Archieving Excellence Through Customer Service

Customer is king - this is the statement that resonates in all the successful corporations that values their customers. So in keeping with the spirit of that phrase, John Tschohl has looked at all the finer details of what constitutes the ultimate customer service.


JOHN TSCHOHL the name, at first glance, does not attract any attention. In
fact, Tschohl, pronunciation aside, does not even ring a bell. Unlike
management celebrities like Peter Drucker, Tom Peters, Zig Ziglar or
Kenichi Ohmae, Tschohl is only to be reckoned with in the specialised
field of customer service.
Time Magazine has featured Tschohl in one of its cover stories and has
touted him as `one of America's leading customer service gurus'.
The first principle in this book, as propounded relentlessly, is
excellent customer service. The second principle is never to forget the
first. On that premise, the foundation of all the secrets, techniques and
strategies of winning over customers and keeping their loyalty is laid.
Befitting its success as a management tome, Achieving Excellence Through
Customer Service is now in its revised second edition. It is a well
organised handbook with 12 chapters on all aspects of customer service
that have been mentioned in one form or other in the past. Some of the
precepts within may have been forgotten by companies that are too busy
trying to stem the flow of red ink in their balance sheets.
Tschohl has designed his book, to use a cliche, like going up the ladder
of success. Each idea is a step leading to the next rung. The first
chapter commands attention: `The Secret Weapon - Making Money With
Customer Service.' The second follows with `In the Beginning was ... The
Plan'.
Compared with other publications on salesmanship and other related
titles, Tschohl's ideas are easy to follow. Written in simple English for
the man-in-the-street or customer-in-the-coffeeshop, the ethos of the book
emerges from its source, the introduction, then ventures into the main
stream of the subject and finally emerges into an ocean of the grand
scheme of things.
True to form, Tschohl being a black belt holder in his chosen field of
customer service, keeps the reader captivated by his seemingly endless
flow of corporate examples of how the right moves are made by some of the
biggest names in the business.
For example, McDonald's and Pizza Hut have adopted and applied some
creative techniques in winning over customers. Both corporations have
offered tuition assistance in low employment areas. Scholarships given by
Burger King and IBM have created a national support centre for disabled
people in Atlanta.
Not surprisingly, Malaysia Airlines also received favourable mention in
this book. MAS has been voted as the number one in the world for its first
class service. It is testimony that achieving excellence in any given
field is always a smart investment.
Most of the techniques are sheer commonsense. They are not new or
imported from Mars. The author has cleverly woven all these little patches
of ideas into a very pretty quilt that covers all the important areas in
this often flogged profession.
Few would have realised that in the pursuit of quality service,
management commitment must be seen to be believed, especially by its own
staff.
In this respect, the Hyatt Hotels Corporation started `Hyatt in Touch
Day' way back in 1989. On this day, all employees, from the president to
the mail room clerk, perform jobs they normally would not do. Hyatt
chairman Tom Pritzker spent an entire day at one of his hotels as a
bellman and front desk clerk.
The notion as explained by Tschohl is that when the top management shows
it is not afraid to do menial work, the high level of commitment filters
down to the lowest level in the organisation, thereby creating a single
vision shared by the entire staff.
The author also advises that praise and recognition is a vital
motivational carrot in any organisation. He warns that in some firms, `the
only time employees get attention is when they make a mistake. No one
comments on their good work.'
Tschohl stresses that praise puts workers in a mental condition to want
to perform a service right. Some examples:
Federal Express's Golden Falcon Award is the highest honour given to
non-management staff for `service above and beyond their customary line of
duty'.
Delta Air Lines gives a golden lapel pin to employees who go to great
lengths in providing service to passengers.
Marriot Corporation heaps bouquets of compliments on bellhops and
reservation staff when they rise to the occasion or above the norm.
Take a cue from General Norman Schwartzkopf, the commander of the UN
forces in the Gulf War, says Tschohl. Schwartzkopf calls his soldiers
`heroes.' The general has not forgotten that the soldiers are the ones who
fight and die in the frontline.
This management manual is not necessarily targeted at organisations or
people who are customer-oriented, it should also be read by others in
unrelated industries. The techniques are sound, informative and
educational. The concepts can be applied anywhere to great beneficial
effect in departments, offices and boardrooms.
In this fast-paced world of international, regional and bilateral trade
relations, emerging companies need to hit it right the first time every
time in order to stay ahead of the pack. Tschohl's book is akin to a
lighthouse focusing its beam on a safe passage for ships floundering at
sea. In this instance, companies caught in the turbulence of coporate
storms.
The bottom line behind every corporate success story is human relations.
Genuine, sincere, positive communication encourages and generates
harmonious employer-employee relationships, says Tschohl. And when this
has been achieved, a healthy balance sheet will be its natural conclusion.
Achieving Excellence Through Customer Service should be read by people
who have come to realise that their services are far less than perfect and
want to improve. Tips and strategies abound.
The options are more than sufficient for most corporate executives who
have to deal with grumpy customers and uninspired subordinates.
The essential point to remember is after reading the book, one must
apply the principles. Suffice to say, it is often heard that `it is not
enough to know (many of us already do), we must also apply.'