Customer Service Tip: Focus on Accountability

Implement an ‘Acting with Accountability Day’

Establishing an ‘Acting with Accountability Day’ is a proactive approach to fostering accountability within your customer service team. On this designated day, each team member should be encouraged to engage in interactions where accountability is at the forefront.  At the end of their shift, team members should report on the most accountable action they have completed for a customer and explain how it positively impacted the customer’s experience.

As the team leader, it is essential to review these reports and identify exemplary instances of accountability. During the next meeting, share some outstanding examples with the team. If feasible, consider awarding a prize for the most accountable action. This reinforces positive behaviour and creates a culture where accountability is recognised and rewarded.

Recent research underscores the importance of accountability in customer service. The Institute of Customer Service recently found that 30% of customers prefer excellent service even if it costs more because they trust the company.

One-on-One Discussions on Accountable Language

Accountable language is a powerful tool in customer service. Schedule one-on-one sessions with your team members to discuss examples of both accountable and unaccountable language. These sessions should be tailored to individual team members’ performance and specific interactions.

Spend time observing team members interacting with customers and taking detailed notes on the language used. After each interaction, provide constructive feedback, focusing on using accountable versus unaccountable language. Discuss how their choice of words impacted the customer’s experience and how it could be improved.

An effective strategy is to identify a particular action or phrase that embodies accountable language and encourage the team members to incorporate it in their next customer interaction. For instance, instead of saying, “I will try to find out for you,” guide them to say, “I will find out for you.” Repeat this process until the team member consistently demonstrates accountable communication.

Mastering the Skill of Ownership

Once team members have shown proficiency in using accountable language, shift the focus to the broader concept of ownership. Ownership involves taking full responsibility for resolving the customer’s question or issue from start to finish.

When customers were asked to identify their company’s priority for improvement, 15% said making it easier to contact the right person for help, emphasising the importance of trust in customer service.

Empower your team members to follow through on customer queries without unnecessarily passing the responsibility to another colleague or department. Encourage them to update customers regularly and ensure the issue is resolved satisfactorily.

Conclusion

In conclusion, by implementing an ‘Acting with Accountability Day’, engaging in one-on-one discussions about accountable language, and focusing on ownership, you can significantly enhance the accountability within your customer service team. This improves individual performance and leads to higher customer satisfaction and loyalty. Cultivating a culture of accountability requires ongoing effort and dedication, but the rewards for team morale and customer trust are well worth it.

Discuss examples of accountable and unaccountable language with your team members on a one-to-one basis. Spend time observing them interacting with customers. After each interaction, discuss the accountable and unaccountable language they used and the impact this had on the customer.

Identify an action the team member can take to use accountable language and apply it in the next customer interaction. Repeat until your team member has mastered this skill. You might then choose to focus on what your team member does to own the customer’s question or issue.