A strong brand is a valuable part of business success. Both customers and employees are attracted to companies with strong brands. And both are more likely to stay with (and be loyal to) a strong branded company.
The brand takes time to build---just like trust. There are two very broad perspectives that are crucial to understand when assessing the use of Service as a company’s branding tool:
- How does the staff/team view the brand/company?
- How do the customers/passengers view the customer service of the company?
The staff/team is going to be representing the brand. Are they onboard and aligned with creating an experience for each and every customer that will be consistent with excellent service? JC Penney once said, “It is the service that we are not obliged to give that people value most.”
The challenge is to align the brand with how the team is delivering customer service. There is a brand promise or expectation that customers/passengers need to see each time they come in contact with the company’s services. But even when the customer’s expectation of service is not met, there is almost always an opportunity to recover and possibly even create a loyal customer.
….more next week on Developing a Service Brand…
