Improving Your "Serve"
For those precious few who enjoy watching tennis (we’re a sad lot, aren’t we?), this is an exciting time of the year. Two weeks of the French Open quickly followed by a fortnight at Wimbledon.
My wife and I have been up early the past two weeks with the television on, watching the live matches from across the pond. I’ve even learned a thing or two. One thing is for certain, if you don’t have a good serve, you aren’t going to make it far in tennis. On the other hand, if you’ve got a World-class serve – it can get you a long way, even if the rest of your game is mediocre.
It’s an apt metaphor for business. You can have a great product at a fair price – but without a quality “serve” you’re going to struggle to make it onto the court with the elite players in your market. Look at the troubles experienced by Home Depot or United of late. If you have excellent service, you will find it easier to slide through some of the rough spots that all growing companies experience. Great service can help generate customer loyalty, even when you’re finding it hard to deliver at the moment.
How do you improve your serve?
- Listen to your customers. Do a survey. Find out what they expect and what they experienced the last time they came in contact with your company. Stop guessing what your customers want. Ask them.
- Listen to your company. Capture “moments of truth” between customers and your Customer Service or Sales Representatives. Objectively analyze what’s taking place. Identify opportunities for improvements.
- Fill the Gaps. Provide focused training and coaching, based on what you know (from the previous two steps), that equips your employees to serve well.
"Life is like a game of tennis; he who serves well seldom loses." - Anonymous
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