Appendixes

We would like to offer you some specific examples of real-world communication to employees about service standards and company philosophy. Here are three concrete examples of the way a company’s staff can be encouraged to anticipate the needs of their customers. Each was crafted for the company’s individual situation and the special relationship it has with its customers. We hope that these examples will spark your own explorations into the art of anticipation.

The Oasis Disc Manufacturing Customer and Phone Interaction Guidelines and Lexicon Excerpts demonstrate telephone and in-person customer interaction guidelines, language choice pointers, and general principles in abbreviated form. It is for use by employees with direct contact with the public. This example shows how our principles apply to Micah’s business, Oasis, a relatively informal company. It is of an appropriate length to form a tri-fold brochure for easy workplace reference and to be excerpted for even readier reference in pocket form.

The Capella Hotels and Resorts “Canon Card”/Service Standards and Operating Philosophy illustrates how a luxury organization with a relatively formal service style distills its service standards and operating philosophy into a brief, portable set of instructions and examples. The card that they’re printed on is small enough to accordion-fold and carry in one’s pocket. These principles and action points can keep employees focused on their overall purpose in the organization (the Canon side of the brochure) and the key steps/building blocks for different situations that involve working with customers and with other employees (the Service Standards side).

The CARQUEST Standards of Service Excellence is the most concise and least formal example we have provided. It shows how a brief, portable set of principles and action points can be transformative for a company within an informal customer relations context. It is short enough to post at various locations in a workplace.

The copyrights for the appendixes are as follows:

Appendix A: © Four Aces Inc., courtesy of Micah Solomon, All Rights Reserved

Appendix B: © General Parts, Inc., All Rights Reserved

Appendix C: © West Paces Hotel Group, All Rights Reserved