I have long held that customer service is first and foremost a leadership activity, not a front-line activity. This, of course, is counter-intuitive. We think customer service stays with the person delivering the service such as the nurse, waiter, sales associate or provider. While on the delivery side, this is true. However, what is overlooked is whether we are setting up the employee for failure. The leadership must see to it that they are preparing employees for success, specifically as it will apply to customer service.
The best illustration of this is an article written by Phaedra Hise in CNN Money in 2008.
I have written other posts on customer service you might find interesting…..
Customer Service: It’s what you do after the mistake that matters
Customer Service: It’s what you do after the mistake that matters-part 2