![\"Disneyland\"](\"http:\/\/www.customerservicemanager.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/05\/disneyland.jpg\")
\nIt may seem amazing that the solution to achieving legendary customer care does not lie in some \u201cslogan driven\u201d training program, but rather in a simple two-step process.<\/strong><\/p>\n Ask any CEO if he or she is committed to excellent customer service and the answer typically is, \u201cOf course we are!\u201d But ask why their organization\u2019s service isn\u2019t among the ranks of the Walt Disney Company, the Four Seasons Hotels & Resorts, or any other extraordinary service provider and the excuses are tiresome: \u201cWe can\u2019t pay enough,\u201d or \u201cPeople don\u2019t care,\u201d or \u201cOur turnover is high.\u201d<\/p>\n Now assume for a minute that these excuses are valid (which I am convinced they are not), and ask a leader, \u201cWhat are you doing to alleviate this problem?\u201d and witness their awkward scramble for an answer. If an organization is truly committed to legendary customer service and their lame excuses were valid, why wouldn\u2019t they be using all available resources to solve these problems?<\/p>\n So what is the secret? It may seem amazing that the solution to achieving legendary customer service does not lie in some \u201cslogan driven\u201d training program, but rather in a simple two-step process: (1) Hire to the culture of the organization; (2) Provide a multi-day orientation program that encourages new hires to embrace a new set of values.<\/p>\n Think about it \u2013 Disney, the Four Seasons, Nordstrom, and other celebrated service providers hire from the same employment pool and pay about the same wages. What these companies do better than others is hire and orientate.<\/p>\n Hire to the culture. World-class service providers require multiple interviews with potential employees in addition to the one or two human resource interviews. The purpose of these multiple interviews is to assure that the candidate fits the culture of the organization. At the Four Seasons, in addition to a diverse mix of employees, each hotel or resort manager must also interview all potential hires before an offer is made. Kathleen Taylor, President of the Four Seasons\u2019 worldwide operations explains:<\/p>\n \u201cIt is not for the GM (General Manager) alone to say, \u2018Yes, I like the person\u2019 or \u2018No, I don\u2019t.\u2019 It shows the potential dishwasher that his [or her] job is really important. He may go home that night and tell his mother or friends, \u2018Wow, I met the GM today,\u2019 and on his first day at work, he knows the GM, and the GM knows him.\u201d<\/p>\n Equally important to ensuring that a candidate fits the culture is consistently demonstrating that everyone’s role, no matter where in the hierarchy, is important to creating magical moments of service.<\/p>\n Hiring to the culture of your organization assumes you can define your organization\u2019s dream (or vision), values and behaviors (Codes of Conduct, as defined in our best-selling book, The Disney Way). If your culture needs defining, it would be wise to work on those critical elements before embarking upon the hiring process.<\/p>\n Over the years I have heard many executives argue, \u201cWhy be so concerned with hiring the right person? Anyone can learn these entry-level jobs, and if a new hire doesn\u2019t work out, there are three people waiting in line.\u201d The solution to their short-sighted mentality eludes them. They probably would agree that the most valuable asset of any organization is the customer. So wouldn\u2019t they want to trust their most valuable asset to the most competent, capable and skilled person available, not just the \u201cnext in line?\u201d It leaves me dumbfounded.<\/p>\n JoAnn Wagner, President and CEO of the SOS Staffing Family of Companies, explains how \u2018Hiring for Fit\u2019 is vital to effective customer service and overall success. \u201cSuperior customer service begins with uniting the right talent with the right opportunity, which starts long before a candidate\u2019s first day on the job. Interviewing, testing and screening of a candidate\u2019s experience and background compared with a company\u2019s culture are all factors that must be carefully weighed. Once a culture match has been made, a comprehensive orientation program is the final crucial piece.\u201d<\/p>\n So, if caring for your customer is not reason enough for finding the right employee, isn\u2019t increasing your competitive advantage? Both the Hay Group and Workforce Management magazine have calculated the cost of replacing an $8.50\/hour employee at $10,000 to $12,000. Disney, the Four Seasons, and fellow world-class service providers experience 3-5 times lower turnover than their competition.<\/p>\n I also hear the argument, \u201cOur HR department is too small or does not have time to find the \u2018right\u2019 people.\u201d One solution to this problem is to form a strategic alliance with a staffing services firm. Susan Aherns, Regional Manager for Adams & Associates in Washington explains: \u201cCompanies who form a true partnership with a staffing firm will add arrows to their quiver that they would not have otherwise. The right firm can function as an integral part of a company\u2019s HR department, saving it valuable time and money. In the end, businesses often save more by utilizing a staffing firm to find the best candidates.\u201d<\/p>\n The Commonwealth Alliance Program (CAP) reports that businesses now attribute 25% of all revenues to strategic alliances. Karen Lustman, District Manager for Orange County direct hire firm Devon & Devon, elaborates: \u201cHiring in today\u2019s competitive climate is much more than finding a body. Strong strategic alliances result in win-win solutions. When a hiring firm understands the company\u2019s mission and culture, they send only best-fit candidates.\u201d<\/p>\n If you have hired an individual who has passed the \u201cculture fit\u201d test with flying colors, it\u2019s now your responsibility to immerse him or her into your culture. This must happen before they begin their operational or staff responsibilities.<\/p>\n Orientation. Orientation programs in most organizations would have to increase by a factor of ten to reach the level of pathetic. Most involve new hires in tedious activities ranging from completing forms to reviewing policies. Then, the \u201cwelcomed\u201d newcomer gets thrown into the hustle of getting the job done. Even in companies with well-defined cultures, the success rate of these new hires is less than stellar.<\/p>\n If new hires end up being fired or resigning within the first six months on the job, they are almost always branded as failures. I\u2019ll bet you\u2019ve heard the feedback: \u201che never really bought into our level of service,\u201d or \u201cshe never really understood our values.\u201d An all too often believed myth is that values can be explained or even dictated.<\/p>\n Nothing could be further from the truth. One cannot mandate a new set of values to anyone; the only way for values to be effective is for individuals to embrace and internalize the values. Luckily, we can turn to a tremendously successful role model for this lesson in action. . . Isadore Sharp, CEO and founder of Four Seasons. \u201cIssy\u201d told me, \u201cThey (values) are only words on paper, the words have significance only if behaved; the behaviors are significant only if believed.\u201d Legendary customer service does not come from a policy manual; it comes from the heart.<\/p>\n So, how do you get new hires to embrace a new set of values? Answer: Build a multi-day orientation process. Anything less than two days is not enough. People need time to understand how the new values contribute to the success of the organization and why their current set of values will not work. For decades I have been involved in leading organizations to structure cultural orientation programs so that individuals and teams can internalize the vision, the values and the culture of an organization.<\/p>\n I challenge you to spend your time establishing the right hiring process and the right orientation process, not in just getting the \u201cright\u201d people.<\/p>\n