Great service reflects not only on ourselves, but on the business we work at, the industry we work in, and the reputation that is formed through our delivery. 

Zappos recently sent me 2 left shoes (practical only if they also sent me 2 right shoes). The manner in which they handled my situation was inspiring and one of the big reasons I believe they have been so successful. They apologized, shipped new shoes, and made it easy for me to return what I had. I could have concluded they were incompetent, but rather, I love them more.

Great service comes when…You know what to do, you’re empowered to do it, and you have the right mindset to act on it. It begins with having service standards that everyone in your organization knows, is trained on, and could actually train others on as well.

In The Best Marketing is Service training we do at Red Zone Marketing, the seven service standards we focus on are:

1.) Create an Experience: An experience is the art of making people feel welcome and giving them more than expected in terms of service, kindness, and overcoming challenges.

2.) Serve with Empathy: Empathy is the ability to recognize emotions in others and to understand other people’s perspectives on a situation and how your actions make them feel.

3.) Connect with Respect: The words we use, our tone of voice, and our body language all contribute to our communication, our connections with others, and how it is received. 

4.) Embrace Moments of Truth: There will always be difficult situations – how we choose to deal with them brings out the best in all of us.

5.) Take Responsibility: Instead of deflecting responsibility, we are empowered to take action and become a catalyst for creating positive experiences.

6.) Details Matter: The way our environment looks says a lot about who we are and how much we care.

7.) Always Improve: When we find ways to improve, even 1%, as people, teammates, leaders, and those in the service of others, we have the power to bring life-altering, positive results to ourselves and those around us.

Often, getting just a little bit better at your service can mean an increased stream of referrals and new business. There are so many nuances involved in delivering great service. What are the standards by which you and your team consistently operate? Is your service good or great?