What Does "Service" Really Mean?

Weve all been there --- the day long training / motivational program where we will instantly learn how to improve sales and crush the competition, right?

After a period of expert presentation, you inevitably experience the audience response section of the program. The first question is barely out of the leaders mouth and hands fly upward. Theres always one person who just has to answer the question before everyone else and show the whole room whos really number one.

Can you guess the big question? Of course . . . its always the same, What separates you and your company from the competition?. And the same answer always comes screaming out, OUR SERVICE IS BEST!. Wow, everyone in the room has the best service! Guess this is really the place to be to learn all about everything!

Now the bigger question - how many times have you heard the leader actually ask the responder to take it a step further? Give me one example of why your service is the best? asks the leader. Suddenly all the enthusiasm to be the one with the best answer disappears. Amazingly, all the minds seem to freeze up like your very first computer. The answer, SERVICE, has become so automatic the true meaning is forgotten.

At our company, the slogan is, Quantified Service with Integrity. Sounds quite profound, doesnt it? In reality, it is the first phase of the answer to the seminar leaders question. If you cannot quantify your service, then how can you expect a customer to understand just what you mean? I bet you can rattle off a list of all the features your products possess: colors - shipping weights - production times - the whole myriad of features. But can you rattle off the real reasons customers should do business with you?

Lets start with our #1 Quantify-er - We pledge to our clients that their invoices will match their quotes. Pretty basic, but how many times have you gotten a call asking why theyre not the same? Its a true service to fulfill your promises to your clients.

Our #2 is also very basic. We pledge to our clients that one of the owners is always available to them. The promise to be there for the client assures them they will not be just passed around when they really need an answer. What better level of service can your client ever expect than knowing they will be treated in such an important way.

Maybe you have an expert in some area of your clients business on staff. Isnt that a way to quantify why your service is better? Do you provide features as simple as toll- free numbers? What better service than saving your customer some money. Our list is made up of twelve specific items that Quantify Service . . . how many can you name about your company or business?

I truly hope this gets you thinking. And maybe the next time someone asks the big question you can be the one with the BEST answer.

Bill Lord is president of Zia Specialties, Inc., a Las Cruces, NM based promotional product distributor. He and his partner have nearly 3 decades of experience in the advertising specialty industry and with offices in Las Cruces, NM, Scottsdale, AZ and Spring, TX they truly cover the American Southwest.

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