Creating a culture of service requires a solid foundation to ensure that every interaction is consistent and WOW worthy. Ruby client Robin recently asked:
“I know customer service is important to building long-time clients and growing my business, but I’m not sure where to start! How can I create a culture of service like Ruby?”
Great question Robin! The Ruby Service Pyramid is the foundation of our culture and our success. Having a service pyramid in place to guide the actions and decisions of your company and employees is a critical step in providing top notch service to your customers. And it’s something that we absolutely recommend you take the time to establish.
Inspired by Maslow’s famous “Needs Pyramid”, our Service Pyramid is our guide to WOWing everyone we interact with. Like Maslow’s pyramid, we list our core service fundamentals at the bottom, and our finer service practices at the top! While every level of the Service Pyramid is important, it’s always best to start at the bottom. After all, what good is remembering to send a client a card on their birthday if we haven’t been answering their calls due to a technical issue? With that in mind, let’s start by breaking down Ruby’s own Service Pyramid!
BE PREPARED WITH THE RIGHT INFRASTRUCTURE
At the foundation of our service pyramid you find “Be Prepared With The Right Infrastructure”. At Ruby, this means our technology and employees. For your business, infrastructure might be your phone system, e-commerce site, staffing, maybe even your court or appointment schedule! Much like a building, your infrastructure is your foundation, and ensures that your Service Model is rock solid from the ground up.
DO WHAT WE SAY WE’LL DO
Consistency is key when building customer trust, and with the right infrastructure in place, the next level on our Service Pyramid focuses on our table stakes. We call this “Do What We Say We’ll Do.” It sounds easy enough, however we’ve found it takes a great deal of attention to ensure consistent delivery. To be successful at this level of the service pyramid you need performance monitoring, training programs, and feedback systems to ensure that “Do What We Say We’ll Do” is measurable! These tracking systems are part of the infrastructure your business can put in place to monitor all levels of your service pyramid. It’s all intertwined and each level can’t exist without the other!
FOSTER HAPPINESS
With the right infrastructure, and a commitment to “Doing What We Say We’ll Do” we are ready to “Foster Happiness”! When you have the right infrastructure, including the right people, you are more easily able to recognize and react when an opportunity to connect with a client presents itself. When you do this consistently, your business can really stand out.
CREATE EXPERIENCES
“Fostering Happiness” goes hand in hand with the next level of the Service Pyramid, “Create Experiences”! Have you ever had a perky barista brighten your day? Or maybe a call center representative who went out of their way to make your day because they noticed the subtle frustration in your tone? Everything from the look of your office, to your follow-up email after an appointment with a client or even the moment you offer a client free shipping because they are purchasing so many things play directly into an absolutely uplifting experience for your client.
GIVE THEM WHAT THEY DON’T EVEN KNOW THEY WANT
At Ruby we often strive to “Practice WOWism”. That kind act, or gesture that literally causes someone to say “WOW”. Each experience is an opportunity to WOW, and thus the next level of our Service Pyramid is “Give Them What They Don’t Even Know They Want”. If a caller wants to buy something from you, but can’t until Friday, that’s your chance to proactively offer to hold the item for them till Friday! Have a client that gets nervous before a court appointment? Maybe offer to meet with them for 30 minutes prior to court so you can put them at ease! Whatever the situation is, there is always an opportunity to go above and beyond. And it’s often this opportunity that sets your business apart.
MAKE MEANINGFUL CONNECTIONS
Finally, at the top of our Service Pyramid, you will find “Make Meaningful connections”. At Ruby, everyone is a part of the team, our clients included! Getting to know your clients is one of the most rewarding parts of working for any business, it’s also a critical key to success! Your business can make connections on every level, whether you are discussing weekend plans, talking about your favorite music, or even the weather!
BRINGING IT ALL TOGETHER
From “Be Prepared With The Right Infrastructure” at the base of our service pyramid to “Make Meaningful Connections” at the top, we have an established guideline for your success and the success of your clients. While every businesses Service Pyramid will look slightly different, the concept applies across the board. At the bottom, you have the fundamentals of your service, and at the top you have those finer practices that help your team stand out.
Well, that wraps it up for this episode of Paging Dr. Ruby. Huge thanks to Robin for her fantastic question! For more information on how you can create a Service Pyramid for your business check out our blog series “The Ruby Service Pyramid”! And of course, if you’re looking for communication advice, or tips about the Ruby Service we’re here to help. Dr. Ruby is always on the case! Send us your questions on Twitter @callruby, Facebook or put them in the comments below!
