It’s a long story how, but I recently came across the website for the Australian Service Excellence Awards, hosted by the Customer Service Institute of Australia (CSIA). Interestingly the 2015 awards will be announced this week (28 October, 2015) and there is much excitement leading up to this event.
As I looked over previous winners and the various criteria, I was really interested that there were no “humanitarian” type entities listed. Even in the Not-for-profit category it was the WA Football Commission taking home the prize in 2014. It turns out that finalists are charged a $2000 site visit fee for the honour, which may put it out of the range of many entities.
However, I wondered whether it would still be a good investment for organisations who purport to care for people (for examples Churches, Schools, Universities, Aged Care, Hospitals, Etc.) to show they are at the forefront of customer service. Even though it makes good business sense to look after your customers, I believe there is also a moral obligation.
The criteria includes the following:
- Company philosophy
- People – training and development and their involvement in developing strategy
- Innovation and Improvement
- Responsiveness
And thinking of your customers, remember that there are two types – external (those who typically pay for our products and services) and internal (who experience your services like finance, IT, HR etc.). What value do you see in being leaders in customer service? How can you, in your role, positively impact customer service in your entity?
If you would like further information on how Avondale Business School can help your organisation improve your customer service please contact Warrick Long.
P: 02 4980 2168