Management expert Ken Blanchard put it best when he said: “In the past, a leader was a boss. Today’s leaders must be partners with their people, they can no longer lead based solely on positional power.” Good business practices start at the top of the organization and trickle down. This rule also holds true when it comes to good customer service practices. If management treats customers with respect, employees will also treat customers with respect. Managers who show that they appreciate employees by being available will inspire those under their authority to be available to customers. This overall approach to exceptional customer service will benefit the entire company and help maintain customer loyalty. How can this approach be successfully implemented within an organization?

Management must be visible

Management must be seen as part of the team. Is this the perception that both employees and customers have of the management of your organization? Do customers always need to ask the manager, when they have a problem? Isn’t it better to have the manager, roaming the store, easily identifiable and building relationships with customers just like the other employees? Perception is incredibly important when it comes to management visibility.

Management must be accessible

Do employees feel they can approach their managers with suggestions for possible improvements in customer service? If they don’t feel like they can do it, they may miss out on some of the tips that can help keep customers loyal and attract new customers. Employees must not only be accessible to management, but customers must also feel that management is there to help them. One of the worst impressions one can leave is that management is intimidating when a customer is trying to resolve a problem. Management needs to be there as a partner to help get to a resolution as quickly as possible.

The top-down approach may require some customer service refresher training for management. It is important to remember from time to time that the customer is the most important part of any successful business operation. Once management has this idea firmly entrenched in its business philosophy, a culture of customer service can truly flourish within an organization, and the company will reap the rewards of better customer relations and improved employee morale.