Lawrence Nicholson | Ambassadors of good customer service

Jamaica celebrated its 56th National Heroes Day on Monday, October 21. There are more Jamaican heroes than the seven who have been accorded the title Order of National Hero.

History is replete with instances where many things got done or have been accomplished because of the recognised and unrecognised heroes, in Jamaica and beyond. In the case of Jamaica, among those who readily come to mind when enquiries are made of the man in the street, are Marcus Garvey, Nanny, Louise Bennett-Coverley and Robert Nesta Marley. Each of the referenced names has been a champion for a cause. A cause that has proven to be of great value to Jamaica.

Jamaica needs more ‘heroes’ to champion other worthwhile and value-added causes. One such cause is to make Jamaica be the beacon of good – effective and efficient – customer service.

Good customer service in Jamaica is at an all-time low. Some will even dare to voice the extreme in saying that good customer service in Jamaica is non-existent. Not true – there are pockets of good customer service. What is needed is the adoption of a culture and subsequent demonstration of good customer service across all organisations in Jamaica.

The writer makes no claim to be an expert in customer service. Dr Anne Crick, an outstanding researcher in all matters related to customer service, is in prime position to wear the hat of expert in what constitutes good customer service.

One thing is certain, most know good customer service when it is experienced. Unfortunately, and regrettably, the expressed experiences of many indicate an absence of any wide-scale good customer service across Jamaican organisations.

Who will step forward to be a champion of the needed good customer service in Jamaica? In response to this question, family-owned businesses, FOBs, are listed among the nominees. With a panel of one, this nomination is accepted.

This mantle of being an ambassador and champion of good customer service can be worn by a group of businesses whose combined revenue is estimated to be equivalent to 32 per cent of the GDP of Jamaica. They are in prime position to champion the cause of good customer service in Jamaica. Will they take on and champion this cause?

Research shows that FOBs are numbered among the pockets of good customer service globally. The data on FOBs in Jamaica shows among those that can be listed as representatives of good customer service in Jamaica are Honey Bun Limited, Manpower & Maintenance Services Limited, JMMB Group Limited, Cari-Med Group Limited, Island Grill, and the Devon House I’Scream arm of Scoops Unlimited.

None of the listed and unlisted FOBs that are representatives of good customer service in Jamaica is perfect. However, a common thread among each of the ones referenced is the evidence of a path of continuous improvement as they strive to offer good customer service.

Customer service refers to the range of support and assistance provided to customers by an organisation before, during and after the purchase of a product or service. The offering of customer service includes providing timely response to questions, resolving customers’ complaints and concerns, and interacting with customers at different levels. Good customer service involves more than saying what it is; it involves doing what it says it does by going beyond the theoretical definition.

In her research in customer service, Dr Anne Crick posits that organisations that seek to offer good customer service has this as a strategic imperative. This means that customer service must not be an add-on, but, like total quality management, good customer service must permeate the entire organisation, starting with the highest level of leadership and management.

Dr Crick proffers that developing a customer service culture is essential in offering good service to customers. She offers that organisations can build, or seek to build, this culture on one or a combination of the following four approaches drawn from the work of Barlow and Stewart on branded customer service:

Customer service as a cost: Such a strategy will usually lead to customers having a low trust engagement with the organisation. This is informed by a policy of low trust with customers and staff, one that strictly adheres to rules, with limited training and short-term focus by management. The targeted outcomes in this approach are the highest possible margins on each transaction.

Customer service as a necessity: In this approach, service is seen as a requirement to match the offering of the competition, but is seen as a cost rather than an investment. The policy is to be nice to customers, and is associated with limited staff empowerment, with an approach to do only what is necessary to keep the customers. The targeted outcomes with this approach are avoiding customer dissatisfaction and aiming for satisfaction, not necessarily customer loyalty. The result of this approach will usually lead to having fewer lost customers and repeat business, based on prices, and customer inertia. Another result is having a low company-customer engagement.

Customer service as a competitive advantage: Companies that adopt this approach see service as a driver and strategic measure in the development of their businesses. In this approach, the policy is for management to adopt a long-term focus to exceed customer expectations and empowering staff, through continuous training, to deliver the highest level of customer service. The result of this approach is usually enhanced reputation for service offered and the likelihood of having both loyal staff and customers. Additionally, this will usually lead to a long-term and positive company-customer engagement.

Customer service as a living expression of the brand: This approach helps to define the company. In this approach, the company wears its brand on its forehead; it’s part of the company’s DNA. On a continuum, this approach to customer service represents the highest offering to customers. This approach forms part of both the mission and vision of the company.

There is no one best way, but FOBs have a unique opportunity to entwine their values into their brand of customer service and create a competitive advantage that cannot be easily replicated because it is rooted in their DNA.

In the final analysis, FOBs might not be recognised as heroes, and even be accorded any national award. However, Jamaica will hold them up as the category of businesses that stood up and champion the cause of good customer service. This is a cause that FOBs, as a group, can coalesce around. This might mean the forming of an organisation for this purpose, such as the family-owned businesses of Jamaica – FOBoJ.

Whatever the approach, this writer believes Jamaica needs to hear from the group of businesses whose revenues are estimated to approximately 32 per cent of the country’s GDP. The sphere and scope of influence can cover the relevant areas to build a positive culture of good customer service.

More anon!

Lawrence Nicholson, PhD, is a senior lecturer at the Mona School of Business & Management, University of the West Indies, author of Understanding the Caribbean Enterprise: Insights from MSMEs and Family-Owned Businesses and a director of the RJRGLEANER Communications Group.lawrence.n.08@gmail.com