"Service with A Smile"

I grew up in a middle-class neighbourhood, where there was almost everything from schools to shops.  Over time, I noticed that many of the shops closed down and were replaced by hypermarkets and huge retail chains.  However, one shop seemed to have survived the decades and that was a small mom and pop hardware store that belonged to the Lings.

Although Papa and Mama Ling now had a lot more white hair than before, they continued to open their shop everyday from 8.30 am to 9.00 pm.  Except for two weeks of vacation each year, the couple worked all year round.  Despite growing older, they always had a friendly smile for their customers. They were always ready to help their customers to search for products and solutions they needed.  They connected customers with contractors, painters, plumbers, electricians, etc to make it easier and cheaper for them to improve or repair their homes. They provided service with a smile.

Modern businesses have recognised that building a service culture is important to build client loyalty and thereby revenues. Sales and service employees must be trained to put customer needs first when presenting solutions and providing support. Other employees must also work behind the scenes to ensure customers get a good product experience. 

Developing a service culture requires time and consistency. Management must have a genuine interest to ascertain customer wants and needs through feedback and surveys.  To help employees embrace the culture of client centricity, management must make service standards clear and reward those who are good service providers. Indeed, employees who fail to adopt such culture are a liability and will not fit well for the organisation’s future. It is better to have a new hire who can assimilate well to the culture than to have an experienced employee who does not.

Happy customers contribute enormously to the value of a brand. Why? This is because positive word of mouth is more credible than paid advertising, and a lot more trusted. When things are going well, loyal customers will invite more customers to join the party by sharing, referring, linking, liking, and commenting. This positive feedback are great morale boosters for the company’s staff and management. 

It is crucial to remember that the customer’s opinion of any company will be shaped by their experience with the company whether it is over the counter, over the web, over the phone, face-to-face, through email, text, websites, and apps. These perception points are created by people and has a direct impact on the company’s brand.  

Brand resilience hinges heavily on the service culture of any organization.  No matter how much is spent on building a brand, the reputation of a brand is sustained through the service culture within the organisation.