NFIB

Service Success
09/ 15/ 2003

by Vicki Gerson

For decades, researchers have conducted studies trying to determine the key components to service quality. In the 1980s a study was conducted at Texas A&M University to answer these questions. Service managers and service consumers from various service businesses took part in this research, which revealed 10 important components that are important for a service business.

If you own a service business, ask yourself if your business can identify with each of the following:

Reliability: Getting the job done right the first time is very important to consumers. Customers don't want to hear reasons why the job wasn't done right.

Responsiveness: Employees must be willing to assist customers in a timely manner. When it's a personal call, customers shouldn't have to wait for an employee to get off of the phone. They should never seen employee read the newspaper, and not look up to provide service. Employees should automatically end conversations with coworkers when a customer needs help.

Competence: As an employer, it is critical to hire people who can perform the job effectively. For example, if you have an auto repair shop, make sure your mechanics have the skills and knowledge to perform the service. If you own a bookstore, make sure your employees are qualified to recommend the books they're selling. You can provide training to keep employees up-to-date and foster an atmosphere that rewards learning.

Access: Your hours must match the needs of your customers. It is also important to be convenient. Unfortunately, when major road repairs are being done for three to six months, most businesses will report a major drop in business. It becomes inconvenient to reach the business because of traffic jams and difficulty getting in or out of the parking lot. A business owner needs to be as creative as possible to solve this problem. It may mean free delivery of food to offices or homes to shore up the lunchtime business or dropping off materials customers need.

Courtesy: At all times, your staff must be friendly and polite to customers. Rude employees hurt your business when customers tell their friends and relatives about how badly they were treated at your business.

Communication: Customers want to be kept informed. That is why many service businesses let customers know of customer-only sales, advanced pricing or changes in policy. Today, many service businesses use e-mail to communicate important information with their customers.

Credibility: If customers think you are dishonest and not trustworthy, it is unlikely that they will do business with you. This will also hurt your business after skeptical customers spread the word.

Security: Once you have credit information about a customer, it is important that the information isn't sold or given away to other businesses. In addition to keeping financial information private, customers must feel secure when visiting your business. At night, parking lots should have enough lighting so people feel safe going to their cars.

Understanding the customer: It is important to find out your customers' needs and preferences. If you don't have this information, you can't provide the services they need.

Service appearance: Any space that a customer might see in your business should be kept clean and orderly. Likewise, you and your employees should also keep up an appearance. Depending upon your business, you may need to establish a dress code.

When you provide a service to the customer's home or office for cleaning an air conditioner or installing software on a computer, make sure you don't leave dirt or packaging that the customer has to clean or throw away.

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