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By Tan Gim Ean, The New Straits Times
Ron Kaufman is not one for hints and subtlety. When it came to the title of his first book, he chose words that would "capture people's attention and yank them into the book."
UP Your Service! is not just a catchphrase. Confident that "when I teach, people come because of me", he plasters the pages with 137 photographs, including himself in various poses. Hard sell aside, what does Kaufman have to say?
Plenty, when it comes to customer expectations and service. As he says, "What I do well is take concepts and translate them into teachable modules. I develop icons that people can understand so they can upgrade the quality of their service."
He contends that many people in the service industry operate at the basic, or transaction, level: Someone calls up about a product, you give her the necessary information, she buys it, end of the deal.
Such one-shot transactions don't count for much today because as customers become more informed and discerning, they expect more. Good service alone is not enough now: people want impeccable, spectacular, red-carpet treatment. And companies have to meet that demand or fall back from the competition.
"I want to reawaken the sense of personal commitment and certain joy in giving service, to reinvigorate the desire to do it," Kaufman says. "Service is not about change. It's an exchange of energy because what goes round comes back."
This Singapore-based innovator/motivator believes that Malaysia has what it takes to deliver exemplary service, given its range of products, banking facilities, merchandising equipment, computers and communications networks. "The only thing lacking a service mindset."
That's where the recently-published UP Your Service! sets things in perspective. It has 211 specific examples of companies which introduced ideas and schemes to better serve clients. They benefit too - from positive word-of-mouth to higher sales to loyal customers.
Kaufman presents practical strategies and action steps which can lead to improved service. He poses tricky situations which call for delicate, prompt or smart decisions and throws the gauntlet at readers by asking what they would do.
Like when you need to survey clients who have left you for another supplier; when a new worker asks you to be his mentor, when an employee, who is offended by profanity, hangs up on customers who used foul words; or when a family member asks what's so special about the service you provide.
From mindset, the author moves to toolsets, culture, service standards, enhancing customer contact and deepening interaction. He explains how to bounce back from complaints and problems, and how to value to your customsers and service partners in whatever it is you do. He shows you how to polish your "perception points" - the many ways that people evaluate your product, staff, location, packaging, promotions and policies. All of these areas and more determine how customers evaluate the quality of your service. And he shows you how to get them all going UP!
Having said all that in 300 easy-reading pages, Kaufman admits there are certain people who should opt for internal work because they are not cut out to serve!
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