CUSTOMER-DEFINED SERVICE

STANDARDS
 SERVICE STANDARDS
• Non varying sequential process – similar to mass production of
goods
• Reduces heterogeneity
• Against customization
• Inconsistent with employee empowerment
• Then why to standardize service?
 WHY TO STANDARDIZE SERVICE?
• Many service tasks are routine
• Only a few service tasks to be customized wherein empowerment of service
employee is possible
• Effectively reduces confusion / mistakes in service delivery
• Service provider could have formal service targets
• Allows for technology intervention (RTA / ATM / Online banking)
• Improvement in work methods
 SERVICE STANDARDS IN UAE
• UAE Customer Service Week STAR Awards: Ethos Consultancy with The
International Customer Service Institute (www.ticsi.org)
• Al Ain Municipality, Wild Wadi, Dubai Bank, Dubai International Financial
Centre Courts, Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank, Abu Dhabi Judicial Department, The
Emirates Group, DULSCO, Dubai Customs, DP World UAE Region FZE, UAE
Exchange and Abu Dhabi Airports Company
• RAK Bank – Best overall bank
• Best customer service performance on various aspects:
• Branch banking, corporate website, call centre and complaint management system
 SERVICE STANDARDS
Standards are based on the most important customer
expectations and reflect the customer’s view of these expectations.
Dominos: 30 minutes delivery
Customer- Fedex: 24 hours delivery (right time)
SOURCES
Defined Customer Expectations
Standards Customer Process Blueprint
Customer Experience Observations

ADCB -Speaking to voice activated

Company- telephone support systems
SOURCES
Defined Productivity Implications
Standards Cost Implications
Company Process Blueprint
Company View of Quality
 STANDARDS…

HARD STANDARDS AND MEASURES

Things that can be counted, timed,
or observed through audits (time,
numbers of events)

SOFT STANDARDS AND MEASURES

Opinion-based measures that cannot
be observed and must be collected by
talking to customers (perceptions, beliefs)
EXAMPLES OF HARD CUSTOMER-DEFINED STANDARDS
 EXAMPLES
OF SOFT
CUSTOMER-
DEFINED
STANDARDS
 PROCESS FOR SETTING CUSTOMER-DEFINED
STANDARDS
1. Identify existing or desired service encounter sequence

2. Translate customer expectations into behaviors/actions

3. Select behaviors/actions for standards

4. Set hard or soft standards

Measure by Measure by
audits or Hard 5. Develop feedback mechanisms Soft transaction-
operating data based surveys
6. Establish measures and target levels

7. Track measures against standards

8. Provide feedback about performance to employees

9. Update target levels and measures

 HOW TO DEVELOP STANDARDS?
WHAT CUSTOMERS EXPECT:
GETTING TO ACTIONABLE STEPS
Requirements: Diagnosticity:
Satisfaction Value Abstract Low
Relationship Solution Provider General
concepts
Dig Reliability Empathy
deeper Assurance Tangibles Dimensions
Responsiveness Price

Dig Delivers on time

deeper Returns calls quickly Attributes
Knows my industry

Dig Delivers by Wednesday

deeper
Behaviors
Returns calls in two hours
Knows strengths of my and actions
competitors
Concrete High
 HARD AND SOFT SERVICE STANDARDS AT
FORD
• Appointment available within one day of customer’s
requested service day
• Write-up begins within four minutes
• Service needs are courteously identified, accurately
recorded on repair order and verified with customer
• Service status provided within one minute of inquiry
• Vehicle serviced right on first visit
• Vehicle ready at agreed-upon time
• Thorough explanation given of work done, coverage and
charges
PHYSICAL EVIDENCE AND THE
SERVICESCAPE
PHYSICAL EVIDENCE

Customers often rely on tangible cues to evaluate

the service before its purchase and to assess their
satisfaction with the service during and after
consumption.

Tangibilize the intangible!!

 ELEMENTS OF PHYSICAL EVIDENCE

Servicescape Other tangibles

Facility exterior Business cards

Exterior design Stationery
Signage Billing statements
Parking Reports
Landscape Employee dress
Surrounding environment Uniforms
Brochures
Facility interior Web pages
Interior design Virtual servicescape
Equipment
Signage
Layout
Air quality/temperature
EXAMPLES OF
PHYSICAL
EVIDENCE
FROM THE
CUSTOMER’S
POINT OF
VIEW
 TYPOLOGY OF SERVICE ORGANIZATIONS BASED
ON VARIATIONS IN FORM AND USE OF THE
SERVICESCAPE
Complexity of the Servicescape
Servicescape Elaborate Lean
usage
Self-service Water park ATM
(customer only) Golf course Car wash
Simple Internet services
Express mail drop-off

Interpersonal Hotel Dry cleaner

services Restaurant Retail cart
(both customer and Health clinic Hair salon
employee) Hospital
Bank
Airline
School
Remote service Telephone company Telephone mail-order desk
(employee only) Insurance company Automated voice messaging
Utility services
Many professional services
 ROLES OF THE SERVICESCAPE
• Package
• conveys expectations
• influences perceptions
• Facilitator
• facilitates the flow of the service delivery process
• provides information (how am I to act?)
• facilitates the ordering process (how does this work?)
• facilitates service delivery
• Socializer
• facilitates interaction between:
• customers and employees
• customers and fellow customers
• Differentiator
• sets provider apart from competition in the mind of the
consumer
 GUIDELINES FOR PHYSICAL EVIDENCE STRATEGY
• Recognize the strategic impact of physical
evidence.
• Blueprint the physical evidence of service.
• Assess and identify physical evidence opportunities.
• Be prepared to update and modernize the
evidence.
• Work cross-functionally.
• Clarify strategic roles of the servicescape.