| 1> | | | | justify your current performance or blame others. |
| | | | Simply listen. |
| When you are good, people will notice. When you | | | | 2. Determine the standard they want. Again, ask |
| are excellent, they will rave. Below are six steps | | | | your Customers or those you serve for their |
| that you can take to continue to raise your own | | | | input. Listen to their needs, wants and hopes. |
| standards of excellence. These steps will make it | | | | 3. Determine the standard you want. Remember |
| easier than ever to stand out, be noticed, and | | | | that their expectations may not be very high |
| have greater levels of success and satisfaction. | | | | based on their experience. Take their feedback |
| Recognizing that the time had come to replace | | | | and ideas into account, but remember that it is |
| our hot water heater, my wife called our plumber | | | | your responsibility to set the level of excellence |
| to schedule an appointment. She placed the call at | | | | you want to reach. Set the bar is high as you |
| about 11 a.m. When the agent asked, Would | | | | wish. |
| you be available between one and three? Lori | | | | 4. Under promise and over deliver. Taking the first |
| asked, Which day? The agent replied | | | | three steps will heighten awareness and likely |
| Today of course. | | | | raise expectations immediately. As you work to |
| Hearing a strange noise coming from our furnace, | | | | grow your standards remember that you can |
| another call was placed. Again, the appointment | | | | reach your goal is small steps. Make promises |
| was made and the problem was solved the same | | | | based on your current capacity, not your fondest |
| day. (Are you surprised that the furnace and the | | | | wish. Make the promise, then deliver more, then |
| plumbing company have the same ownership?) | | | | raise the level of your promise a bit the next |
| Earlier this week my wife had a problem with her | | | | time. Steady and slow wins the race — and |
| knee and after seeing our family doctor she was | | | | remember it won’t take long to leave |
| referred to a knee specialist - a specialist | | | | those you are racing with far behind. This |
| considered one of the best in Indianapolis. When | | | | approach will help you raise your standards, and |
| she called for an appointment, I feared the worst. | | | | the trust others have I you too. |
| Instead, she had an appointment within 24 hours. | | | | 5. Ask what's not excellent? This question |
| My guess is that as you read each of these short | | | | will help you continue to find ways to improve |
| stories. You are surprised at the service we | | | | your standards and delivery. Ask this question of |
| received. The fact is, this level of service should | | | | yourself, of your teammates, and of other |
| be the norm, but sadly isn't. Our experience has | | | | interested parties. |
| lowered the expectations of most of us. | | | | 6. Measure performance. You've set new |
| The Good News | | | | standards for yourself. The only way to reach |
| The good news in these examples is that it is | | | | them and maintain them is to measure your |
| easier than ever to stand out. When you are | | | | performance against those standards. Depending |
| good, people will notice. When you are excellent, | | | | on the standards you are setting this may be |
| they will rave. | | | | very simple or quite complex. Don't make the |
| This goes for us personally, professionally, or as | | | | measurement more difficult than necessary, but |
| an organization. | | | | remember to measure. |
| Below are six steps that you can take to | | | | It is clear that these steps have obvious |
| continue to raise your own standards of | | | | application for serving Customers better. While I |
| excellence. These steps will make it easier than | | | | encourage you to consider their applications to |
| ever to stand out, be noticed, and have greater | | | | customer service, I also hope you will consider |
| levels of success and satisfaction. | | | | using them in other areas on your life. |
| What You Can Do | | | | It's time to raise the bar. It's time to set new |
| 1. Get a current check on performance. Talk to | | | | standards. Standards won’t raise |
| those you served, whether your family, | | | | themselves; we must raise them consciously and |
| coworkers or Customers. Find out from them, | | | | consistently. The steps above will help you take |
| how well you are doing in meeting their | | | | that conscious action. |
| expectations. Listen to their feedback. Don't | | | | |