What is service culture?

What does “service culture” mean? Essentially, it refers to a workplace atmosphere in which employees are dedicated to delivering exceptional customer service to clients. This entails surpassing regular expectations to guarantee that those investing in your products and services are genuinely satisfied. This approach not only aligns with sound business principles but also serves as a standout factor for your organisation in a competitive marketplace.

If you’re unsure about the characteristics of a positive service culture, let’s consider different situations. Numerous examples of service culture may readily come to mind. For instance, a sales associate at a major sporting goods retailer not only directs you to a specific item but offers advice on additional items for a camping trip. This illustrates a typical favourable service culture. Another example of service culture is calling your insurance company and being invited to share your candid thoughts on customer care through a survey.

Simply put, any organisation that puts the needs of customers at the front of business operations embodies a positive service culture.

Importance of service culture

There are many reasons why a strong service culture is important for your business. However, the importance of service culture goes far beyond just what your employees or your customers experience – customer service and company culture must go hand in hand for your firm to be successful.

Why? Firstly, ensuring the customer is always satisfied is an easy way to build a stronger organisation. Your reputation will be much better if you’re customer-focussed. There’s also a good chance that the number of repeat customers you have will increase.

Secondly, the strong relationship between service and culture of an organisation goes even further than increased sales and a higher level of customer loyalty. Another benefit of a strong service culture is increased employee motivation and better customer experiences. Employees enjoy their working day so much better when they are not constantly berated by irate customers.

Thirdly, your reputation means a lot. If your company is widely known for unhelpfullness or rudeness to customers, there’s a good chance they won’t continue to choose you over a competitor. Tthis can mean the difference between making a sale or not, for firms in incredibly tight markets.

Finally, there’s the overall picture of having a strong service culture in your organisation. Let’s go back to the customer service culture examples we discussed above. Companies like the sporting goods store with employees who go above and beyond for the customer probably make more sales than those that leave shoppers to pick items out themselves. Furthermore, the insurance company that surveys their customers also gets immediate feedback on any areas that need improvement. Both these companies probably have a positive employee turnover rate.

How to build a strong customer service culture

Now that you can define service culture, it’s important to work out where your company is and how to improve. Of course, there are several steps you can take to ensure your business has a strong sales and service culture. Here are five of the most common.

Step 1: Clearly define what great customer service means through your mission, vision, or brand promise.

You probably already have a clear mission, vision or brand promise, or a combination. But if you don’t currently define your stance on excellent customer service, it’s time for change. When these items include service culture elements, it becomes clear to the customer and your employees that excellent service is a top priority.

Step 2: Hire the best employees who will live out this vision.

Having a great stance on customer service is important – but only if your employees stay committed to this vision. A strong service culture starts with your hiring practices. Screen potential candidates to see if they have what it takes to meet the goals of your organisation. Likewise, offer incentives for positive customer service to help retain your best workers.

Step 3: Set guidelines for your entire customer service team.

Clear expectations are the backbone of any strong organisation. Set guidelines for your entire customer service team and match training practices to these principles. The clearer it is that you are a service-focussed organisation, the easier it will be to help carry the mission through to the end customer.

Step 4: Engage employees with your service culture through adequate customer service training so everyone is on the same page.

As we’ve previously discussed, the benefits of good customer service to the employee are great. Not only does having happy customers make everyone’s job easier, it also helps keep employee retention high. To do this, you need to offer suitable customer service training. Even employees who aren’t in your sales or service teams should know their efforts have a positive effect on the end customer.

Step 5: Set goals based on your customer service vision and guiding principles.

Finally, it’s important to set goals based on your customer service vision and guiding principles. This lets you continuously monitor where your company stands regarding a strong service culture. It also gives you data to back your strategy up. A few easy ways to do this include offering customer surveys or routinely monitoring sales calls.

Finding the right dynamic for bringing your company into a service-focused culture doesn’t have to be difficult. These five steps are a great way to ensure you have happy customers, motivated employees and a strong business reputation.