We have all worked with, hired or otherwise conducted business with companies that claim to put customer service first.  It states it in their marketing materials, they include it in their advertising, and sometimes it is even a part of their mission statement.  But for some of these businesses, it does not take long before their clients learn that they do not walk their customer service talk.

There can be several reasons why there is a disconnect between what they preach and how they act.  One of the more prevalent problems is in the way these businesses treat their own employees:  The internal communications that emphasize their customer service ‘brand’ is minimal.  Employees do not receive training and are not educated on the how tos and the why tos of providing superior customer care at every touch-point.   And there is little to no employee accountability for thinking first about the client - during all points of contact, in every communication, and when developing and executing each and every process.

Some recommendations for filling this gap:

1) Increased and improved internal marketing, particularly with respect to the company’s focus on providing superior customer service – at each and every touch-point;

2) Employee training and education focused on the how tos and why tos of always meeting and exceeding client expectations;

3) Employee rewards – reviews, bonuses and raises – that are based in large part on their consistent execution of superior customer care.

By taking some of these simple and important steps, these businesses will soon be walking their customer care talk.