Ownership, visibility and commitment are the key words.
Ownership
It starts at the top. The chief executive and top management team must be sponsors and champions. They must ‘walk the talk’, own the communication process and ensure initial and on–going focus on standards in every employee briefing.
Each service standard must have a management owner, who is accountable for the delivery of the service. Performance against standard will normally be a feature of that individual's annual review.
The management owner will also have the authority to implement process and other changes to improve operational performance. But there is no copyright on ideas, so all colleagues should be encouraged to make suggestions for performance improvement.
Visibility
‘How well are we doing?’ should be a question that employees don't have to ask. Customer service standards and the current performance against those standards should be communicated to all employees on a timely basis.
Notice boards, memos, email, team briefings, newsletters and the organisation's intranet are appropriate methods.
Employees really appreciate the opportunity for discussion. Employees who are based out of the office are frequently overlooked, so they should get special consideration.
Commitment
The mission or values of an organisation are a good place to anchor the commitment to customer service.
The chief executive, all levels of management and all employees must be committed to delivering the promise to customers regardless of external or internal influences. It's not easy but remember: service is your best salesman.