Company Policy Does More Damage to Customer Service Than Anything Else

As a customer service consultant I see things across many
companies that most companies don't see while working inside the
company.

o Company Policy One of the biggest problems is "company
policy." Many company policies are structured to protect the
company from the customer instead of helping the customer get
what he wants and has paid for. Your success will explode when
your company, and your employees are structured with the
customers' wants and needs in mind.

As a customer how many times have you been talking with a sales
person, or a customer service rep and hear "sorry we can't do
that, company policy." A barrier was thrown up between what you
think is only reasonable and the company. For me, I'm out of
there.

Is the problem "company policy" or is it the employee? It can go
either way. Often employees are trying hard to do the job the
way they understand it, which can often be that they are there
to protect the company from the customer trying to take
advantage. That isn't saying that employee is a "bad" employee.
Only that he doesn't understand what he should be doing. That's
where proper employee training comes in. 

 o Employee Responsibility It is the job of the people in your
company that are in direct contact with the customers To
discover and understand what the customer really wants, and
Deliver what the customer really wants

When your employee says "can't...company policy" he has put a
barrier up between the customer and you. The customer can no
longer get what he wants, at least not from your company.

 o Executive or Owner View I know...I know...I'm hearing the
roar from the executive peanut gallery...You've got to make a
profit. Well, let me make something clear hear...you aren't
going to make a profit, or at least not as much profit if you
aren't satisfying the customer. So, what I'm saying is to teach
your people how to listen to the customer. Change their
perspective from "protecting the company from the stupid
customer" to one of ALWAYS finding a way to help the customer
get what he wants. 

o Employee Listening to Customer...Communicating Needs to
Company Your employee should be the conduit through the maze of
company policies. He knows what the customer needs, he knows
what the company policies are, and his job is to take that
customer through those company policies to get the customer
where he wants to be. He isn't a policeman stopping the customer
at the gate. That hampers the customer. The first helps the
customer.

o When Company Policy IS the Barrier What happens if the company
policy truly is a barrier? Then the employee should be the
conduit to the company policy setters to help them understand
how the company as a whole can better serve the customer by
changing company policy.

I am in no way saying, "don't make a profit." But when company
policy is set up to protect the company from the customer
instead of helping the customer your profits will decline. A
customer usually only wants what is reasonable.

The solution to company policy barrier: Make sure that your
employees are empowered 

o To solve the customer problem o To communicate to the company
how the company policy can improve the customer satisfaction
instead of impede it.