Defining Ethics
Ethics, or moral philosophy, is a set of principles of right conduct or moral values; concepts about right and wrong
Ethics and Customer Service
Ethics is closely intertwined with Customer Service concerns in the behavioral and mental health arena. It is about knowing and doing the right thing, about adhering to regulatory compliance, and learning how and when to say “Yes” or “No.”
It must be assumed that when working in the behavioral and mental health arena, which includes addictive behaviors, a facility’s customers, (or patients, if you will), maybe operate under impaired judgment. It is a critical part of customer service that the business makes ethical decisions in all areas of customer interaction. All staff members should be thoroughly versed in state and federal regulatory requirements because there is a high possibility that your customers are not. It is up to you to do the right thing and to know when to say “No” while still maintaining good customer relations. Staff members should be able to explain the regulations in a way that enables a customer to accept that the business is operating in his or her best interest.
While it is important to establish a rapport with customers, there is also a fine line that should be maintained. Staff members should know how to avoid conflicts of interest and be able to graciously refuse gifts, money, or gratuities so that ethical boundaries, such as social interaction with a customer, are not violated.
As a part of customer service, a facility involved in the delivery of services to customers in the behavioral and mental health arena must include the promotion of ethical practices and advocacy for the customers or persons served. Customer service policies should include sensitivity to the customers served and should promote the kind of relationship within which services can best be carried out. It should include giving guidance in decision-making situations that affect a business’s customers so that the outcome is satisfactory to the customer and ethical on the part of the business.
Remaining within ethical and legal confines is deserving of redundancy. Ignorance of ethical practices, regulatory guidelines, or laws is not an acceptable excuse for crossing any of these lines. It is equally important that your customers understand, in layman’s terms, the ethics, regulations, and laws that govern your business, as well as the reason(s) behind them. In working with customers or patients who may be operating under impaired thinking, these are ethical considerations.
Learning to De-escalate
Learning to de-escalate is an important facet of customer service. It is important to recognize that anger is a way a customer/patient may seek the attention that he or she needs. It also helps him or her to gain control over a situation, to raise his or her own self-image, or to change the subject in order to escape something that he or she should have done or needs to do.
A good part of customer service is in learning how to lead a customer/patient out of anger and into reason. A key thing to remember is that the person who is working to resolve the conflict must remain in control of his or her emotions; otherwise, any reasoning that is offered will not be effective. Using ethical practices and being fully aware of policies, procedures and regulations are the guidelines that will enable staff members to de-escalate a situation, with the end result being perceived as good customer service.
Staff members should avoid finding fault and being judgmental, as these actions will only fuel a conflict. Not only listening but also active hearing is needed when working to calm a customer/patient when they are under duress. Frequently we physically listen to people but fail to hear what they are really saying. Be prepared to hear your customer/patients in order to discern what their problem really is. An angry or distressed person is not able to reason practically, and there is always some degree [however large or small] of validity in their distress. If you actively listen and hear what the customer/patient is really distressed about, you can more easily work with him or her to resolve the situation. Find that degree of validity and work with it.
Agree with the customer that there must be a problem and apologize to him or her. This doesn’t necessarily mean that you are apologizing because you are at fault, but that you are sorry they are distressed and that you want to help them reach a resolution. It is important to remember that it is your job as a staff member to place your emphasis on providing the service that is expected, and that includes customer satisfaction.
Learning to Prioritize
Customer service involves satisfying the customer’s perception that his or her concerns are important to you. One way of achieving this is getting things done in a timely manner. If a patient has a routine request, it is always the best policy to fulfill the need at the time it is requested. This may include things like setting up an appointment or providing them with brochures or information from the Internet. The immediate gratification of a request is perceived as excellent customer service. If the request is more complicated, like interacting with another facility on their behalf, always try to give the customer/patient an expected timeframe that you will have the request completed. Prioritizing the customer’s request and then following up in order to meet his or her expectations is one sure way to achieve customer service satisfaction.
How Does Leadership Impact Customer Service?
Be sure your staff is trained in customer service issues. A business that is known for exceeding the customer’s expectations is a business where customer service starts at the top. A good leader leads by example, and therefore must be well versed in all aspects of customer service. When people in key places of authority emphasize superior customer service through their own actions, the entire staff usually reflects this level of service.
Good leaders should ensure that all staff members are fully acquainted with the customer service policies and goals and that they are comfortable in interacting with all aspects of customer service. A good leader shouldn’t assume that everyone has automatic customer service skills. Having a customer service training policy in place ensures that staff members have the appropriate skills to meet any situation that develops.
DEVELOPING YOUR CUSTOMER SERVICE CAMPAIGN
It is vital that a business has a customer service mission. One good way to make this clear to your staff is to develop a customer service campaign. Make a list of your customers. Then make a list of the ways you and your staff perceives that you are currently serving them. Have you included co-workers, vendors, and other agencies with whom you interact?
Study the current list of customer service ideas and add new ideas to the list. Examine the feasibility of each idea and the impact that it would have on your customer service. Be proactive by gathering customer service ideas from your staff, your customers, and other successful businesses. There are many national and international companies that share their successes via the Internet or through books about customer service.
Ask yourself some of the following questions and consider some of the statements and how you presently deal with them.
- What does my customer expect?
- Do my customers know me and/or my staff members?
- Do my staff members and I know our customers?
- What makes our place of business special?
- What do we do to build customer loyalty?
- Do we actually listen to and hear our customers?
- Go the extra step.
- Be honest with our customers.
- Deal with complaints.
- Don’t make promises unless we can/will keep them.
- Do the unexpected; throw in something extra!
- Use positive incentives.
- Close customer service interaction appropriately.
Letting Customer Service Work for You
It is important to remember that ethics and customer service go hand in hand. If your customers are treated with respect and dignity beginning with the first encounter, and if he or she has a clear idea of what services to expect, you have developed an effective infrastructure for providing excellent customer service. It is critical to note that a business should maintain good customer service while staying within the ethical and regulatory guidelines at all times. If your customers understand this from the beginning, it may help to avoid awkward or difficult situations later.
If you clearly define your services and therefore your mission for customer service you will be putting customer service to work for you! By pulling all the facets of your business together, meaning that you provide the services you say you will, that you listen and really hear what your customers say, that you personalize the customer-staff member relationship [greeting each customer by name, asking about their day, their family, etc.,] and make each customer feel valued, your customer service program will work for you by retaining current customers and recruiting new ones by the word-of-mouth advertising you will get from satisfied customers.
Enthusiasm is defined as intense and eager enjoyment, interest or approval, and/or great excitement for, or interest in a subject or cause. Good customer service includes creating contagious enthusiasm or excitement for and pursuit of excellent customer service. When people seek employment, certainly they are looking for monetary compensation and benefits. However, it is also important to enjoy your workplace. An environment where enthusiasm is contagious will sometimes outweigh other considerations. This is equally applicable in attracting customers. There may be another business that provides exactly the same services that you do. The only difference may be in how your customers perceive the delivery of that service.
Remember, customer service is serving your customer’s needs and expectations from your business, simply expressing common courtesy and a caring attitude to your customers. It is the lifeblood of any business and is critical to achieving your best advertisement, which is free, word-of-mouth advertising. It is what is needed to keep your customers coming back. When you invest the time and effort in developing and implementing an outstanding customer service program, your company [and your customers] will reap the benefits ten-fold!