Commitment: To pledge or engage oneself. People who are committed to excellence in the service they provide have a clear understanding why their jobs are important, and how they are making a difference for their customers (whether they are external or internal customers). Committed service providers understand that whether they are the person interacting with the client or the mailroom clerk, their work has value, meaning and essentially can help ensure that the customer will return time and again.
Commitment is an emotional connection to the work of an individual, and it is precisely that connection that directly links commitment to the heart. A heartfelt commitment to one’s work will ensure that each task is completed with enthusiasm and in the process, exceptional and seamless customer service will be delivered. If it is understood that a service is being delivered instead of just a task, such as answering the phone, then work will no longer be an unending list of “TO DO’s”, but will become a source of gratification and provide a sense of accomplishment.
It is the above mentioned heartfelt commitment that forms the foundation of any successful service culture. And it is that service culture that gives organizations a competitive advantage over their competition. A product or price advantage can easily be replicated in today’s global economy and technologically innovative world. But a strong customer service culture and the people behind it can never be duplicated. A product can easily be back engineered and placed on the market. But it is the service committed representative’s genuine smile and warm “Hello” while building a relationship that ultimately makes the lasting difference. A team that consistently moves in the same direction with the same mission, under the umbrella of service commitment feels a profound sense of fulfillment and satisfaction by serving others. And it is precisely that unified team that every manager should strive to cultivate in an organization.
