Partnerships are essential in our emerging digital age. Small players with good partnerships can grab precious market share from larger, established names and improve customer service quality at the same time. Digital commerce rewards innovation and collaboration, not old buildings and traditions.
There are lots of examples of creative partnerships that benefit both business and customers. When smaller companies work together, the whole truly is greater than the sum of the parts. This is especially so for efforts meant to improve customer servicea quality.
One of my favorite examples of partnerships that improve customer service quality comes from the hospitality industry. At the Westin Hotel in Singapore, more than twenty framed certificates hang on the wall announcing “Partnership Agreements” with key customers and suppliers.
Both parties agree to call upon one another as supplier or vendor of first choice, to provide new and special services to each other before offering them to others, and to do all possible to help build each other’s business. This results in a strengthening of both parties and their potential to increase business and customer satisfaction.
The partnership program is reinforced by continuous dialog, quarterly reviews, a partners’ newsletter and other special events. Strong value flows both ways. The end result is a strengthened experience for customers and a boost to business for the member partners.
Key Learning Point To Improve Customer Service Quality
You can partner with customers, suppliers, even your competitors. Instead of competition, use co-opetition. Don’t fight over the small pieces. Work together and make a bigger pie. Collaborative efforts can help businesses grow while enabling them to improve customer service quality.
Action Steps To Improve Customer Service Quality
What are you doing to cultivate exceptional partnerships with your best customers and suppliers? Who can you build a stronger partnership with this month: customers, suppliers, competitors, regulators, peers, employees or bosses? And what about your partnerships at home? The very same principles can apply. Anything you to do successfully improve customer service quality is going to benefit you and your business in the long run.
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Copyright, Ron Kaufman. Used with permission. Ron Kaufman is the world’s leading educator and motivator for upgrading customer service and uplifting service culture. He is author of the bestselling “Uplifting Service” book and founder of Uplifting Service. To enjoy more customer service training and service culture articles, visit www.RonKaufman.com.
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