Here are seven questions we should all ask to unravel what is required to deliver superior customer service.

1. What customers do we need to make our business successful?

   This question demands two answers.

   The first is what is our business? In reaching this understanding it is beneficial to remember the truths embodied in the following story.

   One of the world's leading manufacturers of electric power tools invites its new executives to attend an induction course, at the opening session of which they are urged to consider a slide projected onto a large wall screen. The image put before them is of a gleaming electric drill and the executives are asked if this is what the company sells.

   The executives look uncertainly around at one another and tend as a group to concede that, yes, this is indeed what the company sells. It seems like a safe bet. They are immediately challenged by the next slide, however, that of a photograph of a hole, neatly drilled in a wall.

   "That is what we sell", the trainers suggest with some considerable satisfaction. "Very few of our customers are passionately committed to the deployment of electric power tools in their homes. They want holes. And it is your jobs as executives in this corporation to find ever more competitive, efficient, and imaginative ways of giving our customers what they want, holes in their walls".

   The second is what does a successful version of our business look like? What values of which financial, customer and community metrics describe our view of a successful business?

   The two answers enable us to start to determine how many customers, with what problems, we need to solve in order to have a successful business.

2. What do our preferred customers expect?

   This question demands that we know not only what products or services a customer group needs, but what problem needs to be solved.

   Customers will expect us to solve their problem, not just to meet their need. In solving their problem what will they expect in terms of sales, credit, logistics, billing and communication?

   We must match the minimum of what they expect with the minimum of what we provide. We must be willing to ask what customers need and not fall into the trap of using the opinion of one (ours). Conducting well constructed and sampled qualitative research is a good way to find out the relative importance of customer expectations and quantitative research to find out how many customers exist with groups of expectations. If we cannot afford to then we should talk to the people from whom our preferred customers buy.

3. What would surprise them?

   This question demands knowledge of customer's unmet needs.

   In addition to understanding what our preferred customers expect as a minimum, we must understand the range of services which they would not expect, but value. In doing so, we will know what services to give to deliver superior service. Typically, these services are low cost ones which we can afford to give away.

   For example, following up a customer in retail sales of medium to high value goods or services has high impact on reducing any feelings of remorse over the purchase and highlights any issues over the purchase to be dealt with quickly. The cost is a few minutes of labour and a phone call. The service is unexpected and in the vast majority of cases very welcomed and valued.

4. What would make it easy for our preferred customers to do business with us?

   This question demands we know how our customers prefer to buy and what problems our approach to selling may cause them.

   Designing our business interactions to help our preferred customers buy our goods and services allows us to focus on two things in sequence.

   First is to design our processes to help our preferred customers buy, thereby reducing their perceived costs.

   Secondly, is with that design of processes in mind, to reduce our costs of executing those processes.

   Making it easy to do business with us has two advantages. It usually reduces the cost of the transaction leading to higher available margins. Making it easy to do business with us will also help capture market share of our preferred customer segment, above and beyond what is calculated by a competitive analysis excluding this parameter.

5. What kind of employees do we need to surprise the customers we need?

   This question demands we know what behaviour, skills and knowledge are required to solve our preferred customer's problem, exceed their expectations and make it easy to buy from us.

   To deliver superior service, employees need to believe in delivering superior service. Beliefs drive attitudes and behaviours. An employee's attitude towards customer service is the starting point to delivering superior service.

   Recruitment must take into account the beliefs and attitudes of prospective employees as well as their technical skills and experiences.

   The beliefs and behaviours of prospective employees must match those required to deliver the minimum service required and the unexpected service which will be valued by our preferred customer segment.

6. What would make it attractive for people who would surprise the customers we need to join us and stay?

   This question demands we know what will win the competition for the behaviour, skills and knowledge we require to provide superior service to our preferred customers.

   What rewards and recognition system will encourage the types of employees we want to come to our organisation and to stay, grow and teach others?

   What design of performance management system will reinforce the behaviour and performance we need to be able to deliver superior service to our preferred customer segment? Will it weed out those who do not fit because of poor behaviour or poor performance?

The Important Function of Remote Security Cameras
Used primarily in the beginning as a traffic-monitoring device, remote security cameras are becoming the weapon of choice in the war against terrorism and crime around the world. A trained technician can sit in a control booth and monitor cameras placed in many locations around the city and using his remote equipment, he can pan and tilt, turning the cameras at will to view an even larger area than would be possible with stationary security cameras.The latest spy programs on TV use these cameras to monitor good guys and bad guys having clandestine meetings in downtown areas. They can pan and follow two people who are walking and talking and when they’ve reached the outermost edges of the camera’s field of vision, they merely switch to the next camera and pan and tilt all over again.While it seems far-fetched and makes for interesting entertainment, these cameras do exist and csatisfaction. "Very few of our customers are passionately committed to the deployment of electric power tools in their homes. They want holes. And it is your jobs as executives in this corporation to find ever more competitive, efficient, and imaginative ways of giving our customers what they want, holes in their walls".

The second is what does a successful version of our business look like? What values of which financial, customer and community metrics describe our view of a successful business?

The two answers enable us to start to determine how many customers, with what problems, we need to solve in order to have a successful business.

7. What do our preferred customers expect?

   This question demands that we know not only what products or services a customer group needs, but what problem needs to be solved.

   Customers will expect us to solve their problem, not just to meet their need. In solving their problem what will they expect in terms of sales, credit, logistics, billing and communication?

   We must match the minimum of what they expect with the minimum of what we provide. We must be willing to ask what customers need and not fall into the trap of using the opinion of one (ours). Conducting well constructed and sampled qualitative research is a good way to find out the relative importance of customer expectations and quantitative research to find out how many customers exist with groups of expectations. If we cannot afford to then we should talk to the people from whom our preferred customers buy.

8. What would surprise them?

   This question demands knowledge of customer's unmet needs.

   In addition to understanding what our preferred customers expect as a minimum, we must understand the range of services which they would not expect, but value. In doing so, we will know what services to give to deliver superior service. Typically, these services are low cost ones which we can afford to give away.

   For example, following up a customer in retail sales of medium to high value goods or services has high impact on reducing any feelings of remorse over the purchase and highlights any issues over the purchase to be dealt with quickly. The cost is a few minutes of labour and a phone call. The service is unexpected and in the vast majority of cases very welcomed and valued.

9. What would make it easy for our preferred customers to do business with us?

   This question demands we know how our customers prefer to buy and what problems our approach to selling may cause them.

   Designing our business interactions to help our preferred customers buy our goods and services allows us to focus on two things in sequence.

   First is to design our processes to help our preferred customers buy, thereby reducing their perceived costs.

   Secondly, is with that design of processes in mind, to reduce our costs of executing those processes.

   Making it easy to do business with us has two advantages. It usually reduces the cost of the transaction leading to higher available margins. Making it easy to do business with us will also help capture market share of our preferred customer segment, above and beyond what is calculated by a competitive analysis excluding this parameter.

10. What kind of employees do we need to surprise the customers we need?

    This question demands we know what behaviour, skills and knowledge are required to solve our preferred customer's problem, exceed their expectations and make it easy to buy from us.

    To deliver superior service, employees need to believe in delivering superior service. Beliefs drive attitudes and behaviours. An employee's attitude towards customer service is the starting point to delivering superior service.

    Recruitment must take into account the beliefs and attitudes of prospective employees as well as their technical skills and experiences.

    The beliefs and behaviours of prospective employees must match those required to deliver the minimum service required and the unexpected service which will be valued by our preferred customer segment.

11. What would make it attractive for people who would surprise the customers we need to join us and stay?

    This question demands we know what will win the competition for the behaviour, skills and knowledge we require to provide superior service to our preferred customers.

    What rewards and recognition system will encourage the types of employees we want to come to our organisation and to stay, grow and teach others?

    What design of performance management system will reinforce the behaviour and performance we need to be able to deliver superior service to our preferred customer segment? Will it weed out those who do not fit because of poor behaviour or poor performance?

The Many Benefits of a Free Standing Smoking Shelter
A ban on smoking means that smokers all over the United Kingdom are being forced outside in order to smoke. This can cause a smoker to be quite unhappy when the weather decides to act badly. No longer can one sit inside, watching the snow fall outside, on a cold and windy day as they enjoy a satisfying cigarette. To make the ban more pleasurable for smokers it is a good idea to invest in a free standing smoking shelter. It will help protect you and your friends from the elements while you enjoy a couple smokes.These smoking shelters have been uniquely designed for easy smoking access and the dispersal of finished cigarettes. These structures are comprised of the highest-quality of raw materials on the market today. The use of these materials ensures that this smoking shelter will be able to withstand the wear and tear of many years of usage. A free standing smoking shelter is not onlurs). Conducting well constructed and sampled qualitative research is a good way to find out the relative importance of customer expectations and quantitative research to find out how many customers exist with groups of expectations. If we cannot afford to then we should talk to the people from whom our preferred customers buy.
12. What would surprise them?

    This question demands knowledge of customer's unmet needs.

    In addition to understanding what our preferred customers expect as a minimum, we must understand the range of services which they would not expect, but value. In doing so, we will know what services to give to deliver superior service. Typically, these services are low cost ones which we can afford to give away.

    For example, following up a customer in retail sales of medium to high value goods or services has high impact on reducing any feelings of remorse over the purchase and highlights any issues over the purchase to be dealt with quickly. The cost is a few minutes of labour and a phone call. The service is unexpected and in the vast majority of cases very welcomed and valued.

13. What would make it easy for our preferred customers to do business with us?

    This question demands we know how our customers prefer to buy and what problems our approach to selling may cause them.

    Designing our business interactions to help our preferred customers buy our goods and services allows us to focus on two things in sequence.

    First is to design our processes to help our preferred customers buy, thereby reducing their perceived costs.

    Secondly, is with that design of processes in mind, to reduce our costs of executing those processes.

    Making it easy to do business with us has two advantages. It usually reduces the cost of the transaction leading to higher available margins. Making it easy to do business with us will also help capture market share of our preferred customer segment, above and beyond what is calculated by a competitive analysis excluding this parameter.

14. What kind of employees do we need to surprise the customers we need?

    This question demands we know what behaviour, skills and knowledge are required to solve our preferred customer's problem, exceed their expectations and make it easy to buy from us.

    To deliver superior service, employees need to believe in delivering superior service. Beliefs drive attitudes and behaviours. An employee's attitude towards customer service is the starting point to delivering superior service.

    Recruitment must take into account the beliefs and attitudes of prospective employees as well as their technical skills and experiences.

    The beliefs and behaviours of prospective employees must match those required to deliver the minimum service required and the unexpected service which will be valued by our preferred customer segment.

15. What would make it attractive for people who would surprise the customers we need to join us and stay?

    This question demands we know what will win the competition for the behaviour, skills and knowledge we require to provide superior service to our preferred customers.

    What rewards and recognition system will encourage the types of employees we want to come to our organisation and to stay, grow and teach others?

    What design of performance management system will reinforce the behaviour and performance we need to be able to deliver superior service to our preferred customer segment? Will it weed out those who do not fit because of poor behaviour or poor performance?

Working in Dubai
Dubai in the United Arab Emirates is one of the world’s fastest growing employment hotspots in the world. Up to 20 new companies establish themselves in the emirate’s free trade zones every week and since 2002 some 650 companies have registered in the Dubai Media City free trade zone alone.Particularly in the fields of tourism, IT, media and finance there are significant job opportunities for qualified personnel and if you’re interested in working in Dubai here’s a guide to employment in the most exciting, tax free, fastest growing multi cultural location in the world.Yes, you heard me right, Dubai is tax free – if you live and work in the emirate your income will be paid to you gross and furthermore, if you buy a house to live in you will not be subject to property taxes because direct personal taxation is against the law in Dubai!The emirate currently has 15 free trao do business with us?

This question demands we know how our customers prefer to buy and what problems our approach to selling may cause them.

Designing our business interactions to help our preferred customers buy our goods and services allows us to focus on two things in sequence.

First is to design our processes to help our preferred customers buy, thereby reducing their perceived costs.

Secondly, is with that design of processes in mind, to reduce our costs of executing those processes.

Making it easy to do business with us has two advantages. It usually reduces the cost of the transaction leading to higher available margins. Making it easy to do business with us will also help capture market share of our preferred customer segment, above and beyond what is calculated by a competitive analysis excluding this parameter.

16. What kind of employees do we need to surprise the customers we need?

    This question demands we know what behaviour, skills and knowledge are required to solve our preferred customer's problem, exceed their expectations and make it easy to buy from us.

    To deliver superior service, employees need to believe in delivering superior service. Beliefs drive attitudes and behaviours. An employee's attitude towards customer service is the starting point to delivering superior service.

    Recruitment must take into account the beliefs and attitudes of prospective employees as well as their technical skills and experiences.

    The beliefs and behaviours of prospective employees must match those required to deliver the minimum service required and the unexpected service which will be valued by our preferred customer segment.

17. What would make it attractive for people who would surprise the customers we need to join us and stay?

    This question demands we know what will win the competition for the behaviour, skills and knowledge we require to provide superior service to our preferred customers.

    What rewards and recognition system will encourage the types of employees we want to come to our organisation and to stay, grow and teach others?

    What design of performance management system will reinforce the behaviour and performance we need to be able to deliver superior service to our preferred customer segment? Will it weed out those who do not fit because of poor behaviour or poor performance?

Can Your Business Succeed Without a Toll Free Number?
The toll free number is an indispensible part of doing business today. Toll-free numbers allow consumers to contact your business without having to pay for the call themselves. Toll free numbers can be a powerful sales and marketing tool and consumers have come to expect companies to have a toll free number for their customers to reach them. Many times, a toll free number will also give you more benefits than a local number service.90% of Americans report using a toll free number and studies show that using a toll free number in your advertising increases your response by 30%. Other research shows that when faced with a choice of several similar businesses, consumers are much more likely to call a business with a toll-free number than a business with a local or long distance number. The reason for this is two-fold. One is because, right or wrong, people see a company with a toll Beliefs drive attitudes and behaviours. An employee's attitude towards customer service is the starting point to delivering superior service.

Recruitment must take into account the beliefs and attitudes of prospective employees as well as their technical skills and experiences.

The beliefs and behaviours of prospective employees must match those required to deliver the minimum service required and the unexpected service which will be valued by our preferred customer segment.

18. What would make it attractive for people who would surprise the customers we need to join us and stay?

    This question demands we know what will win the competition for the behaviour, skills and knowledge we require to provide superior service to our preferred customers.

    What rewards and recognition system will encourage the types of employees we want to come to our organisation and to stay, grow and teach others?

    What design of performance management system will reinforce the behaviour and performance we need to be able to deliver superior service to our preferred customer segment? Will it weed out those who do not fit because of poor behaviour or poor performance?

19. What information would tell us that our business is successful?

    This question demands we know not only the values of lagging financial, customer and community metrics that indicate a successful business, but also leading indicators of superior customer service.

Taking time out to ask some or all of these powerful questions on what is necessary to provide superior customer service will create some anxiety. It is designed to. The answers will, in most cases, show a gap between what is happening now and what is needed to deliver superior service.

To close the gap takes both will and ability, not only of the leader of the organisation, but also the team they lead. Involving the team in answering these powerful questions will get the buy-in required to start on the journey to providing superior customer service.

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