Singapore Airlines Flies High Thanks to Its Customer Service Culture

As a professional speaker, I often share stories and examples of companies that deliver great service. One company that's easy to talk about is Singapore Airlines. It has developed a tremendous customer service culture.

Profitable every year since the beginning, Singapore Airlines (SIA) frequently wins international awards for top service and in-flight quality. Here's how they do it:

1. Clarity and Commitment.

SIA's focus on its customer service culture is clear. The mission statement and core values establish, without question, that quality service is a fundamental objective and aspiration of the airline.

Every major issue, question or decision is considered in light of the commitment to providing a world-class customer service culture.

2. Continuous Training.

Training is not a one-time affair in this customer service culture. SIA understands that daily customer contact can be draining and that customer expectations are always on the rise.

To meet this challenge, four training divisions within the company (Cabin Crew, Flight Operations, Commercial and Management Development) offer a wide range of educational programs to bolster the customer service culture.

Whether in the classroom, through full-scale simulations or on the job, SIA staff members are continually motivated to upgrade, uplift and improve their performance and uphold the customer service culture.

Training to build the customer service culture is not conducted just during robust economic times. Even during the downturns, SIA's investment in training and building its customer service culture goes on. This gives the airline a twofold advantage.

First, it allows SIA to surge ahead in quality service when other carriers cut back. Second, it demonstrates to all SIA staff that continuous learning and improvement are essential principles for success, not just nice-to-have bonuses.

3. Career Development.

SIA staff are regularly appraised for performance and potential. High-flyers (high performance and potential) are identified early and given every opportunity to learn and grow within the company's customer service culture.

Senior managers are effectively developed with frequent rotation through top positions in the company. This leads to a management team with great breadth and depth, with a shared understanding of "the big picture," and with a commitment to do what's best for the customers and the business, not just for one department or another.

4. Internal Communication.

SIA is a large organization, with more than 28,000 staff (including subsidiaries) located around the world. People from different cultures work together to produce a seamless and consistently positive customer experience. In the pilot pool alone more than 25 countries are represented!

To keep everyone on the same wavelength and bolster the customer service culture, SIA publishes a variety of department newsletters, websites and a monthly company-wide magazine.

Regular dialogue sessions between management and staff keep communication flowing. A program called "Staff Ideas in Action" ensures that new suggestions for improvement are constantly put forward to build the customer service culture. Semi-annual business meetings provide another forum for sharing and evaluating results in sales, marketing, yields and customer satisfaction levels in this customer service culture.

5. Consistent External Communication.

Whether their advertisement is about new destinations, new airplanes, onboard cuisine, or new seats and entertainment services, the legendary "SIA Girl" is always featured.

Why? Because the bottom line for SIA is not the plane, seat, entertainment or destination. The bottom line is delivering high-quality service, and the "SIA Girl" is the brand identity, the personification of that service and the company's customer service culture.

Of course everyone knows it takes the entire SIA team to deliver excellent service, but showing a picture of a smiling engineer, a competent pilot or a friendly telephone reservations agent would not carry the same consistency in external communication: The "SIA Girl" represents impeccable quality service and is the face of the company's customer service culture. In the airline's external communication, she is always there.

6. Connection with Customers.

SIA makes a concerted effort to stay in touch with customers through in-flight surveys, customer focus groups and rapid replies to every compliment or complaint they receive. SIA then consolidates this input with other key data to create a quarterly "Service Performance Index" that is very closely watched throughout the airline.

Frequent flyers are kept well-connected with special messages, attractive offers and publications sent regularly to Priority Passenger Service (PPS) members. And very frequent flyers achieve an elite "Solitaire" status with a wide range of valuable privileges: most convenient check-in, additional baggage allowance, priority seating and wait listing, and more. (I am one of those very frequent flyers, and I enjoy it!)

7. Benchmarking.

The airline industry is intensely competitive with every carrier seeking new ways to "get ahead of the pack." SIA tracks competitors' progress closely. Even outside the airline industry, SIA looks for new ways to improve and grow its customer service culture. When hotels, banks, restaurants, retail outlets and other service industries take a step forward in their amenities, convenience or comfort, SIA watches closely to see what can be adopted or adapted for the airline industry.

8. Improvement, Investment and Innovation.

From the earliest days, SIA has built a solid reputation for taking the lead and doing things differently, introducing free drinks and headsets, fax machines onboard, individual video screens and telephones in every seat, cutting-edge gaming and in-flight entertainment, "book the cook" service for special meals in First and Business Class, telephone, fax, e-mail and internet check-in, innovative cargo facilities - the list goes on and on.

This commitment to continuous improvement is coupled with a cultural determination to try it out, make it work and see it through. Not every innovation succeeds and some are eventually removed from service (the fax machines are long gone), but SIA makes every possible effort to find the key to success - or to create it through the customer service culture it has created.

9. Rewards and Recognition.

While excellent staff performance is rewarded with increased pay and positions, the most prestigious award is reserved for truly superior service.

The "CEO's Transforming Customer Service Award" is given annually to teams and individuals who respond to unique customer situations with exceptionally positive, innovative or selfless acts of service. This award carries no financial benefit, but it is the most revered accolade in the airline. Winners and their families are flown to Singapore for a special dinner celebration, the story of their efforts is published in the monthly magazine, and their personal status as a "Managing Director's Award Winner" remains a badge of distinction for life, which further builds the company's customer service culture.

10. Professionalism, Pride and Profits.

The result of these efforts is a customer service culture that is vigorously committed to customers and continuous improvement.

Staff pride and sense of ownership are evident in the way they protect the airline's reputation and participate in programs like the "aircraft adoption" scheme.

Good profits are also achieved, but not as an end in themselves. Rather, SIA's profits are "the applause we receive for providing consistent quality and service to our customers."

Does all this mean that SIA is perfect? Of course not. Even SIA cannot satisfy every customer every time. Bags go astray, telephone lines become congested, and meals at 39,000 feet are not always perfectly deluxe. There will always be room for improvement, even in the best customer service culture.

With a track record of success, SIA must work doubly hard to avoid becoming complacent and losing sight of its commitment to a positive customer service culture. Managers must be open to change and not become arrogant or defensive. Staff must be proud of the airline yet remain eager for passenger suggestions, recommendations and constructive criticism to constantly build the customer service culture.

The definition of a truly loyal airline customer is someone who is pleased with the service, flies with the airline again, recommends the airline to others and takes the time and effort to point out ways the airline can still improve.

I look forward to my flights on SIA and I use the carrier two or three times each month. My speeches and training programs are peppered with positive stories from the airline's history and lore. And my mail to SIA includes plenty of ideas and suggestions to help them improve and further build their positive customer service culture.

Singapore Airlines has earned my loyalty on the ground and in the sky. They've got a great way to fly - and to run a highly successful business with a fantastic customer service culture.

Ron Kaufman is the world`s leading educator and motivator for upgrading customer service and uplifting service culture. He is author of the bestselling UP Your Service! books and founder of UP Your Service! College. Check out articles, videos, and tips about Customer Service Culture.

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Six Steps For Nurse Managers to Create and Maintain a Culture of Service Excellence

Imagine the front porch of a country store in small town America with rocking chairs and friendly smiles. Just inside the front door, a large barrel full of crisp, delicious homemade pickles awaits. Aunt Mary's unique pickle recipe provides the special spicy yet sweet taste which permeates each aromatic bite. Departments are just like a pickle barrel when it comes to creating culture change. A good recipe, the right ingredients and patience all combine to create long term change. To play out the metaphor, let's look at the necessary components.

OK, you'll need to use your imagination...The pickle barrel represents the nursing department's future state. The cucumbers/pickles are the nurses and other employees within that department and the pickle juice is the vision for a new future of service excellence. The nursing managers' are the pickle "chefs" who create the unique recipe and create standards for continuity.

The culture change we are seeking here revolves around a ViewpointSHIFT(TM) regarding service excellence. Are patient satisfaction scores where you would like? Are you scoring in the top 10-15% of your peers nationwide? In my many years of working with healthcare organizations, I have found that many healthcare organizations make large investments in healthcare excellence, but they do not always provide the strategy and follow up to sustain long term change. Faced with flavor-of-the-month initiatives and lack of service accountability, raw talent is not enough and healthcare service suffers. Employees become numb to the announcements, new policies, and service programs. It is each nursing manager's responsibility to follow through with the strategies outlined below to avoid this lackadaisical attitude.

When it comes to service excellence, there are six key strategies for transforming the cucumbers in your department into pickles. Remember, in order to create long term change, this requires a good recipe, the right ingredients and patience.

Step 1: Strategize for service

Where does service fit in the strategic initiatives of your department? Defining your unique service culture is akin to having your own secret pickle recipe. What are the formal and informal leaders in your department saying (and more importantly doing) about service excellence. Does everyone in your department know how their job impacts patient satisfaction survey results?

I frequently see nursing managers who talk the talk, but don't walk the walk. If your department is not 100% supportive of a healthcare service excellence culture transformation - don't go any further. You will be wasting your time and money!

Step 2: Organize for service

From the physical layout of department to the use of technology, there are proven strategies for creating a culture of service excellence. Is signage well placed? Are chairs comfortable? Are your visiting hours customer friendly if applicable?

Other elements of organizing for service include policies & procedures, job descriptions, staff scheduling, service standards and scripting. A test to make sure your policies and procedures are written with the patient in mind involves asking this question. Can you replace "It's our policy" with "In the best interest of our patient, we..." Think about it- are the rules really in the best interest of the patient? You might ask your patients to find out, for sure.

Creating and agreeing upon universal service standards provides the unique spices and flavoring for your department. What behaviors can staff perform routinely to demonstrate to your patients the culture of healthcare service in your department?

Step 3: Select & train for service

Rotten cucumbers make rotten pickles. Hiring pickles who complement the staffing mix from the start is much easier than hiring a cucumber or worse yet a bell pepper. Remember back in the day, when folks said, "she's a great nurse, she's just not nice"? This is no longer acceptable.

Using behavior-based interviewing questions and validated pre-hire assessments allows nurse managers to select staff who already embrace the service standards of your department.

Orientation and on-the-job training provide important foundations for staff. Making sure there is congruence once the staff arrives in their department is trickier, but doable with strong management support. On-going training keeps the cucumbers immersed in the recipe long after the initial hoopla has died down and allows for service excellence over time.

Step 4: Deliver excellent service

This step is where the rubber meets the road or the pickle meets the customer. Well defined service behaviors which are competency based provide the foundation for service delivery. The expectation is that these behaviors are demonstrated daily and with ease.

Positive first impressions play a major role in setting the stage for service excellence. When problems do occur, service recovery procedures need to be set up to allow staff to solve service problems at the front line.

The delivery of excellent service is evidenced by positive attitudes, friendly smiles and high quality work output. Service efforts are not just about being "nice" - they involve a ViewpointSHIFT to match up safety and quality with caring and kindness.

Step 5: Manage for service

As steps one through four are being implemented, the nurse manager has a major responsibility for insuring the success of the process. Communicating strategic alignment (or the pickle recipe) is the first step toward culture change. Do staff members in your department really understand the service vision?

I frequently talk with front line service providers after training workshops and presentations and their concern is "will my manager really hold us all accountable?" Performance management, executed daily, will move the department towards the service vision.

In addition, regular contact with patients including surveys, focus groups and rounding provide real-time data for managers to use. On-going coaching lets staff know what is important on a regular basis.

Step 6: Sustain service momentum

Last, but not least, keeping the pickle recipe fresh requires the resources of time and money. Measuring patient satisfaction provides important data for making better decisions. Standardizing operations to decrease variation on the job is another key element.

Staff members who are providing excellent patient care want their managers to manage low performers - to get them to "shape up or ship out". Employee satisfaction is a key indicator of patient satisfaction so this is a good place to start. Keep your eyes open for fresh ideas from other types of service related businesses and see what might work in your organization.

So ponder that barrel of pickles in that country store. Imagine the friendly service and amiable folks who are running the place. These six strategies are a glimpse of what it takes to turn cucumbers into pickles so that your raw talent becomes excellent healthcare service providers.

Vicki Hess, RN, MS, Certified Speaking Professional, is an Escape Artist. She helps people escape from Professional Prison and provides a passport to Professional Paradise. To download free tools go to http://www.ProfessionalParadise.com . Vicki is passionate about working with forward-thinking organizations to develop fully engaged employees and leaders, who in turn deliver remarkable business results and ultimately create Professional Paradise! A highly-regarded speaker, author, facilitator and consultant, Vicki is an expert in employee engagement, team dynamics, and workforce and leadership development for healthcare leaders and employees. Vicki is a Certified Speaking Professional, the speaking profession's international standard for platform skill. She holds a Master's Degree in Human Resource Development from Towson University and was an adjunct professor at The Johns Hopkins University Graduate School of Business for five years. Vicki is the author of SHIFT to Professional Paradise: 5 Steps to Less Stress, More Energy & Remarkable Results at Work (CornerStone 2008). For more information please visit http://www.VickiHess.com .

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8 Critical Steps to Establish a Customer Service Culture

"Every company's greatest assets are its customers,

because without customers there is no company,"

--Erwin Frand

During our recent weakened economy, many businesses have seen declining revenues and declining budgets. Declining budgets often lead to reduced staff levels and diminished services. To me, this does not make sense. I believe that it is during the down times, when service should be at the forefront and retention of loyal customers even more of a focus.

When price wars fail to drive revenues, businesses often look to service to give them a competitive advantage. Many big business marketers are returning to a "service sells" mentality, however, many sell great customer service and few deliver. The problem is that few marketers have ever truly served a customer.

Throughout my years in business, I have had the opportunity to interact and develop a customer service philosophy. It is inherent that when you are in a service-based business, there will be times when your customer is compelled to offer you their feedback. It is what you do with this feedback that will shape the future and their impression of your business.

Upon reflection, most all of my interactions with displeased customers were not the result of a poor product, but rather a disappointing customer experience. Why is that? Because, product is not personal, customer service is. Briefly, I would like to share with you eight critical steps to establish a customer service culture.

1. Customers are the reason for work, not an interruption of work

This sounds really obvious doesn't it? How many times have you gone into a business only to wait while someone is on the telephone or busy doing some "non-service" task? Employees often lose sight of the importance of the customer and get consumed in lesser day to day tasks. Sure, there are tasks that need to be accomplished, but you cannot afford to sacrifice service to get them done. Good customer service must be a priority for you and your team. Without your customers, you have no company!

2. Train, train, and continue to train.

o Cross train your entire staff to be able to assist a customer regardless of their department. When a customer becomes upset they want their problem solved not to be shuffled between employees that are not empowered or enable to assist them.

o Offer continuous customer service training for your staff and once they are providing good service, continue to train them.

o Utilize role play situations to assist your staff in recognizing and experiencing both easy and difficult service opportunities. If an employee has a level of comfort with a difficult situation, they will be able to better handle it.

3. Empower your staff to serve

o Establish a system of resources for your staff to serve the customer. Allow them latitude to take the necessary action to provide exceptional service and resolve any issues should a customer become disgruntled. Create a structured system to allow your staff to serve customers.

o Establish a discretionary budget that an employee may access to recover a customer before you lose them. I recently learned that a major hotel chain has a monetary fund available per year and per employee enabling them to go above and beyond to ensure exceptional service. This empowers the employee to right a wrong or create a "memorable" customer experience. I am not advocating large sums of money, but with regards to customer service, a small gesture can go a long way.

o Ask your staff what tools would enable them to provide better service. You would not send a fireman into a burning building without the proper equipment. Failing to empower and enable your staff with the necessary tools to serve you customer leaves you with few options other than poor service.

4. Make service personal

o Greet repeat customers by name, if possible.

o Offer a handshake and introduce yourself. Creating service that is personal will not only retain customers, but help diffuse difficult situations should they arise.

o Thank your customers for their patronage. It really does make a difference.

5. It is ok to say "Yes", even when you should say "No"

o Support your staff when they make customer service decisions. In my business, it is my policy that an employee can act without concern for repercussion, as long as they are meeting a customer's need. I have found this creates a greater willingness to serve the customer.

o Often times you could say "no" to a customer, however, "no" can have huge implications on your business. Ask yourself, "Am I willing to potentially lose 10 customers as result of this interaction?"

6. Offer a solution

o Shift from the problem to the process for resolution.

o Offer a choice between several options.

o Put yourself in their place.

o Involve the customer in determining the solution.

o Clearly explain any limitations that exist.

7. Recognize your staff members for outstanding service

o Implement a customer service awards program that recognizes employees for exceptional customer service. Maybe you have tried these without success and do not believe that they work. I would tend to agree if the program were like most I have seen. Try something different; break the mold. One of my most successful clients offers spa treatments for his female employees if a customer goes out of their way to recognize them for great service. Another client provides his employees with a "day off with pay" incentive for every five unsolicited, positive customer comments that he receives. These are just a few examples that are "outside the box." Be creative and generate a little excitement in your staff for customer service.

o Take the time to acknowledge employees at staff meetings. People want to leave their mark and feel that they matter. Taking the time to recognize them in front of their peers can make a real difference.

8. Ask your customers what they think of your service

The best way to find out if you are satisfying customers is to ask them. Formal efforts could include customer surveys, questionnaires, interviews or comment/suggestion cards. Informally, get out and talk with your customers and your staff. Ask them how they feel about service you are providing. Ideally, use a combination of both methods.

You may be thinking, "Why should I go ask for trouble? Who knows what I might hear if I ask?" That is the point. As you will see in the statistics below, most customers will not voice their disappointment with your service levels. They will simply leave and never return. If you do not ask about the quality of your service, you might make the wrong assumptions and feel that you can reduce service levels because you get few complaints and lead your organization into areas that turn off your customers or cause problems that you never intended.

On the other hand, asking your customers about their satisfaction sends a message to them that you care about your business and about them. While you might hear some criticisms, you might also learn what you are doing right and see what you should modify.

In addition to the information, you will benefit from the interaction. Every interaction is a customer service opportunity. Make the most of each and every one.

Most of us continue doing business with people and businesses who give good service. We might not say anything, but we reward good service providers by continuing to do business with them. If the service is outstanding, we will probably tell our friends and colleagues about it. Likewise, when we receive poor service most of us vote, not with our voice, but with our feet--we just leave.

In the 1980's the White House Office of Consumer Affairs commissioned a report called the TARP study. The report revealed the following facts about unhappy customers:

96% of dissatisfied customers do not complain directly.

90% will not return.

One unhappy customer will tell nine others.

13% will tell at least 20 other people

Superior customer service is one of the most difficult deliverables facing the business world today. Selling service is the easy part, delivering on that promise offers a tremendous challenge. So I ask you, what can you do to improve the service you provide? Implement these eight steps and begin to excel at providing a superior customer culture today!

©Anthony Mullins - Elite Coaching Alliance 2005

Anthony Mullins is the President and Coach for The Elite Coaching Alliance. He specializes in leadership development, business coaching, strategic planning, 1-on-1 coaching, facilitation and inspirational speaking. He is the author of the upcoming book "Leadership Links." Anthony can be reached by e-mail: anthony@elitecoachingalliance.com

Visit his website @ http://www.elitecoachingalliance.com

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