Businesses rely on customers to stay in business. Since there are ample establishments that either sell the same product or offer the same service, exceptional customer service should be front and center.
It is easy to run a business when everything flows smoothly, but true colors come out when something doesn’t work out. The first rule is to treat employees with the same respect you would treat a customer.
By that we aren’t saying you should stop to chit-chat when there is work to be done, but if your employee is working directly with the customers, ask them what they feel would add value to the existing quality in the product or service.
Let’s review Six Sigma’s Voice of Customer (VOC):
Voice of Customer, or VOC, is the customer’s requirement, what they expect of the product or service — basically what they are paying for. This would include expectations, preferences and any comments on how the product or service could be improved to a higher quality.
How this relates to the company employees is interesting, because how the company treats its employees directly affects customer service and the quality of its products or services all the way around. Creating a company culture of unity and respect will produce loyalty, less turnover, and less sick day absenteeism. Health insurance costs will begin to decrease; because stress is the cause for many illnesses, removing or lowering stress levels will help make the issue go away.
According to an extensive study done by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in 2016, 71% of adults reported at least one symptom of stress directly related to work such as a headache, feeling overwhelmed, or anxiety.
Six Sigma core principles and culture could once again prove to be the light at the end of the tunnel for today’s companies. Stay tuned for more on the subject. For more information on our courses and services please visit 6sigma.com.
No responses / comments so far.