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““Service quality in the Service quality in the IT World”IT World”Is it better to be helpful or right?Is it better to be helpful or right?

Presented by:Presented by:David SchmidtDavid SchmidtSr. ConsultantSr. ConsultantSuccess SciencesSuccess Sciences813-989-9900813-989-9900

dschmidt@success-sciences.comdschmidt@success-sciences.com

““Service quality in the Service quality in the IT World”IT World”Is it better to be helpful or right?Is it better to be helpful or right?

Presented by:Presented by:David SchmidtDavid SchmidtSr. ConsultantSr. ConsultantSuccess SciencesSuccess Sciences813-989-9900813-989-9900

dschmidt@success-sciences.comdschmidt@success-sciences.com

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What is the function of every business in the free world? What is the difference between the function and the goal of a business?

A few questions to get us rolling:A few questions to get us rolling:A few questions to get us rolling:A few questions to get us rolling:

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If the primary function of every business is to acquire and maintain customers it follows that it is also the primary function of EVERY EMPLOYEE in every business.Some fulfill the function directly (service & sales people). Everyone else does it indirectly.

Follow the logic:Follow the logic:Follow the logic:Follow the logic:

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Two Schools of Thinking Two Schools of Thinking Drive Behavior in Drive Behavior in OrganizationsOrganizations..

--Operationally FocusedOperationally Focused-Customer Focused-Customer Focused

Two Schools of Thinking Two Schools of Thinking Drive Behavior in Drive Behavior in OrganizationsOrganizations..

--Operationally FocusedOperationally Focused-Customer Focused-Customer Focused

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What is likely to What is likely to happen if your happen if your department is department is out of out of balancebalance in its in its operational thinking operational thinking and customer centric and customer centric thinking?thinking?

(The right BALANCE is key)(The right BALANCE is key)

What is likely to What is likely to happen if your happen if your department is department is out of out of balancebalance in its in its operational thinking operational thinking and customer centric and customer centric thinking?thinking?

(The right BALANCE is key)(The right BALANCE is key)

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This is controversial so we may need to discuss the boundaries.

• Assumption - The primary function of every employee in your enterprise is to acquire and maintain customers.

• Every behavior they exhibit during the business day that supports this position is positive behavior, even if it violates company policy.

• Every behavior they exhibit that is contrary to that position is negative behavior, even if it is within company policy.

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Let’s explore:Let’s explore:What is likely to happen if What is likely to happen if a Help Desk team is a Help Desk team is out of out of balancebalance in its operational in its operational thinking and customer thinking and customer centric thinking?centric thinking?

Let’s explore:Let’s explore:What is likely to happen if What is likely to happen if a Help Desk team is a Help Desk team is out of out of balancebalance in its operational in its operational thinking and customer thinking and customer centric thinking?centric thinking?

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Jack’s first law of service quality can kick in

“I never pay people to make me unhappy”.

Conflict and distractions from the mission

Shadow IT

Movement / pressure to outsource

When any form of this happens its clear that IT isn’t going to get a lot of love.

Likely reactions:Likely reactions: Likely reactions:Likely reactions:

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From your perspective…

What do your customers think of your department?

Question:Question:Question:Question:

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Reasons Why IT Doesn’t Get Reasons Why IT Doesn’t Get Enough Love: Enough Love: The Customer ViewThe Customer ViewReasons Why IT Doesn’t Get Reasons Why IT Doesn’t Get Enough Love: Enough Love: The Customer ViewThe Customer View

10. They are the source of much of my stress! (My pencil never crashed, got a virus or ran out of memory).

9. “No” seems to be their favorite word – which isn’t helpful.

8. At times they just don’t add enough value compared to the hassle. (Which adds to the problem of them costing too much in the first place.)

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7. Even when they have the solution its often painful to get the help we want or get it in a way that is easiest for us – which isn’t helpful. (Jack really wants toast and they had the ability to give it to him…)

6. They don’t usually demonstrate the willingness (maybe ability) to manage our expectations. Which by itself would be very helpful.

5. They are often too slow to meet our needs. (“Analysis paralysis?”) Which isn’t helpful.

Reasons Why IT Doesn’t Get Reasons Why IT Doesn’t Get Enough Love: Enough Love: The Customer ViewThe Customer ViewReasons Why IT Doesn’t Get Reasons Why IT Doesn’t Get Enough Love: Enough Love: The Customer ViewThe Customer View

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Reasons Why IT Doesn’t Get Reasons Why IT Doesn’t Get Enough Love: Enough Love: The Customer The Customer ViewView

Reasons Why IT Doesn’t Get Reasons Why IT Doesn’t Get Enough Love: Enough Love: The Customer The Customer ViewView

4. They have different definitions of what good is and what value is. (They have different definitions about a lot of things with their secret language.)

3. They often don’t understand where the pain is in our business (that funds them and their very existence). Which doesn’t help.

2. They can get too focused on the perfection of the technology fix to be helpful for us and our purposes.

1. They often come off as superior to those with less technical competence (sometimes impolite). Which isn’t helpful.

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Lesson from observing NickLesson from observing Nick::

Learn how to work with Learn how to work with customers in a way that customers in a way that would lead to them would lead to them choosing you if they had a choosing you if they had a choicechoice..

Lesson from observing NickLesson from observing Nick::

Learn how to work with Learn how to work with customers in a way that customers in a way that would lead to them would lead to them choosing you if they had a choosing you if they had a choicechoice..

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““It’s not enough for a It’s not enough for a professional to be right: professional to be right: A trusted advisor’s job is A trusted advisor’s job is to be helpful”to be helpful” ~ David Maister~ David Maister

““It’s not enough for a It’s not enough for a professional to be right: professional to be right: A trusted advisor’s job is A trusted advisor’s job is to be helpful”to be helpful” ~ David Maister~ David Maister

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Ask yourselfAsk yourself::

1) If my customers had the opportunity to 1) If my customers had the opportunity to retain my team as a resource or use a viable retain my team as a resource or use a viable alternative, which would they choose?alternative, which would they choose?

2) Would they confidently refer me to 2) Would they confidently refer me to someone else? someone else? (Particularly a relationship they really valued?)(Particularly a relationship they really valued?)

Ask yourselfAsk yourself::

1) If my customers had the opportunity to 1) If my customers had the opportunity to retain my team as a resource or use a viable retain my team as a resource or use a viable alternative, which would they choose?alternative, which would they choose?

2) Would they confidently refer me to 2) Would they confidently refer me to someone else? someone else? (Particularly a relationship they really valued?)(Particularly a relationship they really valued?)

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How often are you proactively engaging your customers in conversation about their changing needs?

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How often is often enough?

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We Hardly Talk AnymoreWe Hardly Talk AnymoreWe Hardly Talk AnymoreWe Hardly Talk Anymore

How often does your business unit have discussions with IT about changing business technology needs?

29% Hardly Ever

10% Yearly

25% Quarterly

23% Monthly

13% Weekly

©Information Week online poll of 1,185 IT and business professionals

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Recommendation related to Recommendation related to TODAY:TODAY:Find Find 3 specific goals3 specific goals to to commit to as a result of commit to as a result of what we are exploring in this what we are exploring in this session.session.

Recommendation related to Recommendation related to TODAY:TODAY:Find Find 3 specific goals3 specific goals to to commit to as a result of commit to as a result of what we are exploring in this what we are exploring in this session.session.

Develop or enhance skills, adopt new practices,…

Pit StopPit Stop

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3 Recommendations:3 Recommendations:3 Recommendations:3 Recommendations:

Adopt a new value - “We work on the relationships as much as the technology”. Work for Trusted Advisor status.Work for customers to be willing to choose you if they were given other viable options.

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A few steps to “rebalance” A few steps to “rebalance” and get more customer and get more customer focused, helpful behavior focused, helpful behavior from your team.from your team.

A few steps to “rebalance” A few steps to “rebalance” and get more customer and get more customer focused, helpful behavior focused, helpful behavior from your team.from your team.

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Establish the belief that technical competence is “table stakes” for playing on the team. Use the quiz – you, your team, your customers then compare for gaps. *

Rebalance:Rebalance:Rebalance:Rebalance:

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1. Exactly who are your (team’s) customers?

2. How specifically do you create value for them?*

3. What are their key expectations?*

4. What opportunities does your team have to make it easier for customers, add value and be helpful to them?

5. What specifically gets in the way of your team consistently delivering optimal service quality and value now?

Quiz Questions for

IT Leaders and their teams

*How do you really know?

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• Interest

• Flexibility

• Problem Solving

• Recovery

What are your

customers Key

expectations?

Trusted Advisors know and manage expectations.

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Let’s simplify how to Let’s simplify how to do this.do this.

Let’s simplify how to Let’s simplify how to do this.do this.

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You just need to remember Gumby.

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Gumby is not just a green slab of clay.

What are his qualities?

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Flexible

HelpfulReliableRelationship builder

Your customers want you to hire, train and retain more Gumby like people in IT. (Including leaders) Though he bends he is hard to break.

Gumby is::

He gets a lot of love because:

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To increase the probability of this working I To increase the probability of this working I suggest two things:suggest two things:

1.Create the conditions for accountability.

2.Understand and leverage how meaning really gets created in your organization.

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High-Accountability OrganizationsHigh-Accountability OrganizationsHigh-Accountability OrganizationsHigh-Accountability Organizations

PositiveConsequences

NegativeConsequences

ExpectationsExpectationsClearClear

ExpectationsExpectationsCredibleCredible

Create the conditions for performance (success) for your people.

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You get what you inspect, You get what you inspect, not what you expect.not what you expect.

You get what you inspect, You get what you inspect, not what you expect.not what you expect.

~Retired Captain Jerry Blesch, US Navy

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Are your measurements Are your measurements primarily primarily operationallyoperationally focused or do you focused or do you balance with balance with customercustomer focused focused metrics?metrics?

What metrics does your team see What metrics does your team see and hear about most?and hear about most?

Are your measurements Are your measurements primarily primarily operationallyoperationally focused or do you focused or do you balance with balance with customercustomer focused focused metrics?metrics?

What metrics does your team see What metrics does your team see and hear about most?and hear about most?

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High-Accountability OrganizationsHigh-Accountability OrganizationsHigh-Accountability OrganizationsHigh-Accountability Organizations

PositiveConsequences

NegativeConsequences

ExpectationsExpectationsClearClear

ExpectationsExpectationsCredibleCredible

The right use of the right metrics will help make expectations clear.

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• Post service & satisfaction metrics all over the place.

• Distribute all good and bad customer feedback to everyone.

• Plaster pictures of customers all over your work area.

• Invite customers to visit and/or bring customers to your workplace / dept. as often as possible.

Bumping Into It Strategy

Adapted from The Pursuit of Wow by Tom Peters

• Make weekly awards for "little" acts of heroism.

• Open every meeting with a service story. Put service stories on page one of your dept. newsletter or blog.

• Do weekly half-hour session on breakthroughs and breakdowns (“prouds and sorries”).

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Big (visible) decisionsDay to day behaviorWhat REALLY gets rewarded in the organizationInformal leader communicationFormal leader communication

Meaning is created by LeadersMeaning is created by Leaders Meaning is created by LeadersMeaning is created by Leaders

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Home StretchHome Stretch7 Guidelines to help 7 Guidelines to help you be more effective you be more effective leaders and leaders and “helpful”“helpful” to the people you to the people you serve.serve.

Home StretchHome Stretch7 Guidelines to help 7 Guidelines to help you be more effective you be more effective leaders and leaders and “helpful”“helpful” to the people you to the people you serve.serve.

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The 7 PrinciplesThe 7 PrinciplesThe 7 PrinciplesThe 7 Principles1. Business is a Series of Relationships. Our success

results from making those relationships work.2. Everything that happens in an organization happens

in or because of a conversation.3. The conversation IS the relationship.4. High performers choose to be responsible for the

quality of their conversations and the results they produce.

5. High performers simply do the things less successful people won’t, don’t or can’t.

6. Your greatest opportunity for leverage in any situation is thinking in advance.

7. “You are what you repeatedly do”.