Corporate service standards. Hotel Service Standards

Today, new recruitment and retention existing clients is for almost every commercial organization a vital condition for ensuring its existence and functioning.

And successful business becomes with regular (loyal) customers. It is they who buy more often and more, stay with the company in difficult times "until the last", it is regular customers who recommend the store / institution / company to their friends, i.e. they are generators of popular advertising "by word of mouth" and thereby bring new customers .

Therefore, for any trade organization or an organization working in the service sector, it is extremely important to build a relationship with consumers that turns a one-time visitor into a loyal customer from the first contact.

There are many types of loyalty and retention programs, from discount cards and gifts before opening a cash loan for VIP clients. As a rule, the development and implementation of such programs is the prerogative of marketing specialists. But, betting on such programs, companies often forget that not only a marketer or an advertising department is engaged in marketing in a company, but also. For buyers rarely separate the product / service from the company and its employees. Most often they are perceived as a single entity. In psychology, there is even such a thing as the "halo effect": i.e., the spread of a superficial (general) first impression of a person to all his further actions and the process of interaction with him (respectively, with the company that he personifies).

First of all, this applies to sales / service personnel - those who are at the forefront. Everything is important here: what managers say, how they say it, how they look, how quickly and to what extent they fulfill obligations, whether they themselves like their work or whether they go to it like slaves to a hacienda. And if the first impression of the client about the seller as a whole turned out to be favorable, then in the future all interaction with him, with the company and the product / service that he represents is assessed positively, and small flaws are not given much importance or even suitable excuses are found.

If in the first minutes of contact there was a negative general impression about the manager, then later even the positive moments in interaction with him, his company and / or product are either not noticed at all, or underestimated against the background of close attention to the shortcomings, which are inflated to universal proportions. And here, alas, no brilliant marketing "chips" and tempting loyalty programs will help. There is even this statistic:

If the client is very satisfied, then the probability that he will place a good order is three times higher than if he is simply satisfied.

Of the 100% of customers who leave for competitors, only 25% leave due to dissatisfaction with the price or quality of the product. The remaining 75% is due to the quality of service.

One satisfied customer tells about his successful purchase to about five of his friends. But one dissatisfied person tells about his dissatisfaction to about 17 acquaintances.

And it is especially important to remember this right now, because unlike Soviet times, when everything was in terrible shortage and goods were “torn off with hands and feet”, today the buyer has the opportunity to compare and choose: goods, manufacturers, cost, stores and ... sellers. Thus, good customer service is the key to the success of any commercial organization, and in building long-term and strong relationships with customers, sales / service personnel play the first violin. And all kinds of promotions and loyalty programs are just a tool that can complement, but not replace professional work frontliners.

As practice shows, the staff does not always know how to behave with customers in certain working situations. Therefore, employees are forced to do "as best they can", relying on ingenuity. Often, such amateur performance turns into lost deals, lost profits, lost customers and notoriety for the company. This is far from complete. a list of typical mistakes in the work of managers during telephone calls:

1. Start the conversation by apologizing for the disturbance.

2. They fail to identify the decision maker and present their proposal to secretaries and office managers.

3. Instead of two or three introductory phrases and creating intrigue, warming up the client’s interest, they read out the price list, bring down a flurry of product / service characteristics on the client, thereby overloading him and causing the only desire: to end the conversation as soon as possible.

4. They complicate speech with professional terms that are incomprehensible to the interlocutor and technical details, understandable only to narrow specialists in this field (“semantic core”, “link”, “usability”, “conversion”, etc.).

5. End the conversation without clear agreements on the next steps and the specific date of the next contact, etc.

Or another list the most common mistakes:

1. They start a conversation with the phrase “What can I tell you?”

2. They strive to immediately tell the buyer about the product more and faster.

3. On the contrary, they silently contemplate the client in the expectation that he "will ask himself if he is interested in something."

4. They are embarrassed to offer the client to make a purchase when he is interested. specific product, as a result of which buyers leave to "think" ... in other stores.

5. Do not offer customers to purchase a related product in addition to the main purchase, etc.

Obviously, these shortcomings have the most detrimental effect on the size of the company's profits.

All the disasters of people come not so much from the fact that they did not do what is necessary, but from the fact that they do what should not be done. © Leo Tolstoy

That is why - in order to avoid banal and regularly repeated mistakes in the work of personnel - many successful companies do not expect miracles from salespeople, relying on their "common sense", "social skills" and "behavioral flexibility", but provide managers in advance.

In fact, corporate standards are the same patterns of behavior for all employees when servicing customers, the procedure for acting in typical work situations, ways of responding in non-standard situations; they are the criteria for evaluating the actions taken.

P.S. You can also purchase, adapted for any commercial organization (using one or more of the following sales methods: by phone, "on the road" and / or in trading floor): 107 detailed sheets step by step instructions with examples for different business areas and explanations. Read more about the Methodology.

Quality customer service today is the most important success factor in the company's market tomorrow. This statement is true for any industry, whether it is the sale of airline tickets, the sale of cars, hairdressing services or the production of loading equipment for warehouses.

The product (service, product) itself, according to global trends, is becoming more and more unified every year, and, consequently, quality service becomes the main differential that will satisfy the customer and gain a competitive advantage relative to other companies.

As the market is saturated with goods and the overall standard of living rises, consumer demands are actively changing.

World practice suggests the following trend - replacing the need directly for a service or product with the need to belong to a privileged group of people.

That is, getting satisfaction not so much from the purchase, but from the exceptional quality of customer service. It is no longer material, but psychological and social factors loyalty. Therefore, the company must improve not only its products (goods or services), but also work to improve the quality of service, which makes it emotionally attractive to the target group of consumers.

Service standards goals

Each company, as a rule, develops its own rules for customer service, so that they again and again purchase exactly its goods or services. But the standards of work with clients of the enterprise must be set only taking into account a comprehensive study of the requests of potential buyers.

A customer service specialist must not only regularly interview managers, but also monitor sales processes with his own eyes in order to subsequently train staff in communicating with consumers.

One of the most important methods the study of consumer expectations - these are customer surveys about the quality of their service in a particular company, which allow you to recognize not only rational latent dependencies, but also emotional ones.

Surveys can be conducted directly in the office or via the Internet, for example, via Skype.

Having a service policy for a firm is a positive image broadcast to customers that creates a positive impact.

The presence of these standards guarantees the consumer the service of "branded" quality, regardless of the level of employee he communicates with. The concept itself determines the reduction of the process of relationships with customers to a certain uniform form and content.

The customer service professional must take the development of a standard very seriously because it:

part of the corporate style and culture;
indicator of the viability of the company's management;
part of marketing activities;
part of HR activities;
indicator of the company's relationship with customers.

The main goal of developing customer service rules is to fix the elements of marketing communications directly in the behavior of the staff.

The combination of customer service standards, brand value and reputation creates a unique advantage for itself that would be difficult for any other company to replicate.

The objectives of implementing corporate service standards are as follows:

Unify the behavior of staff in different areas (including employees of the customer service department by phone and Skype).
Procedures should be as clear as possible to the staff (how, and what to do in certain circumstances).
Creation of criteria for evaluating the work of personnel.

Consider the basic principles of service standards. Standards should:

Structure

Consider the structure of customer service rules. Like any other corporate document, customer service rules are created in such a way that they are as clear as possible to the staff.

Often in Russian companies the rules of conduct for employees with consumers do not apply to internal relationships. And in enterprises, for the development of standards, Western methodologies are used (IDF0 in ARIS or BPWin) to optimize commercial and production processes, which must be applied in a standardized and extremely careful manner. It is in this regard that the filing of customer service rules is extremely important.

There are three options for developing a standard for working with clients:

Based on sales technology.
Based on a checklist for assessing the quality of work.
Based corporate culture and company values.

The latter is the most voluminous option. It consists of the following items:

the appearance of the staff;
focus on the productivity of personal sales;
negotiations with clients by phone or via the Internet, for example, via skype;
internal relationships between members of the company's team;
the behavior of each in various conflict situations;
processing by employees of information and work with documents;
optimal use of working time;
personal attitude of each employee to the property of the company;
development and implementation of employees in the company.

But at the moment there is no single methodology for the development of this document. It is always a certain level of know-how. In principle, standards exist in any company, like traditions or unspoken rules of conduct. Turning them into a document is a process of long, painstaking work that requires a serious approach and the interest of the employees involved in its creation. It consists of three stages: analysis (customers, competitors, goods), directly - the development and the last - the implementation of the rules.

Benefits of operating an enterprise according to the standard

In order for employees to provide a high level of work, they must know exactly what and how they should do in this or that case. But not only. Employees must be able and willing to do this in accordance with the rules.

In addition, they must understand that their work is always under control and constantly evaluated (optimally - both by clients and top managers).

All these nuances are dictated by the rules. The customer service standard defines the ideal of work for employees. It creates motivation for the development and realization of people within the company. This contributes to the professional growth of the staff. Ultimately, the standard of conduct contributes to the stability of the enterprise.

In order to ensure High Quality Maintenance organizations develop special standards for the systematic education or training of personnel.

Service standards: concept, essence and functions

Definition 1

Service standards are methodological and organizational and instructional documents that are developed together with economists and company specialists.

Service standards are a set of internal corporate rules that regulate the activities of a customer service organization, an algorithm for communicating with them. It also includes general standards for responding to non-standard situations.

Customer service standards are a mandatory element of the corporate standard of an organization.

Mastering service standards, the staff gets acquainted with the state of affairs of the organization, its products and services, prestigious consumers, description and implementation of effective and profitable methods of activity. The main part of the training is devoted to the rules and methods of conducting after-sales service, the ability to create a favorable climate in the team, as well as between the employee and the client. The service standards examine in detail typical mistakes personnel, as well as recommendations for their minimization.

The main functions and tasks of service standards are as follows:

Arrange. The client should not see the problems that exist in the company. He must be sure that all employees of the organization are professionals.
To control. It is difficult to evaluate the work and professionalism of a manager if there are no specific evaluation criteria. At the same time, the fulfillment of the sales plan is not a reliable evaluation parameter. The manager must understand whether the employee adheres to customer service standards.
Adapt. Service standards simplify the procedure for interacting with customers.

Service standards are effective only when the client does not see the difference between the work of several employees, but sees only high-quality and branded service, which does not depend on external circumstances and factors. The service standard should be tested in practice, supported by experience, formed on the basis of analytical studies and government methodologies. Such a standard will increase profits, improve the image of the organization and attract new customers.

What is the purpose of service standards?

The main tasks of any company are to increase customer loyalty, as well as increase economic indicators. The key goals of introducing service standards in the enterprise are the following:

For employees with work experience. Service standards will reduce the number of unnecessary actions and errors. As a result, employees get time savings (there are no errors, so there is no need to waste time correcting them), and as a result, productivity increases.
For newbies. Service standards allow you to transfer necessary knowledge in the shortest possible time.
For an organization. Standards will be able to remove dependence on the old-timers. Few employees who have worked in the company will be able not to succumb to "star fever". A person loses the ability to objectively evaluate his work, having knowledge and experience, it seems to him that it is he who - the best employee in company. This can end badly - in case of dismissal, such an employee will take the base, and turn customers against the organization. Customer service standards are necessary so that all employees can be evaluated on a single scale, based on their real benefit to the company.
For managers. Single service standards should be the same for all employees. This will make wages clear and transparent. In this case, the employee is not afraid that he will be paid less, and all errors are immediately visible.

Through the application of service standards, you can:

develop an organizational style in communicating with customers;
increase the productivity of employees with new clients;
bring the quality of service to a new level;
form a positive opinion of the client about the enterprise (a satisfied client will always recommend the company to his friends, this will increase the number of potential and real customers);
minimize conflicts between employees and customers;
develop a training program for training beginners;
establish a procedure for monitoring the work of the enterprise's personnel;
increase the motivation of employees to work.

What criteria should service standards meet?

Effective and efficient customer service standards must meet the following criteria:

Concreteness. Service standards should be clear and simple for every employee, regardless of work experience, age, education and other factors. The wording must be clear and understandable.
Measurability. Service standards cannot contain such concepts as "fast", "promptly" or "slowly". For example, an employee cannot answer an incoming call “quickly” because this is a loose concept. It is correct to say that the manager must answer the call within 7 seconds.
The reality of execution. Before implementing service standards, you need to make sure that the company has the right resources to implement them. Make sure employees have all the tools to work effectively.
Transparency for staff. Since service standards are implemented to improve the quality of work efficiency, this information needs to be communicated to each employee. The easiest way to convey this to newcomers, as they accept all the rules of the company. It is important for permanent employees to get used to innovations. The management needs to explain to the staff how the new rules will affect customer loyalty, and what problems can arise if the service standard is not adhered to.
Relevance. Service standards should be consistent with the objectives of the enterprise as a whole. Therefore, standards need to be constantly supplemented, correlated and changed. However, this must be done wisely, otherwise the staff will think that the management itself does not know what it wants.
Independence of employees within their powers. No service standard can provide for all the nuances of working with clients. Therefore, employees must have personal opportunities for effective cooperation with the clientele. If an employee has been working with a client for a long time, then he will be able to accept the right decision according to its nature and needs.
Complexity. All activities of the enterprise should be as standardized as possible. This applies to all departments, not just individual employees. For example, if an organization is engaged in connecting the Internet, then in addition to the manager offering the service, technical workers, dispatchers, etc. are involved in the implementation of the application. It is necessary to create service standards for all employees who are involved in the workflow.
Economic expediency. The implementation of service standards should not be unprofitable for the enterprise.

Compliance with a single structure of service standards should apply to all positions and subsections.

How service standards are developed

The service standards development process begins with the appointment of a project leader and a working group. Competent in this issue are marketers and personnel officers. The working group should also consist of sales staff who are well versed in the specifics of the company's activities. The company should have an “ordinary” manager who can take into account all the nuances of the work of the staff as accurately as possible. Next, you need to act according to this plan:

The project manager is empowered to collect the necessary information and appoint a team.
The working group discusses and draws up an action plan for the development of service standards. A responsible group is assigned for each area of work and schedule.
Step by step discussion of the standard. All subtotals are analyzed and recorded in detail.
The final version of the draft service standard is drawn up, which is submitted for familiarization to all employees of the enterprise. On the this stage All comments and corrections are included in the draft. It is important to consider all proposals as tactfully as possible, taking into account the interests of the staff. Often at this stage, top managers make a mistake - he "presses" his subordinates with authority. In this case, it is better to act democratically, hold a secret ballot and give workers time to think about the project. At this stage, it is important for the manager to show trust - this is how he will stimulate the staff and increase their loyalty to the organization. It is worth remembering that it is managers who will fulfill the requirements of the standard, so their opinion should be heeded.
After making all the adjustments and additions, the finished service standard is transferred to the general director or the person who manages the company. At this stage, only the manager can make corrections to the draft standard. It can be adopted by holding a secret ballot, in which the heads of structural divisions will already take part.

In order for the implementation of a service standard to be effective and smooth, it must be done at the stage of formation of the enterprise. Then the staff will take it for granted. However, many companies were formed long before Russian Federation implementation of service standards has become the norm. In such companies, you can often find resistance from employees to any innovations. Therefore, it is necessary to implement customer service standards as efficiently as possible and to minimize staff resistance.

From this article you will learn:

Why are customer service standards implemented in the company?

What are the benefits of using customer service standards

How customer service standards are developed in the company

How to Effectively Implement Service Standards

What are the typical mistakes that occur when developing and implementing customer service standards

Almost every company has sales managers on its staff. And budding entrepreneurs often face the following situation: a manager quits, and his clients “leave” with him. As a rule, this causes serious financial damage to the company, since “their” clients appear with experienced, professional managers. However, even the loss of one or two customers is still unpleasant. As a rule, the loss of customers with the departure of the manager is simply explained - your employee built relationships with the customer on personal sympathy, and not on loyalty to the company as a whole. To avoid this, it is necessary to develop customer service standards for the company.

What are customer service standards

Customer service standards are an internal corporate set of rules that regulate the company's customer service activities, an algorithm for communicating with customers, and general standards for responding to unusual situations. Customer Service Standard - component corporate standard of the company.
How to handle customer objections. Find out in the training program
Customer Service Standards Features

Arrange. The client does not encounter problems, does not see them, which means that he is sure that all employees without exception are professionals who know their business.
To control. It is difficult to evaluate and control the work of each manager if there are no clear evaluation criteria. At the same time, the implementation of the sales plan cannot be the only evaluation parameter; it is necessary to know whether the manager adheres to the standards of customer service adopted in this company.
Adapt. Among other things, the existence of customer service standards simplifies the procedure

Customer service standards are effective if the customer does not see the difference between the work of two (or more) managers, but sees only "branded" service, always the same, regardless of any external factors and circumstances. A customer service standard that has been proven in practice, supported by experience (perhaps even someone else's), created on the basis of analytical research and recognized methods, can be called "golden". It allows you to increase profits, improve the image of the company, attract new customers.

The use of standards is necessary in the following cases:

with increased competition;

with an increase in the number of complaints from customers about the work of the management service;

with an increase in the number of "problem" cases when working with customers or after customers make a purchase;

with an increase in the number of "lost" customers due to the fault of the sales department;

in the absence of a built-in and logical technology for working with clients;

in the absence of a system for evaluating the work of managers, as well as monitoring the quality of work with clients.

What is the purpose of implementing customer service standards in the company

A superficial glance allows you to see only the tip of the iceberg - convenience for the client. For example, a person who goes on a business trip to another city or country should know the main thing - wherever he is, the company will serve him equally well, the process will be familiar to him and will not cause any difficulties. All actions of both the client and the company are predictable. He knows how the company will behave with him, and the organization, in turn, is ready for any of his questions, requests and wishes. However, behind this the main task companies - increasing customer loyalty, and, as a result, an increase in economic indicators.
The goals of implementing standards are as follows.

For employees with experience: minimize the number of erroneous and unnecessary actions. The result of this will be saving time for each employee (no errors - no need to waste time correcting them). And, as a result, improved performance.
For novice employees: customer service standards allow you to transfer the necessary knowledge in the most concise form and in the shortest possible time.
For the company: the abolition of dependence on the old-timers. Not all employees who have worked in the company for many years (or even since the day of its foundation) are able to resist the so-called star disease. Having knowledge and experience, a person loses the ability to objectively evaluate his work, it begins to seem to him that he is the best manager in the company. This can end very badly - in case of dismissal, such an employee will take the base, and turn customers against the company. Customer service standards are needed so that all employees can be evaluated on a single scale, based on the actual benefit they bring to the company, as well as the attitude of the employee to the company.
For the company: uniformity of control over the activities of managers. The standards are unambiguous, exclude double interpretations, and therefore cannot cause disputes about the rightness of an employee or employer.
For managers: the standards of unified customer service are the same for all managers, and this allows you to make the remuneration of each manager absolutely transparent and intelligible. Realizing that there will be no double interpretations, the manager may not be afraid that he will be paid less than expected - all his mistakes and achievements are immediately visible and understandable.

The application of service standards allows:

develop a company style in communicating with clients;
increase the effectiveness of the work of managers with new clients;
bring the quality of communication with customers to a higher level;
to create a positive opinion of the client about the company, so that he would recommend it to his friends, thus increasing the number of potential, and then real customers;
minimize conflicts between the manager and the customer;
develop a technology for training beginners;
transfer the assessment of the manager's work from subjective to objective, transparent and understandable to everyone;
establish a procedure for monitoring the work of personnel;
increase the motivation of managers to work.

As a result, all of the above will lead to an increase in the client base and the company's income.

Why it is beneficial to use customer service standards in a company

The manager in the company is always under double control - on the part of management and on the part of customers. Customer service standards give the employee confidence that his actions will be analyzed and evaluated objectively. However, the manager understands that there is a clear algorithm for evaluating his work, which means that excuses and the search for arguments in his favor are useless - if he really made a mistake, this will be identified and assessed accordingly. The “debriefing” will be just as fair for the rest of the employees - both the punishment and the reward will be fair. Thus, the manager strives to show the best results in order to receive an appropriate reward.

Benefits of using service standards

Accumulation of experience: the entire base is concentrated in the company, and not in the hands of “old-timer” managers. Thus, the departure of one or more "old" employees does not become a "natural disaster" for the company.
Motivation, analysis and control: customer service standards allow the development of a transparent scheme for motivating managers based on a clear, almost mathematical analysis of their work. The sales process is streamlined.
Setting goals. With the help of standards, the company is able to set clear, reasonable plans. This allows you to keep the atmosphere in the team friendly and stable, and the absence of "indistinct" tasks - to increase the loyalty of managers to the company.
Customer Service Standards is a fairly mobile system that allows you to immediately detect errors in working with customers and quickly eliminate them. In addition, at any stage of working with a client, the head of the sales department can intervene in the process, noticing an error in the work of the manager, and even act ahead of the curve - to prevent the error that the manager is making.
Quick and easy start for beginners. Customer service standards are actually a knowledge base, collected, analyzed and ordered. Such information is easily transmitted and assimilated by beginners, which means that the beginner quickly gets to work and begins to make a profit. In addition, a newcomer will not spoil the relationship with the client with awkward actions, as he already knows what to do in any conflict and problem situations.
Customer trust. Customer service standards allow the latter to feel confident in the company - wherever the customer is, he will always easily recognize "his" company by brand features and can be absolutely sure that in a small town he will be served with the same quality as in a million-plus city, because that everyone in the company knows their job well. So this company can be trusted.

What criteria should customer service standards meet?

concreteness. Since customer service quality standards are created to control the activities of a certain group of people, they should be simple and understandable to each member of this group, regardless of their age, work experience, education and other factors. There should be no vague, fuzzy, wording that allows for different interpretations. So, if a room illumination standard is being created, it is not enough to write that it “should be light at any time of the day with the help of lighting devices”. This immediately gives rise to a number of questions and misunderstanding - what does “light” mean? What kind of lighting fixtures can be used in different time day? Is the use of all appliances in clear weather considered a violation, and if so, will the person in charge of the premises be punished? Therefore, when drawing up a lighting standard, it is always clearly indicated which lighting devices, at what time of day and in what weather, should work.
measurability. The customer service standard cannot contain such ratings as “quick”, “slow”, “prompt”, etc. For example, a manager should not answer an incoming call “quickly” - this is a loose concept. It would be correct to indicate that the manager must answer the incoming call within 7 seconds.
The reality of performance. Before you set customer service standards, make sure you have necessary resources for their execution. Make sure employees are provided with the necessary tools for the job. If at some point an employee discovers mutually exclusive or controversial concepts and definitions, immediately respond and correct the defect.
Transparency for employees. Since customer service standards are created to improve the efficiency of the company as a whole, it is necessary to bring this information to each manager. The easiest way to explain this is to newcomers, because when they join the organization, they immediately accept the “conditions of the game”. The most difficult thing is the introduction of standards for the "old-timers" - accustomed to working according to their own system, they often do not recognize any innovations. Explain how what is happening will affect customer loyalty, what problems may arise in case of non-compliance with the standard (not for the manager, but first of all for the client).
Relevance. Customer service standards should correlate with the objectives of the company as a whole, both today and in the future. Therefore, if necessary, they need to be quickly changed, supplemented, improved. But a balanced approach is needed - too frequent changes introduce an imbalance in the team, the staff may get the impression that "the authorities themselves do not know what they want."
Providing employees with autonomy within their powers. No matter how much you want, no standard can provide absolutely all the nuances of working with clients. Therefore, employees should have opportunities for creativity and personal contact with the customer. Provide for some variability - if the manager has been working with the client for a long time, he is able to make the right decision from the proposed ones in accordance with his needs and character.
Complexity. All activities of the company should be as standardized as possible. This applies to all departments, not just managers directly. For example, if a company is engaged in connecting the Internet, then in addition to the specialist offering the service, the dispatcher, performing technicians, etc. are involved in the execution and execution of the application. It is necessary to form service standards for all employees involved in the process.
Economic expediency. Compliance with standards should not be unprofitable for the company.
Recommended criterion: observance of a single structure of standards for all positions.

How is the development of customer service standards in the company

The process begins with the appointment of a working group and a direct project leader. The most competent are personnel officers and marketers, and the working group should also include employees of the sales department as the most “immersed” in the situation. The team must have a representative from among the "ordinary" managers - with his help, you can take into account all the nuances of the work of salespeople. Next, we act according to the plan.

The project manager must be empowered to collect information, schedule group meetings.
An action plan for developing customer service standards is drawn up and discussed with the group. Responsible for each area of work and work schedule are appointed.
There is a phased discussion of the work. All subtotals are recorded and analyzed.
The final version of the project is drawn up, which is submitted for consideration to all employees of the company. At this stage, the management makes corrections and suggestions to the plan, and it is important to consider all wishes as tactfully and in the interests of all employees as possible. Often at this stage, a top manager makes a mistake, which can subsequently negate all efforts: what is called, “presses with authority”. It is better to act democratically - to bring proposals and additions to the attention of all members of the working group, give time for reflection and hold a secret ballot. The trust that the manager will provide at this stage will additionally stimulate employees and increase their loyalty to the company. In addition, managers will fulfill the standards, and their opinion should be listened to.
After making all the additions and proposals, the finished customer service standard goes to the CEO (or other person exercising general management in the company). At this stage, the head can already make adjustments, and whether or not to accept them will be determined by a secret ballot, in which this time the heads of structural divisions will participate.

What are the steps involved in developing customer service standards?

Stage 1. We determine the indicator by which the company is ahead of its competitors. It will become a cornerstone in the development of customer service standards.
Three main benefits can be identified.

Price-quality ratio"

We choose if the company sells a product with an optimal set of qualities at a minimum cost. Our consumer is a thrifty person who values practicality above all else in a product or service. When developing service standards, special emphasis is placed on everything that helps to reduce the cost of goods (services). It is also important to emphasize the ease of maintenance, the speed of obtaining a product (service), its (her) durability or length in time.

"Best in line"

We use it if the product (service) has one or more unique qualities, parameters, properties that are not represented by competitors. Our consumer prefers reliability, but prestige and the opportunity to show individuality are also important to him.
In this case, the customer service strategy is largely "tied" to the manager - he must thoroughly know the properties of "his" product, as well as analogues, in order to carry out comparative analysis for client. Also, the specialist must “know the client by sight” - who is the person who could need exactly your product? In addition, it is important that the manager does not overdo it in trying to sell the best, taking advantage of the fact that the buyer does not pay too much attention to the price.

"Proximity to the consumer"

Assumes an individual approach to each client. Our customer appreciates attention, sincerity. He will pay tribute to the new products that the company will offer, anticipating his requests and needs, but will not overspend, trying to acquire the newest and most prestigious.
The main role in such a strategy is played by the seller of goods (services). He must be a psychologist, be able to maintain a conversation with the customer on any topic, unobtrusively collect information about him, necessary for the sale of goods.
Stage 2. Organizational structure, selection of positions.
Having decided on competitive advantage, select employees for whom customer service standards will be developed. Pay attention to the following.

First of all, it is necessary to define customer service standards for “technical” specialists, lower-level employees. These are those employees who repeat the same actions every day when working with clients (for example, “cold calls”). It is relatively easy to create customer service standards for such workers, as well as to implement a system of standards. As a rule, there is no or almost no creative component in the work of such employees and there is no decision-making function.
Creating standards of customer service for executives, starting with the head of the department, is almost impossible. You can only create common standard for the entire management, which will include the technical aspects of the work, the principles of maintaining and reporting.

Stage 3. After choosing the type of advantage, formulate a model of "ideal service".
If the company had a code before the introduction of customer service standards corporate ethics, mission and list of values, use this data.
There should be two models: the ideal organization as a whole and the ideal work of specific employees in their positions.
For the first model, we answer a number of questions:

What should be our company in the eyes of customers?
How should relations between employees of the company be built?
How should the relationship between management and executives be built?

Questions for the second model:

How should an employee of the company look in front of the client? (appearance and behavior pattern)
What is the relationship between the client and the individual employee, their nature.
What situations are possible in working with a client?
At what stage does a particular employee begin to communicate with the client (for example, at the beginning of negotiations or at the final stage).
Non-standard situations that arise when communicating with a client.
Terms of reference for the maintenance of the premises and tools for each position (office, office equipment).
A package of documents for each position.

When developing models, it is necessary not only to take into account the opinion of all involved employees of the company and its management, but also to involve customers in the process, especially for the formation of the first model. By the way, some companies also take into account the models of competitors, for which they specifically communicate with them under the guise of customers. Of course, an ordinary customer will not be allowed into the internal “kitchen”, but nevertheless, in this way it is possible to identify annoying or, conversely, details and innovations that are conducive to communication.
Stage 4. Establish common customer service standards for all employees.
At this stage, you need to create a certain subculture that is unique to your organization, but based on the principles of business etiquette, work with objections and claims, and corporate ethics.
Stage 5. Form unique customer service standards for each specific position involved in the process of working with a client.
At this stage, it is necessary to literally put the entire manufacturing process. You can use the following division as a template.

External customer service standards.

These are the standards that the client sees: the type, shape, color of the room, equipment, technology in which the work is being done, as well as the actual communication procedure.

Internal customer service standards.

This group includes standards that the client does not see, although he can see the result of their implementation (for example, when it comes to cleaning work premises - a store, office, bank branch). This group also includes document processing standards.

Technological standards (regulations for the work of employees).

Step-by-step guide: how to effectively implement customer service standards

In order for the implementation of customer service standards to go smoothly, you need to do it at the stage of company formation. Then the staff will take this for granted. However, many enterprises and organizations were formed long before the introduction of customer service standards became the norm in Russia. In such companies, it is rarely possible to do without open and hidden resistance of employees to innovations that are being introduced by management. Let's talk about how to implement customer service standards as efficiently as possible and minimize employee resistance.

Step 1. Bring the standards to the staff

Remember: in order to corporate rules worked, it is necessary that all employees accept them, and not just “reconcile” under pressure from management. And for acceptance, understanding is necessary - it is important to bring to each employee, starting from CEO and ending with the incoming technical service, why it is necessary to comply with customer service standards. It may be necessary to resort to unpopular measures to influence those who are particularly recalcitrant. But it is important not to go too far, but to really understand what you are dealing with: is it a stubborn unwillingness to leave the comfort zone and conservatism, or do employees really have reasons not to accept customer service standards in the form in which you offer them?

Step 2. We hold a meeting of employees

It is necessary to hold a general meeting of employees and clarify the prospects. Don't talk about what punishments threaten an employee who does not want to work according to the new rules. Tell us about the prospects of the company, about the positive consequences, explain that ignoring the changes will have a negative impact on the work of the enterprise as a whole, and therefore on each of its employees. Be sure to print the standards for each employee who has to work on them, and the results general meeting record and distribute to employees for signature.

Step 3. Set the "transition period"

Do not try to introduce customer service standards, as they say, one day. In this case, shock therapy is not the best way out. Set a deadline for employees to learn the new rules, conduct several trainings. Do not immediately punish those who make mistakes - explain and correct. But the boundaries of the "transitional period" must be clearly defined and communicated to each employee.

Step 4. We check the assimilation of information by employees and

After the transition period, test employees on the new customer service standards. Do not rush to punish those who showed the worst result, give them a couple of days to prepare, and then conduct a “re-examination”. By this point, employees should have learned that they will have to work according to the new rules. The excuses “I didn't understand”, “It needs to be done differently” are no longer accepted - clarifications could be received during the transition period, and proposals were accepted at the preparation stage and also during the transition period.

Step 5. We develop penalties

Be prepared for the fact that you will have to punish especially stubborn employees. In this case, neither their past merits nor other subjective reasons should stop you. Think over the system of punishments in advance - these can be fines, reprimands, deprivation of bonuses, bonuses, benefits, etc. You may even have to part ways with a few employees. And the parting will be unpleasant, given that in this case the team will most likely be on their side (“They came up with nonsense, and even fired a well-deserved employee because of it!”). But even the hottest heads tend to cool down if they see that you are serious.

Step 6. Require the implementation of standards

Demand service standards from all parts of your production chain. And equally seriously control all participants in the process. For example, if you require a manager to increase the number of sales home internet, then you must be sure that the technical service, which works directly at the connection point, will cope with the increased workload. All requirements of customer service standards must be physically achievable.

Step 7. We control compliance with standards

At first, while the employees are not yet sufficiently accustomed to the new requirements, there may be breakdowns, attempts to "under the guise" to switch to the "old" scheme familiar to them. Control yourself, demand the same from the heads of departments, appoint responsible persons directly from among the performers so that they report to you on compliance with customer service standards. These are the measures internal control. Combine them with external control methods (for example, use the “mystery shopper” service).

Step 8. Standards Analysis

You do not need control for the sake of control, analyze the results and be sure to act on their basis - encourage, fine, conduct additional training. Perhaps it is advisable to change something in the customer service standards, or maybe you did not take into account something at the preparation stage and the standards need to be supplemented.

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