Intl Study Hints at Reasons Behind Poor Customer Service

An international study of the 'Unwritten Ground Rules' of corporate cultures reveals possible causes of and contributors to poor customer service.

Boca Raton, FL & Queensland, Australia February 11, 2004--An international study into corporate cultures reveals many of the underpinnings of poor customer service, says JoAnna Brandi, publisher of JoAnna Brandis Customer Care Coach, who co-authored the study with Steve Simpson, CSP, of Keystone Management Services. The study included participants from 19 countries, the majority of respondents being from the US, Australia and the UK.

According to Brandi, the UGRs World Survey was designed to measure peoples perceptions of organizational UGRs, or Unwritten Ground Rules. Simpson, who coined the term and wrote the book, says UGRs are Peoples perceptions of the way we do things around here. Since perception is reality, they drive peoples behavior at work and combined, they constitute an organizations culture.

The authors asked participants to complete seven statements:

Around here, customers are
Around here, if youve got a problem, the bosses
Around here, initiative is
Around here, loyalty is
Around here, you are valued when
Around here, if you are stressed at work
Around here, excellence is

The authors then divided the responses into three categories: positive, negative and neutral. Based on their analysis, Simpson and Brandi discovered that:

Only 60% of respondents regard customers in a positive way. The balance are either overtly negative (Around here, customers are seen as money not relationshipsDEMANDING!largely ignored.) or feel neutral which Brandi says is a red light indicating that customer relationships are in a danger zone. She explains, In my experience, people who feel neutral about their customers tend to be prey to negative views and opinions and the companies they work for tend to lack alignment and power in consistently creating positive customer experiences.

Managers are much more optimistic about their cultures than the workers the people on the front lines who are more likely to be dealing with customers.

The most negative responses were generated with regard to UGRs surrounding stress. Around here, if you are stressed at workits the normthey will try and get rid of youyou deal with it on your own. theres not anyone to turn to for help and to discuss the situation with; everyone is too busy to listen.

There was a substantial increase in negative responses from large organizations (1000 or more employees). Says Brandi, Small companies are clearly much more positive about their relationships with customers than large companies.

No wonder customer service is so poor in so many organizations! says Brandi. Language structures our reality. When people are typically having negative conversations about the customer it creates an undertow that undermines corporate initiatives.

When they feel neutral about and uncommitted to what theyre doing, who they work for and their customers, the reality is that theyre not going to deliver excellent customer care.

Brandi says the positive responses support the tenets of what she refers to as Exquisite Customer Care. She explains, The organizations that nourish and support their people and their cultures, that look at their employees as human beings and their customers as the VIPs who pay their salaries - theyre the companies that reap the rewards of loyalty. They approach operational basics brilliantly, and they offer value-rich experiences for everyone.

As for organizational cultures that require changes to reach that level, the authors believe that knowledge of UGRs can go a long way in uncovering specifically what needs to be changed.

For a free summary of the report, send an email to e-mail protected from spam bots and put UGRs World Survey Free Summary in the subject line. To obtain the full report, which includes the authors four key change elements and comments on the implications for multi-national organizations, visit www.keystone-management.com and/or the virtual store at www.customercarecoach.com. There is a $39 fee for the full report. Each author also offers visitors the opportunity to subscribe to free e-newsletters on their websites.
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