customer service 101 the principles fire department
TRANSCRIPT
Customer Service 101The Principles
Fire Department
What's happening on the inside?CHANGE!
• More & more unpredictable
• faster (lots)
• murders sacred cows
• “white water” change
• dreaded by most insider
• lots of stress
• Is an process vs. a event
The Effects on Organizational Life
• More complicated
• more political
• standards of correctness/ fear
• special interest groups
• more screwballs (on and off duties)
Other Issues
• Huge financial reviews
• bigger risk/ bigger opportunities
• risk adverse managers
Fire Service Change
• Many times – we are “dumb” on the front end.– we get “smart” in the back end.
We tend to change at the last moment!
We sometimes mistake opportunities for threats!
Where have we been?Our basic mission keeps us going!
• 250 years old
• simple, clear mission
• lots of maybes
• empowering-inspiring
• highly accepted
Our Basic Mission
• Respond quickly
• solve the problem
• be nice
• go home as the same way you left home! (sitting up)
How do we deliver those basics?
• Hardware
• Software
• Liveware
Hardware
• Tools
• equipment
• apparatus
…..(Stuff).
Software
• Systems
• regulations
• guidelines
• …….SOPs \more stuff
Liveware
• Humans
• Firefighters
• ……(people).
Service Delivery (1990s)
• Customer service focus:– new character: Mrs... Smith– new routine: be nice– new focus: her needs– new mgmt: inside approach determines
outside services
Labels,labels and more labels
• What are labels?
• How do they effect us?
• How do they effect our customer?
• Do they become self fulfilling?
• What impact do they make on the emergency scene?
• Who are we to judge?
Where should we focus our efforts to improve?
• Which part of your system will Mrs... Smith remember?
We’ve Always Done Customer Service!
What’s New?
• Customer’s expect high quality service.• Growing competition (internally
/externally).• It is the majority of our job. • It’s the right thing to do.• A new Fire Service direction.• If we don’t, somebody else will!• The circle of influence concept.• It’s the mint on the pillow approach.
The problem is we’re playing “Catch up”
• Traditional hardware being used in non traditional ways.
• We take everything we have everywhere we go.
Customer must fit the system….
• In some cases, we call their use of our resources “system abuse”
• a major part of that “system abuse” definition involves using traditional vehicles in non-traditional ways.
Time to “Catch Up”
• Our system must reinvent itself to match current/actual service delivery
• ……simply, our system must be designed to fit the customer’s needs-----not the reverse.
Who Is the Customer?Customer==any Person You Provide
Service to That Could Have a Effect on Your Ability to Continue to Deliver That
Service!
• Internal• External• Special customer
Customer service areas
• Locations
• People
• Conditioning
Human Relations• What is your opinion of
Labels and the effect they have on group interactions?
• One size does not fit all.• The changing
workforce’s effect on customer
loyalty.
Customers Interactions• Sworn vs. Civilian• Other city departments.• The media and you!• Fire and life safety programs.• Inspections.• Speaking engagements.• Station tours.• Public places.• The Emergency scene.
Customer service 101tactical priorities
When dealing with customers have a plan!
•Locate•Inform•Assist
Group Exercise #2
Your Perspectives!What will you be doing for Mrs... Smith in
10 years?
Our Competitive Future
• Inside competition• External competition
Concepts!
• The goal is make yourself so important to outside customers, that you avoid or minimize the internal politics.
• The key to getting what you want, is giving enough people what they want!
Real Life• Open discussion on customer
service issues! (War stories)• The changing paradigm.• Practices vs. Principles.
How do we make a difference?
• Circle of influence concept?• Remember Mrs. Smith• Set-out to make a difference!
Customer Service Manual
• Our essential mission and number one priority is to deliver the best possible service to our customer.
Customer Service Manual
• Always be nice--treat everyone with respect, kindness, patience, and consideration.
Customer Service Manual
• Always attempt to execute a standard problem-solving outcome: Quick/effective/skillful/safe/caring/managed.
Customer Service Manual
• Regard everyone as a customer.
Customer Service Manual
• Consider how you and what you are doing looks to other.
Customer Service Manual
• Don’t disqualify the customer with your qualifications.
Customer Service Manual
• Basic organization behavior must become customer-centered.
Customer Service Manual
• We must continually improve our customer service performance.
The Future (Change)
• Must emerge out of today– ……where else will it come from:
• hard for us to make big systems “skip” into the future
• huge momentum in the status quo:– institutional budget– mgmt. Commitment– the “weight” of our inventory
Fire ServiceChange Timetable
• Minor hardware 1-2 yrs
• major hardware 3-5 yrs
• major liveware habits 3-5 yrs
• major culture 10 yrs