Service Leaders – The Power of the Service Strategy

As we get closer to 2022, the question is will you create and drive a service culture in your organization. Most companies in the US believe they provide great service while about 90% + of customers believe customer service does not exist.

If I call my healthcare provider, Park Nicollet, I will be on hold about 20-25 minutes before a live person answers the phone. I started writing this newsletter from Fort Collins, Colorado where I had dinner with my son and a neighbor and both complained about how bad customer service in healthcare is. Unfortunately, there is only one Mayo Clinic.

Service leaders like Apple, Costco, Amazon, NE Delta Dental, and Mayo Clinic spend virtually no money on advertising. They leverage word of mouth which is 100 times more powerful and 100 times less expensive than advertising and marketing. The only way to create word of mouth is through an awesome customer experience. Good service is nice but it will not win the World Series or a Gold Medal. Being average will not create the growth you want.

Remember Jeff Bezos started Amazon in 1995 with 2 people and now has over 1,650,000 employees. NE Delta Dental, an insurance company for dental insurance has only 173 full-time employees and has a 70% market share in New Hampshire. Visit the Delta Dental link on our website to see the results in detail. Tom Raffio, the President started their focus on customer service in 1995. All these firms are Relentless.

The reason I wrote my new book, Relentless is because most firms look at customer service as a flavor of the month or a fad. Customers expect exceptional service every year and year after year. It is like breathing. You can never stop.

This is the Proven Process for Creating a Service Culture I encourage each firm to master. Make 2022 the best year of your life.