What is "Service"?

"That's a strange question" you must be saying. I mean it is easy to recollect a time when you experienced bad service or maybe great service. But how to you define the word service?

I define it in the simplest of terms. To me, service is an interaction. An interaction between two or more people. An interaction between someone who wants or needs something (a customer) and someone who can provide what the customer wants or needs (a service provider).

A plethora of things can occur during that interaction that will impact the adjectives attached to the noun “service” each time. When the interaction meets or exceeds the customer’s expectations, it is often remembered as good service. When the interaction is less than expected – bad service. Who determines what the expectation is? The CUSTOMER. Every time.

Many organizations work endlessly to set the bar for great service. They establish operating procedures, train staff, signs, plaques, certificates, all in an effort to consistently deliver great service. However, if they are not connected to their customers in a deep and genuine way, if they aren’t listening to comments, asking questions, monitoring these interactions and adjusting as needed to the expectations – the bar is worthless.

Who has the ability to affect these interactions (and ultimately the service experience)? EVERYBODY. The service provider can miss the mark. The customer can make it difficult to know the mark. People within the service provider’s organization, technology, processes, systems, resources, can all have an impact on the interaction. As can the customer themselves, people within their organizations, their processes, systems, technology, heck – even other customers can play a part.

Who has the RESPONSIBILITY to make the interaction a positive one? The SERVICE PROVIDER! Every time. Despite the fact that so many things can get in the way of interactions being positive and “service” being deemed “good”, AND the fact that each and every customer can have their own unique expectations of what good service is, the service provider must find a way to deliver – every time.

Is it possible to have a positive interaction (good service experience) even when there is a negative situation? Have you ever had too long a wait at a restaurant, or the meal was unsatisfactory – and your server figured out how to make you happy anyway? How did they do it?

Despite all the obstacles to ensuring great service, the ever changing demands of the customer, the planets out of alignment and Murphy’s Law, great service providers make certain that EVERY interaction is a positive one and deliver great service constantly. Great service organizations recognize the value of these astute service providers and empower them to make decisions on the fly and do whatever it takes (within sensible reason) to guarantee a positive interaction.

So the next time you want to define your company as service-focused, stop looking at your own “standards” and processes and start looking to hire exceptional service providers and enable them to create memorable customer interactions. Your customers will do the rest!