Processes and standard operating procedures (SOP’s) are developed and put in place to benefit management, employees and customers one and all. These tools help resolve the common issues faced every day by stating a protocol for dealing with them in a consistent and efficient manner. This helps us all to stay safe and within Federal, State and Local rules and regulations. It also makes us faster, more efficient, better service providers and keeps consistency in the service we provide, right?? Unfortunately, as we read last week’s customer service story in “Adhering to Process and Procedure”, this is not always the case. So when do we pass the red caution tape warning us that our helpful processes and procedures may get in the way of excellent customer service?
Reading the transcript of the deceased bank account holder getting charged late fees, we can’t help ourselves to chuckle at the absurdity of the situation. But looking deeper and understanding the frustration the client on the phone felt is what makes all the difference. On “our planet” (as the customer referred to in last week’s article) that understanding is defined as “compassion”. Understanding customers’ needs and meeting them effectively and quickly is what distinguishes service providers who “get it”. These are the service providers we want to deal with as customers. These are the service providers that work in and are recognized by excelling organizations.
Last week’s scenario was a perfect example of how processes and procedures are definitely not a “one size fits all” tool in delivering state of the art service. Customer/passenger situations vary greatly and like snowflakes-no two of them are exactly the same. Even though procedures are put in place to keep consistency in service and guide service providers through situations (whether new or commonplace), we must not forget they are merely guides. These guides are ‘road maps’ of the roads we should consider taking when dealing with an issue in order to arrive at the desired destination without losing our way (or in more realistic terms---losing our customers).
These processes and procedures are so important in the aviation industry where safety is the number one priority. Laws and regulations must be followed. But we are all service providers and receivers. The call in last week’s article, although real, was an extreme exaggeration of following procedures to the point where common sense and compassion are completely absent. As service providers, we must determine where to draw the fine line between blindly following the book and tailoring the solutions to fit our customers’ needs.
