A Culture of (Service) Excellence

A Note From Entech’s VP of Service Operations, Stephen Tracy.

As I was pondering what to write about for this month’s newsletter, many items came to mind that are “hot” topics in the world right now. Technology is rapidly evolving and there are many exciting (and scary) advances happening both in the short-term and slightly longer-term future. I love learning and reading and every day I see something that I want to share with others who are passionate about technology, but it also feels a little…overdone? We’ve even written several newsletters recently on the subject, so I decided to give it a bit of a break and get back to some basics on the product Entech, and many of our customers, provide to others.  

So, I decided to write about something else I’m passionate about: customer service. Almost every day, I encounter examples of both good and bad customer service and it always reminds me how much I take for granted how hard it truly is to build and maintain a healthy customer service culture. 

Recently several of our service leaders have been reading a book titled “The Service Culture Handbook.” If you are providing a service to customers, I highly recommend reading or listening to this book, even if it just serves as a reminder or validation that what you’re doing is delivering the type of service culture you desire for your end customers.

Here are some key insights and actionable steps from the book that can help organizations enhance their customer service experience:

1. Define Your Service Culture
Creating a strong service culture starts with a clear definition. The book emphasizes the importance of having a shared understanding of what excellent service looks like in your organization. This involves crafting a customer service vision statement that is simple, clear and aligns with your company's values.

2. Engage Employees at All Levels
You must engage employees at every level in the service culture journey. This means ensuring that everyone, from the CEO to frontline staff, understands and embodies the service vision. Regular training, open communication and feedback mechanisms are essential for keeping everyone aligned and motivated.

3. Recruit and Hire for Service Fit
The recruitment process plays a crucial role in building a service culture. You should hire individuals who naturally align with your service vision and values. This involves designing interview processes that assess candidates' service orientation and their fit with your company's culture.

4. Train for Service Excellence
Training should go beyond basic job skills to include education on the company's service vision and how employees can contribute to it. There must be ongoing training and development programs that reinforce service standards and provide employees with the skills they need to excel in their roles.

5. Measure What Matters
To sustain a service culture, it's crucial to measure performance and feedback related to customer service. Set clear metrics that align with your service vision and use customer feedback to make continuous improvements.

6. Recognize and Reward Service Excellence
Recognizing and rewarding employees who exemplify your service standards encourages others to do the same. Create recognition programs that highlight individuals and teams who go above and beyond in serving customers.

7. Embed the Service Culture
Finally, it’s important to embed the service culture into every aspect of your organization. This means integrating your service vision into daily operations, decision-making processes and even the physical environment to reinforce the values you stand for.

Building a strong service culture is a journey that requires commitment, alignment and continuous improvement. 

As organizations continue to focus on how new and emerging technology can help them improve operations, it’s important to remember that customer service should not be overlooked. 

I can speak for my team and for Entech when I say that we are more dedicated than ever before to building and maintaining a strong service culture to deliver an unparalleled experience for our community. Thank you being a part of that journey and if there’s anything I can do to serve you, please let me know. 

Stephen Tracy
VP of Service Operations