Lessons from the zoo

OUTSTANDING or poor are the two extremes of customer service. Should your service lean towards the former you can be almost certain that not only will your customer come back but he/she will recommend your product/ service. But should your scale tilt towards the opposite end, the results can be disastrous for your business.

But what are the basic principles of customer service? How can you develop loyalty amongst your customers and thereby increase profitability? And, how can you motivate your employees to greater heights? These are some of the issue which Catherine DeVrye explores in her book, The Customer Service Zoo.

Phil, an executive, is scheduled to make a customer service strategy presentation to his senior colleagues on Monday morning but does not seem to have the "big idea". On persistence from his daughter, Phil reluctantly agrees to take her to the zoo. It is while observing the various birds and animals that Phil gets his inspiration - he draws a parallel between their mannerisms and behaviour and develops the outline of his strategy. Here are a few of the lessons:

A: Ape. Monkeys sit around in small clusters, content to quietly chat with each other and munch away - so often like an office crowd. And there are some people who steal the limelight and point fingers at others just like the male ape in the zoo that gains the attention of the public by heartily thumping his chest. The lesson here: do not get fooled by the person who makes the loudest noise. Understand the complete picture and remember to thank an employee for his/her valuable suggestion/ contribution.

G: Giraffee. The animal with a long neck. When required, the giraffe stretches high to eat - the idea being to get to it. This gave Phil an excellent perspective, "Aim high, achieve high." All too often, Phil's firm settled for standards of the past, rather than aiming for higher levels of customer satisfaction. This was fine at one point in time simply because they had made good profits. But the focus should be on continual improvement - to stretch oneself.

M: Mouse. Most customers are quiet as a mouse. They never complain - even if they have reason to. Research shows that 96 per cent of unhappy customers never let out a squeak of dissatisfaction to the organisation that has given them bad service. But, they roar and tell it to their friends and acquaintances. According to research, an unhappy customer will tell at least 15 others.

V: Vulture. They wait patiently for someone else to do the work and reap the reward. Phil thought about potential customers whom they had wooed for ages, but moved to competition because of a small slip-up. The real competition was outside. However, many times a customer was lost because of inter-departmental fights. If one did not look after his/her customers, someone else would.

On Monday morning Phil presents his idea of animal analogies to his colleagues, along with how people could identify with one animal or another, and how they could use them in training and service issues. Phil outlines the four broad categories to strategy - revisiting the basic service principles, committing to change, trust and empowerment and evolving to meet the changing market and customer. After initial reservations, Phil's colleagues see merit in his thought process and approve.

The Customer Service Zoo is a basic book, written in an easy to read style. It is almost certain to help and provide directions to organisations and managers seeking to understand and embrace the principles of customer service.

The Customer Service Zoo, Catherine De Vrye, Eastwest Books, p. 127, Rs. 120.

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