The Service Culture handbook: A Step-by-Step Guide to Getting Your Employees Obsessed with Customer Service.

"The Service Culture Handbook: A Step-by-Step Guide to Getting Your Employees Obsessed with Customer Service" by Jeff Toister is a practical guide for creating a customer-focused culture within an organisation. The book offers a range of tools and techniques for improving communication, setting service expectations, and building a team of customer service champions. 

Toister emphasizes the importance of creating a service culture that is focused on meeting the needs of customers. He argues that a strong service culture can be a strategic advantage for any organisation, providing a way to differentiate from competitors and build customer loyalty. The book provides a step-by-step guide for creating a service culture, from defining a customer service vision to measuring progress and celebrating success. 

One of the key insights of the book is that creating a service culture requires more than just training employees on customer service techniques. Toister argues that it is important to create an environment in which employees feel empowered to take ownership of the customer experience. He provides examples of companies that have successfully created a service culture and offers insights into how they have done so. 

Toister also emphasizes the importance of effective communication in creating a service culture. He provides tips for improving communication with customers, as well as techniques for communicating service expectations to employees. He also provides guidance on how to establish clear standards for customer service, and how to hold employees accountable for meeting those standards. 

One of the strengths of the book is its practical focus. Toister provides a range of tools and techniques for creating a service culture, from checklists and worksheets to templates for creating service standards and scripts for handling customer interactions. He also provides examples of companies that have successfully implemented these techniques and offers advice for overcoming common challenges that may arise. 

Overall, "The Service Culture Handbook" is a valuable resource for anyone looking to create a customer-focused culture within their organisation. The book provides a clear roadmap for achieving this goal and offers a range of practical tools and techniques for implementing it. Whether you are a manager looking to improve the customer experience within your team, or an entrepreneur looking to differentiate your business through exceptional customer service, this book provides a wealth of insights and advice to help you achieve your goals. 

The key takeaways from this book 

1. A strong service culture starts with leadership: Leaders must prioritise customer service and model the behaviour they want to see in their employees. They must also create a clear vision and communicate it effectively throughout the organisation. 

2. Hire for service aptitude: It's easier to teach technical skills than it is to teach someone to be friendly and empathetic. When hiring, look for candidates with a natural inclination towards customer service. 

3. Empower employees to solve problems: Employees who feel empowered to solve customer problems on their own are more likely to create positive experiences for customers. This means providing them with the tools, training, and authority they need to make decisions and take action. 

4. Measure what matters: While metrics like response time and first call resolution rate are important, they only tell part of the story. To truly understand the customer experience, organisations must measure things like customer satisfaction, loyalty, and advocacy. 

5. Continuously improve: A service culture is not something that can be achieved overnight. It requires ongoing effort and a commitment to continuous improvement. This means gathering feedback from customers and employees, using that feedback to make changes, and constantly striving to exceed expectations.