best practices.
I recently stayed at a resort hotel with my family
on a short weekend break.
We arrived on a hot Saturday evening,
and I had an engine light come on as we pulled into
the entry area.
I mentioned the light to the parking attendant
and replied rather briskly.
If you have car trouble, you need to move.
We can't have it here.
No empathy, no suggestions on where I should go.
I later mentioned this encounter to a manager,
and she was visibly embarrassed.
It's not our brand.
Her concern in those few words was genuine and heartfelt,
and I have a feeling they'll reshape the coaching
and support they give their employees
to ensure their brand's personality shines through
from that very first hello.
One way to audit how well customer experiences
align with your organization's vision and mission
is to create a customer journey map.
Float things out.
Literally identify every step customers experience
along the way.
This can be so eye opening.
Aligning service with your organization's vision
and mission is an interesting
and important leadership responsibility.
Your focus on this and your example mean so much
to others on your team.
I encourage you to give this the attention it deserves.