Local and Regional Councils have always been pretty serious when it comes to economic growth and development for their regions. It’s a key part of their role. But what gets us excited is when a Council thinks outside the box and bucks the trend of ‘standard’.
Given we’re not particularly ‘standard’ in our approach to customers, it was our absolute pleasure to join Clarence Valley Council’s local businesses last week for a Customer Service workshop with a difference.
Reframing Customer Service
The Customer Frame Team took participants on a journey to reframe what it really means to deliver customer service today. Instead of a tactical, generic list of Customer Service must-do’s, local businesses were introduced to a framework for thinking on how to best apply customer service in their own business.
“Businesses can google Top 10 Customer Service tips at the click of a button”, says Customer Frame’s Peter Turner. “What we do is help them define how they do Customer Service in their individual businesses, with their own capabilities, staff, business challenges and vision in mind.”
“There’s no point delivering the same Customer Service as everyone else”, he continues. “Businesses must deliver a service that is truly and uniquely them, that reflects their personality, their values, what they stand for. If they do this, that’s when we see differentiation, when we see businesses ‘owning’ spaces within their markets, and that is what will keep them growing and keep them thriving”.
Principles Over Pointers
The workshop took participants on a journey through seven key Customer Service principles, Customer Frame-style.
Knowing Your Customer (who, contrary to popular belief, is not ‘anyone’ or ‘everyone’) is the crucial first step. “If you can know who your customers are, then you can start to identify what’s important to them, and how to deliver the best service for them”, says Peter. “Not everyone wants the same level or type of service. The sooner businesses can identify their customer’s differing needs, the better customer feedback they’ll receive, and the more repeat and referral customers they’ll see come through the door”.
The workshop was run as part of a series of free workshops run by the Clarence Valley Council in conjunction with Krista Hauritz Tourism + Events.
A Shout-Out To Councils To Make A Difference
If you are part of a Council or Region (tourism or non-tourism) and would like to hear more about these sessions, please don’t hesitate to drop us a line.
