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Top Tips for Summer Service, our new book,  and our Service Moment of the Week...
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STEPHEN SPENCER & ASSOCIATES

THE CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE EXPERT | RETAIL | TOURISM | HOSPITALITY
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Summer Service Sensation! Five Top Tips
Summer's definitely here and as I write Andy Murray is on great form at Wimbledon...nothing wrong with his service!

When the sun's shining, arguably everything feels better, people are generally happier and perhaps it's tempting to think that Customer Service isn't a priority. Of course, readers of this newsletter know that Service is ALWAYS a priority - and the seasonal weather brings its own challenges. The fact that the sun is shining, the sky is blue and so on, is just one part of the total Customer Experience. Here are five ways to ensure you deliver a Summer Service Sensation:
  1. Create the best environment you can: if indoors, do you have air conditioning, or can you invest in fans, jugs of iced water for Customers, or even just open a window and a door for a through draught? If outdoors, use parasols, gazebos and iced water - show your Customers you care about their comfort!
  2. Look after your Team too: unlike your Customers, your Team members will spend eight hours a day in your establishment. On hot days, their thoughts will tend to be more keenly than ever focussed on the end of their shift! Consider giving them extra breaks, plenty of iced water, ice cream treats, and extra incentives to keep them energetic and focussed.
  3.  Maximise the opportunity: simplistically, when the sun's out, make sure your summer offer is out too: change your product displays, promote tactically, get the Team involved.
  4. Tell your story: whatever your summer offer, find new and eye-catching ways to communicate it to your Customers (and potential Customers). Get some ideas - take the A-board Challenge!
  5. Have a Plan B: we all know sunshine isn't guaranteed, and doesn't last very long. Invitations to "enjoy a summer cooler in our courtyard garden" may look a bit foolish if the rain is pouring down. Have a "Summer (But Not Sunny)" offer ready, and be prepared to switch to whichever offer is more appropriate. 

Why Service Matters...

DID YOU KNOW? Britain’s image overseas ranks three in the world as a “nation brand” (behind Germany and the USA), yet for “quality of welcome” we are limping in 13th place! Whilst London 2012 unsurprisingly boosted our ranking, we have now fallen back to where we were in those dark, pessimistic, pre-Olympics days.

Arguably, this situation is like a rapidly-approaching iceberg, which threatens to hole the good ship Great Britain below the waterline. If we are really perceived as so unwelcoming, we shouldn't take comfort from our overall ranking. As we all know, Service drives satisfaction and loyalty, and if we are not delivering world class service we cannot take our current popularity for granted. Read more here.

Studies show, over and over again, that poor Service is likely to cause Customers to switch brands. Collectively, and individually, British businesses face a challenge - however good we think we are, our Customers think otherwise! 

JUST PUBLISHED - "It's a Zoo Around Here 

Every Customer Service Strategy relies on great Communication - for many organisations, failing to achieve this leads to failure to build Teams that are capable of delivering great Service.

Despite the fact that any analysis of Communication styles is liable to be  hugely complex, a simple system of categories can be hugely useful in helping us make sense of our world – after all, a system is only useful if it is used!

Used successfully  with thousands of people over more than a decade, our “It’s a Zoo Around Here”  workshop will enable you to identify and relate to the various personalities in your life:

  • The visionary, single-minded Lion 
  • The playful, extrovert Monkey
  • The careful, analytical Elephant 
  • The caring, supportive Dolphin

Just published in a new edition, "It's a Zoo Around here" will show you how to become a Zookeeper – so you can nurture each personality (feed each animal the right food) and create a happy, cohesive Team that Communicates instinctively, and thus makes better decisions and achieves more productive outcomes. 
Available via our website. Paperback. 100 pages.

Service Moment of the Week

Speaking  of the challenges of delivering sensational summer Service, I was in Kefalonia, Greece, last week, and can report that, despite all the woes currently besetting the Greeks, their friendly, and at times inspired, Service ethos is still securely in place. And we think we've got problems!

The Olive Lounge restaurant, in Lourdas, provided a stylish ambience, great views and excellent food, and the Service was both sophisticated and relaxed. The highlight came, not with my plate of seafood (delicious though it was), but when I dropped my knife. Within the same second that it hit the floor, a waiter appeared, as if from nowhere - running - handed me a full replacement set of cutlery, and with a smile took my dirty knife away!

For sheer speed of reaction, anticipating my need almost before I did, on what was a very busy night - that replacement set of cutlery delivers my Service Moment of the Week!
 

We support Leaders and Organisations by applying the lessons of 25 years and 30 million Customers to YOUR Product & Service.
For Customer Experience, Communication and Leadership news and tips, join us on Social Media! Links below...
Service Moment of the Week:
The Olive Lounge, Lourdas, Kefalonia
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