Ivy Sea Online: Communication that screams great service!

Your business can scream from the hilltops about how you delight your customers. But if employees aren’t demonstrating an of-service manner, with colleagues and customers, that rhetoric is hogwash. In today's competitive market, where bad service creates a great niche for a high-service competitor, customers and top-performing employees tolerate hogwash for just so long!

The truth is, great service requires great communication skills. Don't believe it? Think of the last time you experienced poor service from a colleague or service provider. What made the service poor? Didn't get what you wanted? Your expectations weren't met? You were treated rudely?

All of these things spring from poor listening, unsophisticated questioning, inability to see through assumptions, or unclear leadership or communication of the project or service parameters. Join us to explore great service communication:

We asked a vendor to make 800 copies of a diskette containing forms our client’s employees would complete and submit to their respective supervisors. The vendor write-protected the diskettes (an added step in the duplication process) without our direction to do so, making the diskettes unusable to the client.

We understand that mistakes happen. However, when a person is operating in an of-service mode, the following wouldn’t happen (as it did in this case):

When we explained the situation to the vendor and requested that the disks be fixed, he reasoned that they couldn’t do it because it would take them too long, the client could do it herself ("it’s easy"), and he had other projects to work on. Finally, he tried to convince us that the write-protected format was the preferred format in this instance, which is why the vendor assumed that it was acceptable to make that decision without getting approval first. (A clear indication he was not listening.) He exhibited a belligerent attitude and interrupted frequently, fueling my irritation as a client whose needs weren't met.

This story makes one point very clear: if every employee--leaders included--doesn’t subscribe to the organization’s service standard, you’ll have no standard at all and a revolving door of unsatisfied clients and top-notch employees who don't wish to be associated with status quo or sub-standard service.

So what happened with the write-protected diskettes? We at IVC sat down together over lunch and corrected the diskettes and delivered them to the client on deadline. That’s of-service communication in action.

The benefits of being "of-service"
(or, ways to persuade employees to be of service to others):

• More clients, more income: Simple math tells us that if good service attracts new customers and extends existing relationships (we know it does), then your company will have more clients and meet revenue goals if employees are truly serving clients. And added revenues can result in the perks that attract bright employees: project variety, challenging work, pride of participation, good wages, bonuses, office perks, etc.

• Increased job stability: If you gain a reputation for good communication and outstanding service, chances are good that you'll increase your value to the organization, enjoy your work more, and even boost the likelihood your employer or client will want to retain your services. Even if you do leave the organization, your communication savvy and service will have helped solidify relationships with people who'll happily refer you to your next employer or client.

• Fewer hassles: By demonstrating of-service communication, you’re more apt to understand a client’s needs the first time around. By doing a project right the first time, you’re increasing productivity and efficiency – no need for extra hands, missed deadlines or frustrated coworkers. This can also help reduce the stress and anxiety associated with confrontations.

• Higher morale: In knowing that they provide the best service possible, employees are likely to feel more pride in their work and more ownership in the organization. This in turn supports higher quality work and reduced turnover.

• Better client relationships: When something does go awry, the strong client service you use to remedy the situation is what keeps the clients coming back. Communicating in a manner that demonstrates service is what every client wants in a vendor.

We’ve all experienced of-service communication. Think of a time when you felt you were the only customer the vendor had, or the time someone went the extra mile for you and you sent a note to his or her boss about it. In every story you can recall, think about how much good communication factored into the experience.

• Listening skills that make the other person feel heard.
• Questions framed in a respectful, non-accusatory manner.
• A willingness to perform the work needed to reach the desired goal.
• An ability to remain calm and centered despite chaos or challenge.
• Flawless followup: taking full responsibility for bringing communication full circle.
• A demonstrated understanding of the other person’s perspective.
• An ability to anticipate the client's needs.
• A calm, pleasant voice tone.
• Honest communication (as opposed to a passive-aggressive or aggressive approach).
• A comfort level with admitting fault and a desire to rectify the misunderstanding.
• The ability to interact with a variety of communication styles.

(See the bottom of this article for links to IVC articles and lessons to build and refine of-communication traits.)

• Don't react, respond: Think of an unpleasant interaction as a tug of war, where two (or more) persons are yanking their side of the rope to prevent the other side from making headway. What would happen if one side decided not to pull? This is what happens if you decide not to react in kind to another person's anger, rudeness, or panic. You just take a deep breath, put your feet on the floor, and...

• Get more information: Ask, "What's your intention for (saying that, wanting that, etc.)" or "Tell me more about what makes you (say that, want that, do that)." The response may help you understand each other sooner and more effectively, and get beyond immediate emotional reaction to the core of the issue. You’ll also be able to scale conversation hurdles that were blocking resolution.

• Ensure you’re on the same page: Step back and ask, "what is your service policy?" If the person or organization doesn’t place value in service, you’ll understand why the service is poor, and be better equipped to make a decision on what to do next.

• Get agreement where possible: Focus on something both of you can say ‘yes’ to. For example, "I think we both want to continue getting business from this client" or "My guess is that we both want to do a great job" and proceed from there to share ideas and concerns. By establishing common ground, you’re building that can better support potential resolution.

• Get a clear connection: If you're getting nowhere, speak with someone else in the organization. Perhaps a supervisor or colleague has better interpersonal communication skills or maybe this situation has escalated too far to deal with the same person in a rational manner.

• Know when to end the relationship: If the vendor, employer, client or employee is not making any headway toward improving his or her service and communication style, be ready to end the relationship. Know your boundaries, and stick to them, but avoid accusations. Aim for a productive wrap-up by saying something like, "My sense is that we're in different places at the moment, so maybe we can both be better served by moving on to other things."

• Make your service policy clear: Set clear, specific service standards and goals. Put them in the handbook, on the wall, have people sign them as a part of the employment contract and include discussion of them in staff meetings and trainings. Don't just say, "we want to delight our customers." Define what, exactly, you plan on doing to delight your customers, be they internal clients or external to your company.

• Make your policy public: Ensure that every employee--from the receptionist to the CEO-- knows your service standard, and knows how to access the tools to build of-service communication skills. If you're creating a personal plan, create the policy by which you want to deliver great service.

• Use the buddy system: Encourage employees to point out examples of in-service communication or poor communication. We’ve found that many people are unable (or unwilling) to identify their own poor communication skills, yet can readily identify others' communication failings. Create groundrules in advance so each of you feels comfortable with "truth telling."

• Survey for feedback: Proactively survey your clients, vendors, employees, etc. about your service — then refine rough areas and continue elements appreciated by your client. Don't assume that everyone's thinking the same thing when you talk about "great service." Ask clients, "What would we be doing to have you tell us and others that we provide outstanding service?"

• Build interpersonal skills: Learn ways to stay open to feedback, exercise stress management muscles, and fill your mental toolbox with refined interaction techniques. For example, make your listening skills as good or better than your speaking skills.

• Identify root causes: Ask, "What might be causing poor service? Is it low morale, lack of knowledge, etc."

• Highlight internal incentives: Link good service to something the employee cares about (especially if he or she is not instinctively a service-oriented person); for example, earning pay raises or gaining more experience.

This information provides food for thought rather than counsel specifically designed to meet the needs of your organization. Please use it mindfully. The most effective leadership, interpersonal or organizational communication plan should be tailored to your unique needs, so don't hesitate to get assistance from a qualified adviser.

To learn more about how to improve your in-service communication, visit the Ivy Sea article and tip sheet bank:







				WHAT'S OF-SERVICE COMMUNICATION? From Where We Sit, It's Just Good Business Sense Your business can scream from the hilltops about how you delight your customers. But if employees aren’t demonstrating an of-service manner, with colleagues and customers, that rhetoric is hogwash. In today's competitive market, where bad service creates a great niche for a high-service competitor, customers and top-performing employees tolerate hogwash for just so long! The truth is, great service requires great communication skills. Don't believe it? Think of the last time you experienced poor service from a colleague or service provider. What made the service poor? Didn't get what you wanted? Your expectations weren't met? You were treated rudely? All of these things spring from poor listening, unsophisticated questioning, inability to see through assumptions, or unclear leadership or communication of the project or service parameters. Join us to explore great service communication: A real-world example of poor service The benefits of service communication Examples of service-supportive communication Dealing skillfully when you receive poor service communication Things you can do in your organization Related links and resources A recent, real-world example: We asked a vendor to make 800 copies of a diskette containing forms our client’s employees would complete and submit to their respective supervisors. The vendor write-protected the diskettes (an added step in the duplication process) without our direction to do so, making the diskettes unusable to the client. We understand that mistakes happen. However, when a person is operating in an of-service mode, the following wouldn’t happen (as it did in this case): When we explained the situation to the vendor and requested that the disks be fixed, he reasoned that they couldn’t do it because it would take them too long, the client could do it herself ("it’s easy"), and he had other projects to work on. Finally, he tried to convince us that the write-protected format was the preferred format in this instance, which is why the vendor assumed that it was acceptable to make that decision without getting approval first. (A clear indication he was not listening.) He exhibited a belligerent attitude and interrupted frequently, fueling my irritation as a client whose needs weren't met. This story makes one point very clear: if every employee--leaders included--doesn’t subscribe to the organization’s service standard, you’ll have no standard at all and a revolving door of unsatisfied clients and top-notch employees who don't wish to be associated with status quo or sub-standard service. Happily Ever After So what happened with the write-protected diskettes? We at IVC sat down together over lunch and corrected the diskettes and delivered them to the client on deadline. That’s of-service communication in action. The benefits of being "of-service" (or, ways to persuade employees to be of service to others): • More clients, more income: Simple math tells us that if good service attracts new customers and extends existing relationships (we know it does), then your company will have more clients and meet revenue goals if employees are truly serving clients. And added revenues can result in the perks that attract bright employees: project variety, challenging work, pride of participation, good wages, bonuses, office perks, etc. • Increased job stability: If you gain a reputation for good communication and outstanding service, chances are good that you'll increase your value to the organization, enjoy your work more, and even boost the likelihood your employer or client will want to retain your services. Even if you do leave the organization, your communication savvy and service will have helped solidify relationships with people who'll happily refer you to your next employer or client. • Fewer hassles: By demonstrating of-service communication, you’re more apt to understand a client’s needs the first time around. By doing a project right the first time, you’re increasing productivity and efficiency – no need for extra hands, missed deadlines or frustrated coworkers. This can also help reduce the stress and anxiety associated with confrontations. • Higher morale: In knowing that they provide the best service possible, employees are likely to feel more pride in their work and more ownership in the organization. This in turn supports higher quality work and reduced turnover. • Better client relationships: When something does go awry, the strong client service you use to remedy the situation is what keeps the clients coming back. Communicating in a manner that demonstrates service is what every client wants in a vendor. What does of-service communication look and sound like? We’ve all experienced of-service communication. Think of a time when you felt you were the only customer the vendor had, or the time someone went the extra mile for you and you sent a note to his or her boss about it. In every story you can recall, think about how much good communication factored into the experience. Of-service communication in action includes: • Listening skills that make the other person feel heard. • Questions framed in a respectful, non-accusatory manner. • A willingness to perform the work needed to reach the desired goal. • An ability to remain calm and centered despite chaos or challenge. • Flawless followup: taking full responsibility for bringing communication full circle. • A demonstrated understanding of the other person’s perspective. • An ability to anticipate the client's needs. • A calm, pleasant voice tone. • Honest communication (as opposed to a passive-aggressive or aggressive approach). • A comfort level with admitting fault and a desire to rectify the misunderstanding. • The ability to interact with a variety of communication styles. (See the bottom of this article for links to IVC articles and lessons to build and refine of-communication traits.) If you’re on the receiving end of poor-service communication • Don't react, respond: Think of an unpleasant interaction as a tug of war, where two (or more) persons are yanking their side of the rope to prevent the other side from making headway. What would happen if one side decided not to pull? This is what happens if you decide not to react in kind to another person's anger, rudeness, or panic. You just take a deep breath, put your feet on the floor, and... • Get more information: Ask, "What's your intention for (saying that, wanting that, etc.)" or "Tell me more about what makes you (say that, want that, do that)." The response may help you understand each other sooner and more effectively, and get beyond immediate emotional reaction to the core of the issue. You’ll also be able to scale conversation hurdles that were blocking resolution. • Ensure you’re on the same page: Step back and ask, "what is your service policy?" If the person or organization doesn’t place value in service, you’ll understand why the service is poor, and be better equipped to make a decision on what to do next. • Get agreement where possible: Focus on something both of you can say ‘yes’ to. For example, "I think we both want to continue getting business from this client" or "My guess is that we both want to do a great job" and proceed from there to share ideas and concerns. By establishing common ground, you’re building that can better support potential resolution. • Get a clear connection: If you're getting nowhere, speak with someone else in the organization. Perhaps a supervisor or colleague has better interpersonal communication skills or maybe this situation has escalated too far to deal with the same person in a rational manner. • Know when to end the relationship: If the vendor, employer, client or employee is not making any headway toward improving his or her service and communication style, be ready to end the relationship. Know your boundaries, and stick to them, but avoid accusations. Aim for a productive wrap-up by saying something like, "My sense is that we're in different places at the moment, so maybe we can both be better served by moving on to other things." Are you demonstrating of-service communication? • Make your service policy clear: Set clear, specific service standards and goals. Put them in the handbook, on the wall, have people sign them as a part of the employment contract and include discussion of them in staff meetings and trainings. Don't just say, "we want to delight our customers." Define what, exactly, you plan on doing to delight your customers, be they internal clients or external to your company. • Make your policy public: Ensure that every employee--from the receptionist to the CEO-- knows your service standard, and knows how to access the tools to build of-service communication skills. If you're creating a personal plan, create the policy by which you want to deliver great service. • Use the buddy system: Encourage employees to point out examples of in-service communication or poor communication. We’ve found that many people are unable (or unwilling) to identify their own poor communication skills, yet can readily identify others' communication failings. Create groundrules in advance so each of you feels comfortable with "truth telling." • Survey for feedback: Proactively survey your clients, vendors, employees, etc. about your service — then refine rough areas and continue elements appreciated by your client. Don't assume that everyone's thinking the same thing when you talk about "great service." Ask clients, "What would we be doing to have you tell us and others that we provide outstanding service?" • Build interpersonal skills: Learn ways to stay open to feedback, exercise stress management muscles, and fill your mental toolbox with refined interaction techniques. For example, make your listening skills as good or better than your speaking skills. • Identify root causes: Ask, "What might be causing poor service? Is it low morale, lack of knowledge, etc." • Highlight internal incentives: Link good service to something the employee cares about (especially if he or she is not instinctively a service-oriented person); for example, earning pay raises or gaining more experience. This information provides food for thought rather than counsel specifically designed to meet the needs of your organization. Please use it mindfully. The most effective leadership, interpersonal or organizational communication plan should be tailored to your unique needs, so don't hesitate to get assistance from a qualified adviser. Related Links To learn more about how to improve your in-service communication, visit the Ivy Sea article and tip sheet bank: Listening skills that make the other person feel heard Skillful questioning and checking assumptions Motivating means clearly communicating roles, expectations Framing an effective conversation Interacting with a variety of communication styles For more information: Ivy Sea's IntraPersonal and Mindset Mastery CyberWorkshop Ivy Sea's Organizational Communication CyberWorkshop or e-mail us at info@ivysea.com.
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