“Sense of urgency” takes on new meaning and purpose when discussing the Customer Satisfaction Business Outcome. Think about the times you walked into a business and waited, tapping your foot while the employees chatted amongst themselves, completely unaware you even exist. How about those times you sat in a restaurant watching other tables being served, even though you were seated first? What about that customer service representative who promised to call you back in an hour ... and never did? These are all symptoms of a breakdown in sense of urgency.

Sense of urgency and customer satisfaction are inseparable. If your business fails to deliver on a customer expectation, it will show in your first-time and existing client retention rates. It’s that black and white. Nothing infuriates clients more than shoddy or substandard service. If a business fails to deliver on its quality and experience, it must be regarded as a broken promise. Likewise, attention to detail, amazing service, and the efforts any business makes to exceed the ordinary and deliver the extraordinary are what truly define a world-class brand.

The ability to consistently deliver quality and extraordinary experiences is, without question, a reflection of a company’s culture and systems. Here’s an interesting question to ponder: When you've experienced true no-compromise, high sense of urgency service from a company, were you experiencing the culture and systems of the business, or the service and work ethic of an individual who functions with a sense of urgency? A customer satisfaction-driven employee may hide a company’s failures once or twice, but eventually, the company’s true culture and lack of urgency to satisfy its customers will be exposed for all to see.

Here’s a hit list of no-compromise strategies you can use to create a sense of urgency to drive the Customer Service Business Outcome in your company:

• Record staff servicing customers: Video doesn’t lie. It shows what’s real. The video must be positioned as a learning exercise – not a “catch people doing something wrong” blame game. Watching their own behavior, posture, body language, appearance... and the visual responses from customers ... can be a real wake-up call. Video can be a vital tool to communicate the need to change in a compelling way that service employees can truly feel and internalize.
• Take a tour: Take staff on a tour of your facility and have them take notes of everything they see and observe that would either support or detract from customer satisfaction. When it comes to customer satisfaction ... everyone is responsible. When the “It’s not my job to do that” line contaminates your culture, the Customer Satisfaction Outcome is compromised. Think about it: Why is it that only owners and leaders can see the dirt that is obviously invisible to employees? Be sure to have a debriefing and strategy meeting afterward to define a decisive plan of action to improve customer satisfaction.
• Service is like a Broadway play: Every successful Broadway play demands that every actor know their lines and be in the right spot on cue. There is a sense of urgency to relentlessly rehearse until everyone gets it right and every scene is executed flawlessly - not just on opening night, but every night. How many of your employees know their lines and cues? How many employees can execute those lines and cues flawlessly every day? Anything less than every time/every day is a compromise.
• Define your standards: Create your company’s own “Non-Negotiable Customer Satisfaction Standards.” How quickly can the phone be answered? How long will a client be allowed to wait? How will clients be greeted? How will consultations be executed? What’s the procedure for concluding a service, including pre-book and product recommendations? What is each individual’s responsibility for ensuring that what clients see and hear is only what they’re supposed to see and hear? What conversation topics are off limits in client areas? What is an acceptable dress code? You and your team should have no trouble expanding on this list.
• Visual cues: If you have a call center or telephone sales office, install real-time call dashboards so employees can see how many waiting customers, response times, or missed opportunities. Mount them somewhere visible so all employees can see them. Nothing creates urgency more than seeing the action live.
• Consistency is like a steady drumbeat: Make “sense of urgency” issues and strategies part of your daily huddle. Keep them short and focused. The intent is to keep urgency front and center. These daily verbal reminders will ultimately shape your culture of customer satisfaction.
• Cheerleading and a little nudge: The no-compromise leader never hesitates to use the tried and true method of cheerleading employees with “let’s get moving – clients are counting on us!” When direct instruction or wake-up calls are needed, don’t hesitate. I’m not suggesting that you turn into a drill sergeant; it just never hurts to apply a little leadership nudge, or more, when necessary.
• Customer satisfaction and shared accountability: “Accountability” is not a word to be feared. Accountability is about a commitment to doing it right and doing it on time. Accountability is a commitment to achieving the highest level of consistency and excellence. If your company’s brand promise is to deliver value, consistency, and extraordinary client experiences, then accountability must be embedded as a core value that is shared and protected by each and every employee. No compromise.