Delivering Customer Service

What are the pillars of superb customer service? Although it doesn't necessarily matter what industry you're in, it does matter how the focus on the customer is shared as a key strategy across an organization. The more customer-centric you are, the longer it takes your competition to figure out your game. 

My state credit union sends me a newsletter each month along with my account statements. The publication contains helpful, timely tidbits about banking, personal finance and savings strategies, along with the current list of rates.

 This morning, I realized that on the rear of the bottom side of the mailing was a section requesting feedback on customer experience. Feedback was divided between the following four categories:

• Promptness

• Courtesy

• Knowledge

• Level of Service

I have been a member of the State Employees' Credit Union since taking my first job out of college. In what now seems like eons ago, one of my first professional experiences was teaching seventh grade resource in a middle school. Believe it or not, I remember receiving my first paycheck and realizing that as a state employee, I was eligible to join the credit union. I drove straight to the local branch and opened an account, and I've been a proud member ever since. That was 16 years ago. Since then, I have held checking and money market accounts, vehicle loans, a mortgage and savings accounts for each of my children. 

Although I had never realized it before, it is now obvious that a quality customer service focus is employed by every employee in each of the branches that I've ever visited. Yet, until recently, I failed to connect the countless positive experiences that I have had with the simple focus on feedback that the newsletter included: "How might SECU serve you better?"