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Branding Meets Customer Service

"Next in line!" shouts the counter person in the fast food restaurant. If you're the customer, the impersonal language of the server says that you are nothing more than the next 'cheeseburger-do-you-want-fries-with-that?" order. But go down the block to another fast food establishment and you'll find employees who have been trained to ask, "May I help the next guest, please?"

For thousands of companies that depend on the instant impressions created during these Moments of Truth between employee and customer, the words that employees use are more than just language. How your employees speak with your customers is, quite literally, your brand brought to life.

A well-managed brand platform guides both the language and behavior of your employees. Certainly, the fundamentals of good customer service - courtesy, speed, listening, understanding and delighting - are true for every company. But each brand has its own unique brand personality characteristics that should color the language employees use to help differentiate the company from its competition. The hamburger chain that considers patrons guests rather than food orders is likely to have a more appreciative, and loyal, clientele.

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Consider the ways these companies communicate with their customers.

On the Right Track

The Long Island Railroad serves nearly 300,000 riders a day between Long Island suburban towns and Manhattan. From time to time, weather-related events, labor strikes, and mechanical problems can disrupt service and thousands of people are inconvenienced.

Recently, when the LIRR had a significant system-wide 2-hour plus delay caused by a train accident, the Railroad issued one of their explanatory leaflets. "We apologize to our customers..." the flyer begins, and continues to explain in clear, honest, logical detail why the accident occurred, what the LIRR did during the problem, and what they're doing to prevent potential accidents in future. The language is profusely apologetic: "We promise to do everything possible to provide safe, reliable service to our customers...and we will redouble our effort to avoid disruptions to your daily commute. And we thank you for choosing to ride the LIRR." This is an example of an indirect interaction between the company and its customers, using the printed word as a way of serving customers and communicating the brand.

The Rule of Customer Service

The Nordstrom department store chain is legendary for its commitment to customer service. Founded in Seattle, the well-trained employees of this high-end store live their brand promise of outstanding customer service through every interaction. Nordstrom's corporate culture is humbly taught to their employees from their first day on the job with only one rule for customer service:

Welcome to Nordstrom.
We're glad to have you with our Company. Our number one goal is to provide outstanding customer service. Set both your personal and professional goals high. We have great confidence in your ability to achieve them. Nordstrom Rule #1: Use good judgment in all situations. There will be no additional rules.

Allowing Nordstrom employees to make their own personal judgment demonstrates Nordstrom's commitment to serving its employees, as well as its customers. Their customer service brand is an example of direct interaction between employee and customer.

The Heart of the Matter

Abbott Vascular, a division of Abbott and a client of CoreBrand, is one of the world's leading vascular care businesses. The company focuses on vascular disease with innovative devices, such as drug-coated stents. When Abbott Vascular received final FDA approval for its latest stent, the employees were ready to do whatever it took to custom wrap sterile packages, label and ship the life-saving device to doctors and hospitals in record time.

While most Abbott Vascular employees rarely interact with a patient, the impact of their commitment to customers is evident in one of their five Operating Principles: We keep customers first. Our ability to significantly impact our patients' lives requires that we always keep their needs in mind. We have a responsibility to be responsive, and a commitment to care about our customer." This exemplifies an internal indirect action between employees and then to customer.

However a company's employees interact with customers, the words they use - directly or indirectly - do more than communicate information about service policies, take orders or direct actions. The language of customer service is their brand incarnate.

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1 comment about "Branding Meets Customer Service ".
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  1. Mickey Lonchar from Quisenberry, June 12, 2009 at 3:18 p.m.

    When it comes to customer-centricity, I tend to find there are two types of companies: one where customer centricity is treated as a "means to an end," and the other that sees customer centricity as an end in itself. I would venture to say most organizations fall into the former camp. Your post serves as an excellent reminder that an organization's true mission needs to be solving customer problems, no matter where in the value chain they fall.

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