Customer service standards in Sri Lanka

With the festive season in full swing, shoppers are filling up all types of outlets selling products and services. Are these shoppers receiving excellent service or otherwise? Is the CUSTOMER still considered the KING? In this brief article, I will provide some insights based on my personal experiences and why customer service standards need to improve radically if Sri Lanka is to become the Wonder of Asia.

Scenarios experienced

I call up a certain organization to inquire about a particular product advertized. (Hotline). Although it is a hotline, no one answers it at 6.00 pm and the line gets disconnected. The same situation until the next day when at 10.00 am someone finally answers. My question is, does this organization understand the meaning of the word “hotline.” If it is a hotline, it should be answered 24/7/365 (24 hours, 7 days, 365 days). If not, please don,t use the word hotline, but specify the times the phone will be answered.

I call a leading taxi company and request for a taxi well in advance. As a follow up, I call the company to double check a few minutes before the taxi is scheduled to arrive. To my dismay, they say that the rain has delayed the taxi and it will not arrive at the scheduled time! Should not the taxi company have called me proactively and informed me the position? The result was that I was 90 minutes late for an important appointment. Please don’t wait for customers to call to inform about delays. If the customer is paying, it is your responsibility.

I am sitting in the lobby of a leading hotel, waiting for a person to arrive. I am approached by a steward and I place an order for a cup of coffee. After 20 minutes I decide to go and look for the steward. Finally on locating him, he has not followed up on the order and the coffee had been ready some time ago, to be collected by him. My question is, why ask and take an order, if you do not want to deliver it to the customer?

I call up a leading library in Sri Lanka. A recording greets me informing the opening and closing hours of the library, but not any specific closing days. I travel to the library and find out that it is closed on that date. My question is why not inform this or include this information in the telephone recording? Nobody is interested. Come or go Chicago!!

I call up a company advertizing a special offer for a product. The sales person does not even know about the promotion being advertised! I end up educating this person about the promotion. Why advertise promotions, without informing staff (internal customers) about it? This is really ridiculous!

Reasons for poor service standards

If top management is not committed to service, service stinks. This is my experience. Top management must walk the talk, by experiencing the service themselves. Mere rhetoric would not do.

Sri Lankan Service Attitude and Ethos is another major problem. Many service staff take a don’t care or not bothered attitude. I get paid anyway, or my pay is poor anyway. So why bother? Unless this service attitude is addressed, service will not improve. As competition hots up, service organizations that do not measure up will die.

I also observe that a “not-so-serious” outlook towards service prevails. Even if a service mishap occurs, it is not taken seriously. Why? Poor attitude and lack of interest in serving the customer.

Lack of proper staff training is another reason for poor service. In the hospitality industry, when things are not so rosy, training is absent. Maybe training is required only when business is hot! The result is half baked staff providing lousy service. Sri Lanka cannot retain visitors, if service standards are not urgently improved. Staff training is on-going, both in good and bad times.

Service is poor in Sri Lanka also because of the lack of “follow up.” Everything is taken for granted. No back checking in many instances, resulting in service nightmares.

Five key service enhancement suggestions

“Customer is King” is not just a slogan to be voiced. It must be a living, vibrant philosophy, which everybody understands. Sri Lankan organizations both big and small, need to take this into heart. With the growth of the economy, Sri Lankan organizations will face unprecedented competition from global organizations. Hence, the customer will become more powerful and demanding.

* Embrace a customer service philosophy, across entire organizations. Customer service cannot be done only by certain departments and staff.

* Train, train, train. Continuous staff training and development is a must. No excuses please. Budgets must be provided.

* Put the correct systems in place. Test out the system periodically.

* Top Management must experience the service themselves. They must get to the front lines, rather than sitting in their airconditioned rooms.

* Motivate staff by rewarding them based on performance. Money and recognition are powerful motivators.

To make Sri Lanka the “Wonder of Asia” infrastructure development alone will not work. Soft skill development is a must, together with the correct work ethics and attitudes. There are exceptional service providers in Sri Lanka. Sadly they are in the minority and not in the majority.

“If you think that staff training is an expense, close down your business.”

(Author)

“Top Management must walk, the excellent service talk.”

(Author)