{"id":32314,"date":"2021-03-10T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2021-03-10T00:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/hyken.com\/culture-is-contagious\/"},"modified":"2024-01-17T10:05:20","modified_gmt":"2024-01-17T10:05:20","slug":"culture-is-contagious","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/hyken.com\/customer-service-culture\/culture-is-contagious\/","title":{"rendered":"Culture is Contagious"},"content":{"rendered":"\"Two<\/a>I was recently interviewed by Yigal Adato for his mastermind group, all entrepreneurs and owners of pawnshops. We were discussing how important it is to \u201cbake\u201d customer service into the culture.\r\n\r\n\r\nIt\u2019s the leader\u2019s job to define the customer service vision, ensure it\u2019s communicated, and be the role models demonstrating how customers and employees are to be treated.\r\n\r\nIn addition, leadership and management must defend the culture<\/a>. If any part of the team isn\u2019t in alignment with the customer service vision, be it an individual or a department \u2013 or even an entire region for larger companies \u2013 they need to be coached and properly trained. Everybody needs to be headed in the same direction and delivering a certain level of service to both internal and external customers. It\u2019s not just in the culture, it\u2019s a philosophy to be embraced by everyone in the organization.\r\n\r\nAnd don\u2019t think customers won\u2019t notice. They will. And, when they talk to one person in your organization who is out of alignment, do you know what they think? They think everyone in the company is like that one person who isn\u2019t delivering the typical experience you want your customers to experience.\r\n\r\nAt some point, Yigal said:\r\n

\u201cSo, the culture is contagious.\u201d<\/h3>\r\nBOOM! That\u2019s it! That is a great summary statement. In the best-run companies, the culture is contagious \u2013 for both the employees and the customers. Unfortunately, it\u2019s also contagious in the worst-run companies.\r\n\r\nSo it must be abundantly clear how you define customer service and experience in your organization<\/a>. Everyone must know the role they play in delivering on that definition. To make it part of the culture, and to be contagious, introduce it during the hiring process, heavily trained in the onboarding of new employees, and consistently communicated and reinforced on a regular basis for sustainability.\r\n\r\nThe culture of your organization is what defines everything about your company. Think of some of the great recognizable brands and how they make you feel. Is it congruent with how employees act toward customers and each other? I remember the first time I stayed at a Hard Rock Hotel. I was excited to stay in this hip, cool, trendy hotel. Just like the restaurants have music memorabilia hanging on the walls, so do the hotels. The environment fascinated me. The hotel piped rock music through. Employees walked around, bouncing to the beat of the music. Before long, I was doing it, too. Yes, their culture is contagious!\r\n\r\nIt\u2019s simple, but that doesn\u2019t mean it\u2019s easy. The culture must be clearly defined. Employees must understand it. They must be trained to it. Your employees must buy into it. They must live it. And they must love it. That\u2019s how you begin to create a culture that is contagious.\r\n\r\n