How to Create a Strong Customer Service Philosophy
An inspiring customer service philosophy can contribute to a positive work ethic and long-lasting customer relationships. Placing a positive customer experience at the forefront of your business strategy is important in building a successful brand image.
In this guide, we look at what a customer service philosophy is, why it is important to establish one, and how to do it.
What is a Customer Service Philosophy?
A customer service philosophy is the starting point to develop an effective customer service team and to improve customer experience. It is a shared vision that your support team adopts. It outlines a set of principles that shape the attitudes and actions of your service team.
A customer service philosophy centers around how you approach customer support. It ensures that the company’s core values are reflected with every customer interaction.
Why Having a Customer Service Philosophy Is Important
A solid philosophy empowers team members and sets a foundation for a proactive customer-first strategy. Having a shared understanding keeps your entire team focused on the same goal. Regardless of who a customer interacts with, they will experience quality service that reflects your company values.
How to Create a Customer Service Philosophy
To formulate a customer service philosophy, you need to establish your vision and customer service values.
By defining your customer support vision and values, a philosophy can be created that resonates with everyone. Adhering to this ensures that your business is always providing excellent customer service.
Customer Service Vision
A vision statement clearly defines the type of customer service that your team is expected to provide.
Customer Service Values
Your vision statement is enhanced by team values. These are clearly defined qualities displayed during customer interaction to uphold the vision.
Steps to Create a Customers Service Philosophy
- Identify your customer support values
List the values that embody how your team wants to be remembered by customers. Customer service team values should align with company values.
- Summarize your values in a vision statement
Formulate your values into a vision statement. Define what you want to achieve by adhering to them.
- Define how your team will embody the identified values
Define how your values and vision should be implemented practically in day-to-day customer interactions. Determine how you will evaluate the success of your customer support philosophy in action by considering the following:
- What metrics will you use to determine customer satisfaction?
- Is customer loyalty increasing?
- How will your team be held accountable for their performance?
- What action will be taken when receiving customer complaints?
- Document and share your philosophy with your entire workforce
- Lead by example
For a team to fully implement a customers service philosophy, company leaders in all departments need to portray the same values they ask of their employees. Provide customer service training that aligns with your philosophy.
If your team is committed to living out the service philosophy, even in hard times, it will elevate your customer service experience into a competitive advantage.
Tips for Developing a Customer Service Philosophy
- Be honest about what you can deliver
There will be limitations as to what you can and cannot do for your customers. Be realistic about these. Focus on the positive and don’t promise something you cannot deliver.
- Think like a customer
Put yourself in your customers’ shoes. If you don’t like being treated in a certain way, your customer won’t like it either. Make the service interaction with your customers convenient, efficient, and friendly.
- Include self-service in your strategy
If a customer needs to interact with your customer service team, your customer service philosophy has partly already failed. The aim of your business is to avoid problems in the first place. If the customer cannot solve these quickly themselves, they are most likely going to turn to you.
Customers are happier and more likely to remain loyal if you give them convenient ways to help themselves. The more effort required on their part, the more likely they are to replace your service with another company.
Self-service solutions can include an onboarding knowledge-base, FAQs, video tutorials, and personal online account management.
- Determine whether your philosophy is customer-centric or geared towards problem-solving
There should be a balance between problem-solving and customer-pleasing in all your interactions. The approach you take on which method to prioritize will however differ. Each method may require a different type of setup.
Issue-centric philosophies are focused on solving the problem at hand, separate from the customer. Customer-centric philosophies implement support records, CRMs, and internal notes. This identifies the customer and their problem together. Customer-centric strategies may require additional resources. Determining which philosophy you want to adopt will help in setting up the appropriate systems for successful customer service.
Quick Summary
When you have a clear customer service philosophy, you are able to optimize customer support practices. This allows you to deliver consistent, quality support to your customers at all times.
Steps to create a customers service philosophy include:
- Identify your customer support values
- Summarize your values in a vision statement
- Define how your team will embody the identified values
- Determine how you will evaluate the success of your customer support philosophy
- Document and share your philosophy with your entire workforce
- Lead by example
Tips for developing a customer service philosophy:
- Be honest about what you can deliver
- Think like a customer
- Include self-service in your philosophy
- Determine whether your philosophy is customer-centric or issue-centric
An inspiring customer service philosophy is the cornerstone to establishing a winning customer service team.
Other Resources:
CustomersFirst Academy offers comprehensive customer service training designed to help you grow your skills and advance your career.
To keep learning and developing your knowledge of customer service, we highly recommend the additional resources below:
Is Outsourcing Customer Service Right for Your Business?
10 Best Customer Experience Management Software Solutions
How to Establish Credibility with Professional Emails
8 Ways to Improve Online Customer Service
