Prof. Dr. Volker Kuppelwieser

9 – CUSTOMER DEFINEDSERVICE STANDARDS

Prof. Dr. Volker Kuppelwieser I Fall Term 2014 1

Customer-defined service standards

• Factors necessary for appropriate service standards

• Types of customer-defined service standards• Development of customer-defined service

standards

Prof. Dr. Volker Kuppelwieser I Fall Term 2014 2

Standards are based on the most important customerexpectations and reflect the customer’s view of these expectations.

Customer-Defined Standards

Company-Defined Standards

SOURCESCustomer ExpectationsCustomer Process BlueprintCustomer Experience Observations

SOURCESProductivity ImplicationsCost ImplicationsCompany Process BlueprintCompany View of Quality

Service Standards

9-3Prof. Dr. Volker Kuppelwieser I Fall Term 2014 3

Examples of hard customer-defined standards

Prof. Dr. Volker Kuppelwieser I Fall Term 2014 4

Examples of soft customer-defined standards

Prof. Dr. Volker Kuppelwieser I Fall Term 2014 5

Examples of soft customer-defined standards(continued)

Prof. Dr. Volker Kuppelwieser I Fall Term 2014 6

What customers expect: Getting to actionable steps

Prof. Dr. Volker Kuppelwieser I Fall Term 2014 7

Service culture standards set by the Four Seasons Hotel• Smile: actively greet guests and smile• Eye contact: with an acknowledgment• Recognition: create a sense of recognition by using the

guests name where known• Voice: speak to guests in an attentive, natural and

courteous manner• Informed: all contact staff to be well informed about their

hotel, their product• Clean: always appear clean, well groomed and well fitted• Everyone show care for guests

Prof. Dr. Volker Kuppelwieser I Fall Term 2014 8

Process for setting customer-defined standards

Prof. Dr. Volker Kuppelwieser I Fall Term 2014 9

Criteria for creating service standards. Standards should:• Be based on behaviours and actions valued by

customers• Cover performance that needs to be improved or

maintained• Cover behaviours and actions employees can

improve• Be accepted by employees• Be predictive rather than reactive• Be challenging but realistic

Prof. Dr. Volker Kuppelwieser I Fall Term 2014 10

Importance/performance matrix

Prof. Dr. Volker Kuppelwieser I Fall Term 2014 11

Customer-defined standards for complaint handling by segment

Prof. Dr. Volker Kuppelwieser I Fall Term 2014 12

Linkage between soft measures and hard measures for speed of complaint handling

Prof. Dr. Volker Kuppelwieser I Fall Term 2014 13

Soft Standards at Toyota in Japan

• Standards for salespeople patterned after samurai behaviors:– Assume the samurai warrior’s “waiting

position” by leaning five to ten degrees forward when a customer is looking at a car

– Stand with left hand over right, fingers together and thumbs interlocked, as the samurais did to show they were not about to draw their swords

– Display the “Lexus Face,” a closed-mouth smile intended to put customers at ease

Samurai warrio

r

“waiting positi

on”

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More Soft Standards at Toyota in Japan

• Standards for salespeople patterned after samurai behaviors:– When serving coffee or tea, kneel on the

floor with both feet together and both knees on the ground

– Bow more deeply to a customer who has purchased a car than a casual window shopper 

– Stand about two arms’ lengths from customers when they are looking at a car and come in closer when closing a deal

– Point with all five fingers to a car door’s handle, right hand followed by left, then gracefully open the door with both hands 

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