Characteristics of a legendary provider

• Customer-focussed or inwardly-focussed?
• Inspiring quotes
• Business clichés

How can you use this page?

Well, print out the questionnaire below, fill it in with your own perceptions, and use it as a prompt for discussions with your colleagues and customers.

How do you rank? And what do you think we've left out? Your comments are very welcome! (Stop by at the Service Legends Discussion Forum.)

Characteristics of a legendary service provider

Service with a big ‘S’

1. Widely respected as a trend setter in serving the needs of the community.

2. Famous for taking the lead in serving the environment.

3. Consistently delivering World Class Service; i.e. outsiders and competitors see the organisation as setting the standards they would love to emulate.

The customer’s experience

4. Providing a unique service experience that creates devotees of customers – loyalty for life.

5. Inspiring customers with the positivity and pride of all those who work in the Legendary organisation.

6. Demonstrating superior levels of empathy for a customer’s situation and needs.

7. Partnering customers in a way that transcends Service Level Agreements, and operates on the level of the heart.

8. Sharing business goals, successes and failures with suppliers.

9. Creating systems that are intuitively loved by customers. Far more than just ‘customer friendly’.

The inner source of service

10. Operating transparently where the promise to the customer is explicit, and the customer is happy with the deal.

11. Generating a culture where people find real meaning in giving service to others.

12. Becoming a positive Legend Creator – generating an unstoppable belief in your people that they can ‘invent their own future’ rather than be restrained by outside forces: the market, competition, industry regulations, management dictates, etc.

HEALTH WARNING!

I don’t know an organisation in the world that is truly legendary, but some exhibit one or more of these characteristics. This list is constantly being updated and revised as I believe that the ‘achievement horizon’ is always beyond today’s performance, and measuring yourself by today’s winners is a sure recipe for being tomorrow’s loser. I take full responsibility for having frightened you a little.

SCORING CODE

0 - 25%

Go to jail. Do not pass GO or collect any money whatsoever, as your business probably can’t afford it, but don’t feel guilty about calling for immediate help.

25 - 50%

Work to be done. Perhaps pick the three items that you most need to work on and put them on the agenda for your next Away-Day/Team Meeting. Therapy not needed, but you’re unlikely to be showing a clean set of heels to the competition... especially when they’re in front.

50 - 75%

Pretty smart! We could all learn a thing or two from you. However, remember that today’s successes can be the enemy of tomorrow’s triumphs and focus on one aspect you score well on, and attempt to make it world class.

75 - 100%

You probably don’t think you need anybody’s help. However, do email us with your successes: nigelbarlow@servicelegends.com.

• Customer-focussed or inwardly-focussed?
• Inspiring quotes
• Business clichés