Consultants train it. 

Service companies claim it. 

Customers don’t believe it. 

What does it mean to have ”World Class” Service:

  • Being nice to customers?
  • Getting little extras or freebies?
  • Delivering what is promised?
  • Handling problems well?
  • Willing to go the extra mile?

I am not really sure.  It’s probably a combination of things.  Apple seemed to be the focus of customer service for a while, I’ve never been fond of their service.  Great marketers Apple has proven to be, fun products, lots of hype, but haven’t really found them to back their product or that they have selected partners well.  The latest hype is Zappos, I have never used their product.  I have read about them in Business Week and these guys are all over Twitter.  Still, I will remain unconvinced until I have my experience and that the phenomenon becomes greater than a “flash in the pan.”  Hey, everyone needs a skeptic. 

Ok, so Zappos receives 5,000 phone calls/day in their call center.  Are all of these value calls to place orders?  I doubt it.  Inevitably, some portion are going to be failure calls (got the wrong shoes, haven’t received my shoes, you didn’t call me back, etc.).  What percentage of the 5,000 calls are of this nature?  In most service organizations this number is between 25% and 75% of all phone calls into their call centers.  I’ve got to tell you that “service with a smile” can only go so far.  In most service organizations, I would be characterized as the difficult customer because just fixing the problem isn’t enough (nor is the expensive recovery process), it is never having to make that (failure) call in the first place.

Ultimately, whether Zappos (or any company claiming the status of “World Class”)gains or maintains such a lofty status will depend on whether it is built on the fabric of command and control thinking or systems thinking.  Has the customer management process been designed form top-down (implying inside-out) or outside-in?  Don’t know, appear to have.  Is the work based on scientific management theory (functional separation of work) or based on demand, value and flow?  Appears to be based on the latter.  Is decision-making done separate from the work or integrated with the work? Not sure.  Are they focused on financial and performance targets or capability with an understanding of variation?  Don’t know . . . but I do know that time will tell.

Tripp Babbitt is a speaker, blogger, consultant and antagonist to service industry (private and public).  His organization helps executives find a better way to make the work work.  Download free from www.newsystemsthinking.com “Understanding Your Organization as a System” and gain knowledge of systems thinking or contact us about our intervention services at info@newsystemsthinking.com.  Reach him on Twitter at www.twitter.com/TriBabbitt.