How To Sustain A Customer Service Strategy
It’s all about building the infrastructure, Part I

By Terry McKenna

Terry McKenna is principal and co-founder of Employee Performance Strategies Inc. (EPS), based in Chantilly, Va. You can contact him at (888) 788-9090 or perform@eps-i.com

Ever wonder why so many customer service strategies are either short-lived or fail before they even get started? I mean think about it: How many retailers do you patronize where you consistently (the operative word here is “consistently”) receive a positive and memorable buying experience? The type of buying experience that you’ll remember and influences you to return to that retailer. So how many retailers did you come up with? Two points I’d like to make here: 1) I bet it took awhile before a retailer came to mind. I doubt very much that a flood of retailers blitzed your mind when you thought about that question, and 2) I bet the number of retailers that you came up with can be counted on one hand ... and I’ll bet you’ll have a few fingers left over. The sad reality is, consistently receiving great customer service is the exception, not the norm. So why is that? I can cite many root causes, but without question, the biggest one is a lack of an organizational infrastructure.

Customer Service Infrastructure
A customer service infrastructure is an organizational structure that includes systems, processes, policies and procedures that facilitate and support a continuous focus on the customer. It all starts by building your organization from the customer backwards, not the other way around. An organizational structure that ensures a continuous, relentless and laser-like focus on the customer.

The infrastructure is necessary because when it comes to a customer service strategy there is a distinct and marked difference between implementation and execution. Implementation is all about “getting ready” to launch a strategy, whereby execution is consistently performing to a desired standard. Take for example a soda promotion: The implementation phase would include activities such as, ordering appropriate levels of the product, getting your POP promotional signage in place, running your advertising, perhaps creating a store incentive program, and communicating and/or training store personnel. Once the soda promotion kicks off, the execution phase kicks in. Execution involves ensuring the signage stays fresh (and up) throughout the duration of the promotion, product displays remain full and attractive, inventory levels are maintained, and most importantly, sales associates consistently (there’s that word again) promote and suggest-sell the product to every customer every time they come into the store. Not sometimes, every time! Just imagine how much more soda your stores would sell if they excelled at the execution phase of the strategy? Good companies implement well — great companies excel in both implementation and, in particular, execution. The ability to consistently execute is what separates the great companies from the good companies. And unfortunately, most companies fail miserably at execution. Why? Because a customer-service strategy unlike a product strategy is process driven versus program, and requires a support system to succeed.

Paradigm Shift
To launch and sustain a successful customer service strategy, the first step in the process requires an organization to undertake a drastic paradigm shift. Most organizations are program oriented versus process, primarily because of the monthly store promotions that are continuously running throughout the year. Promotions can include store merchandise, fuel, car wash and repair services. Programs have a start and end date, typically 30-90 days. Metrics are developed and results are easily tracked. And, at the end of the promotional/program period you know if it was a success or not, because you can clearly see the results. A customer service strategy on the other hand takes time before you can readily see results. Customer service is a process not a program. And a process requires patience and discipline. Because of our program mentality in the convenience industry, patience and discipline unfortunately are not exactly part of our DNA.

Over the next two editions: April and May, I’ll discuss 10 key building blocks that constitute a successful customer service infrastructure.