Eric Flannigan has been creating innovative and effective customer service initiatives for years; working with major corporates, SMEs and fledgling entrepreneurs to deliver the ultimate in customer experiences there’s little he doesn’t know about the holy grail of excellence in service.

Speaking at a recent Evening Exchange on “Going the Extra Mile” Eric, of Flannigan Consulting, shared some of his experience. He believes a business is only as good as the weakest link, so it’s important to discover what that is, fix it and then manage service as tightly as production or operations.

He summed his thoughts into “In a Nutshell” actions for improving your customer experience. Number one is to have a single compelling purpose for your business existence ie to be renowned for outstanding service. But to deliver that you need leadership skills to win the hearts and minds of the people who work for you.

Giving praise and recognition for good services to customers is key, and make sure you value those who deliver very well for your customers.

It’s also important to define what your outstanding service actually looks like, and how each of your customers will experience that.
Eric says: “Make sure that key people walk the talk on service, measure the delivery – and manage it fiercely.

“Focus on increasing customer opinion by a factor of between 3 and 5.”

He also suggested simple tips to remind customers of all the “over and above” things you do for them. “Send them an invoice recording ‘no charge’ when you have done something significant for customer and you wish to underline that you went the extra mile.”

Key takeaways from the event:
Remember the value of face to face
Simplicity and visible, engaged leadership turns your values into your assets
Get new employees to physically sign up to Values and Service Behaviours