November 9, 2023- What does customer service look like to you? You could likely poll 100 different people and get 100 different answers based on their varying needs and expectations. The interesting thing with a question like that is that there aren’t really any wrong answers – it’s all about meeting the needs of the customer.
That idea of meeting the customer’s needs is succinctly defined in Wes Anderson’s colorful 2014 film, The Grand Budapest Hotel. The film’s protagonist M. Gustave is speaking to his new concierge, saying, “A lobby boy anticipates the client’s needs before the needs are needed.” While we may never be able to fully nail every need and expectation that the customer has, we can work towards a greater understanding of their potential needs.
Repertoire Magazine recently spoke to customer experience guru Ron Kaufman about what customer service looks like and how we can take an extra step to accommodate our customer’s needs. Backed by his extensive experience in creating strong customer service teams, Kaufman has an innate sensibility for what winning customer service should look like.
What is uplifting service?
Kaufman’s uplifting service is a customer service concept that takes an extra step from what traditional customer service might accomplish. The idea is that through uplifting service, your organization can create deeper emotional connections with your customers.
Kaufman said, “Service is about taking action to create value. That action can be over the phone, it can be in person, it can be online, it can be proactive, it can be reactive – but it’s only service if someone else values it. Uplifting Service is taking the next action to create more value for the person you serve.”
He uses an example in a restaurant setting – if a customer requests extra sugar for their coffee, the act of getting that sugar for them is customer service. What if the waiter offers them options, saying, “White sugar, brown sugar, or honey?” That’s a perfect example of uplifting service, which creates a little more value for the customer.
Uplifting Service has different components that make it successful. Not only does it uplift the service experience for the customer, but it also uplifts the service provider by putting them in a position to really consider what the customer needs and how you can address those needs. These extra steps you take with your customer base can range from asking an extra set of questions to better understand their situation to offering training and workshops designed to help them better utilize the product that your organization is selling.
Read more in the latest issue of Repertoire Magazine.