What is an amazing customer service experience? In theory, it is simple: Sell a product or service that works the way it is supposed to, and be nice to the customer while doing so. But although the basic idea may be simple and straightforward, that’s not to say customer service is easy.

With all the variables that can be thrown into the mix – an unforeseen issue with the product, a shipping delay, a generally disagreeable customer, and so on – there needs to be more to your customer service strategy than just being nice.

Another factor to consider is that people have become extremely value conscious. So, if yourproduct faces competition from a less-expensive alternative, how do you compete? It has to be with customer service. Create a better experience and you create better value. Companies that create the best experience are the ones that stay in business longer and aren’t forced to sell their goods at losing margins.

Is customer service hard?

Some would say “no.” To them I would ask, if it’s easy, why don’t more companies deliver better customer service? At its core, the concept of customer service is easy, but actually delivering good customer service – the execution – is hard. It takes effort and planning. Although it may be based on simple strategies and tactics, it takes work and commitment to establish a customer-centric culture throughout your organization.

Join me on 5/26 at 11am PT to learn how to amaze your customers in a live Series Pass webcast. Here are four things to consider as you work to create a customer-focused culture and deliver amazing customer service:

Take it from the topic

Customer service must start at the top and be practiced by every member of the organization. There is no room for a “do as I say, not as I do” mentality – leaders need to be the role models for the employees to follow. From top to bottom, every decision should consider the question, “How will this impact the customer?”

Make time to define

Your employees will have a difficult time delivering an amazing customer experience if you haven’t decided what that means in your company. Think about what kind of special promise you will make to your customers. Do you promise a quick response? That the customer can rely on you to get the job done? Condense your promise into a word or a simple phrase that employees can easily remember.
Teach and train. Once you have defined your customer service goal, share it with your employees and train them in how to deliver it. Map out the customer’s journey and identify all possible points of interaction so your employees can be prepared to deliver good customer service at each of these “touch points.” Employees should know your short-form customer service definition by heart and be prepared and excited to deliver on your promises.

Go for the gold

To have a winning team that delivers outstanding customer service, management should always follow what I call the Employee Golden Rule: Treat your employees the way you want the customer to be treated – maybe even better. When employees feel appreciated, they are more motivated to do well in their responsibilities – including customer service.

There are countless customer service strategies and tactics, but these are some of the most basic and most powerful. The key is to apply them on a consistent basis – that’s what the best companies do. Remember, to be amazing you simply have to be better than average all the time.

Learn the art of amazing your customers on 5/26 at 11am PT in our live Series Pass webcast. Then go out there and amaze your customers!

Shep Hyken is a customer experience expert and the Chief Amazement Officer of Shepard Presentations. He is a New York Times bestselling author and has been inducted into the National Speakers Association Hall of Fame for lifetime achievement in the speaking profession. Shep works with companies and organizations who want to build loyal relationships with their customers and employees. For more articles on customer service and business go to http://www.hyken.com.