Customer service is a popular motto that has been used for many years in the public and private sectors. It was developed with great intentions. All the recipients of customer services, whether they are internal or external are 100 percent supporters of the motto. However what is the reality behind this whole thing?
 
The unfortunate reality is that even though these sectors will never succeed without a strong implementation of a solid plan for excellent customer service, management does not have 100% control of how well this plan is actually executed by each individual.
 
Often times, both sectors conduct customer surveys to obtain feedback on how well their customers are being served. Other times sporadic workshops or training's are conducted to educate employees about customer service.
 
To me, there is a more critical and essential way to ensure that customer service will be executed consistently on a daily basis. That comes only by hiring the best, educate them and randomly test them for any adjustments that may be necessary.
 
If management is lucky enough, the person hired will come with skills that are not taught at work such as integrity, genuine commitment, honesty and pride in doing not only the job, but the best job plus, going above and beyond of what the job entails.
 
These employees that I am taking about ARE NOT those that when given a task are focused primarily on executing it, but on whether they are responsible to do it or not. Therefore, their immediate response, although not articulated is ”that it is not in my position description”.
 
Trust me; you do not need those employees. There are plenty of them around that are stuck in a limbo, often times blaming everyone for their incompetency and lack of commitment. 
 
The main problem with characters like these is that they not only provide meager customer service, but tend to have a negative influence on others by poisoning the environment.
 
So, make sure that when you hire people you use that internal “intuition” sense. That will be the key in hiring the best candidates that in turn will provide real internal and external customer services.
 
Finally, don’t forget that your employees are not machines. Most people are not self-maintain. If you take good regular and consistent care of them and train them well, they will take great care of your business or government agencies as well.

It is so ironic that when some people get to the top, they forget one of the most critical responsibilities of the position; which is to identify those under their leadership who show natural leadership potential, and then help to channel those talents so that at some point they can get into leadership positions by themselves.
 
A genuine leader must have the vision to forecast and anticipate the future needs of the organization, then mentor and teach those with the potential to carry on and fulfill the leadership needs for longevity and success.
 
Furthermore, a leader must never forget that the "working bees" are the reason behind any organization or company's success and that amongst them there is a supply of candidates ready to take on that challenge.
 
When molding a leader, a common mistake that some top leaders make is to focus solely on the technical skills of the “working bee” instead of identifying those overall hidden skills that makes a good leader. We see it all the time, organizations promoting employees that have great technical skills for the job, however, they have the weakest and poorest management and people’s skills. The outcome is an unfortunate lack of balance.

​The fact is that a leader does not necessarily have to be an expert in the technical aspects of making the “product.” Their job is to “persuade, motivate, guide and lead” others to do their best.  Want an example? Take for instance the conductor of a prestigious symphony orchestra. If he/she playing any instrument while conducting? Of course not.
 
So, my message for current leaders out there is; create a legacy and ensure that when you leave your position of power, you leave behind individuals who are self-assured, competent, skilled, knowledgeable and ready to take on the challenge of “persuading and motivating others” to do and be the best. One last thing, while you do that, make sure that you do not overlook diversity and provide opportunities to all those who qualify for.