Compete (And Win) On Customer Service, When You’re Not Nordstrom, Apple, Or Amazon

The customer service “wow” examples that you read in business books and hear from customer service speakers and consultants are often taken from premium brands: five-star hotels, Nordstrom, Apple, REI, Mercedes-Benz, or from companies with decidedly unique resources, such as Amazon. I know that I’m as prone to this as anyone; even when I’m ask to be a keynote speaker in a more specialized area, like patient satisfaction and patient experience in healthcare, I default to sharing examples from healthcare organizations like Mayo Clinic and Cleveland Clinic, which have storied histories and significant resources at their disposal. If yours is a company with more modest means, I don’t want you to let yourself off the hook when you hear examples from such well-heeled companies, thinking, “with the limited resources here, we could never provide that level of customer service here–so why even make an effort?” I’d argue that just because you’re not a super model doesn’t mean you shouldn’t wash your hair, stand up straight, and eat right; and just because you’re not Nordstrom doesn’t mean you shouldn’t have a customer-friendly returns policy; and just because you’re not Mayo Clinic doesn’t mean you can’t adopt a brilliant customer/patient-centered philosophy like theirs (“The needs of the patient come first”). Read more at Forbes.