This article is part of our Service Series — reflections and lessons on how service is designed, delivered, and experienced, from Frontline conversations to leadership choices.
More Problem Prevention, Less Problem Solving
You’ve earned the right to be proud when your Service Staff competently handle Customer inquiries.
But you serve a higher purpose when you stop and ask yourself – why do we get these inquiries in the first place?
Answering that question requires courage.
The courage to leave your desk and traverse the organization. Only then can you uncover the root causes of Customer contact.
In many support environments, the best contact is no contact.
The best Customer Service Managers work up and out throughout the organization. They don’t focus exclusively on internal performance.
More Inspiration, Less Compliance
It’s so easy to get caught up in compliance.
Did the Frontline Team Member say the Customer’s name three times? Did they upsell the offer?
Sure compliance matters – but it’s not the stuff of Employee inspiration or culture building.
In ideal circumstances, Customer Service Managers help set the direction.
They participate in the strategic question: ‘What kind of experience do we deliver around here?
With vivid language — written with adults in mind — they communicate a clear Service Vision (an intended experience) that links day-to-day work to what the organization aims to deliver.
But crafting a Service Vision is only one aspect of inspiration.
The best Customer Service Managers also inspire their people.
They do it through what they speak about, the way they speak, and the rituals they build into daily work.
The best Customer Service Managers understand the impact of inspiration and harness it through how they behave and what they do.
More Experimentation, Less We’ve Always Done It This Way
Some organizations will begin planning for Wave 12 of their 
Mystery Shopper program, or Wave 23 of their Customer Satisfaction survey program.
They repeat the same programs they’ve always run — with the refrain,“We need to keep things the same for trending analysis.”
With rapidly changing Customer expectations, delivery methods, and opportunities to learn and grow, it doesn’t make much sense to keep living in the past.
Again, courage is required.
The courage to challenge senior leadership to be brave. To set aside endless trending and consider new and innovative ways to learn.
To stop looking only at numbers, and listen carefully to what Customers and Employees need and want.
The best Customer Service Managers keep updated on evolving approaches and practices in Customer Experience and try new things, learn faster, and grow their effectiveness.
More Ongoing Development, Less “Learn It Once”
In many workshops, Participants tell me, “Dan, I haven’t attended a workshop, training or developmental program in years.”
Many receive training at hiring and then, as the years roll by, they’re expected to organically ‘get better’ through repetition and tenure.
While I remind folks that they need to largely self-manage their own career — that’s not an excuse for organizations to forego staff development.
The best Customer Service Managers understand that their people need to feel they are learning and growing to stay equipped and engaged.
More Journey Thinking, Less Destination Thinking
Embedding daily, weekly, and monthly rituals and storytelling practices keeps service and experience front and center in the lives of your people.
Look deeply into the frequency and intention of your rituals.
An annual Service Week or participation in an industry Awards program can help.
But they’re not enough to create profound change.
Whether it’s the daily morning huddle or a weekly Customer sharing session, keep Customers front and center in the minds of your people.
If you commit to a monthly or quarterly service ritual — then stick to it. And use the ritual to focus on Customers.
The best Customer Service Managers know that meeting and exceeding Customer expectations is a journey, not a destination.
They design and execute meaningful activities to bring Customers to life in daily work.
Thank You for Reading
I regularly share stories, strategies, and insights from our work across Contact Centers, Customer Service, and Customer Experience. If this resonates, I’d love to stay connected.
You can drop me a line anytime, or subscribe on our site.
Daniel Ord
[email protected]
www.omnitouchinternational.com
