By Ignite Excellence

Try this: think of all the things about your favourite restaurant that you really like. Be thorough and make sure to focus on both the service and the product. Talk to two other people about the same place, and you will notice that the mix of product and service preferences can vary widely. And, the mix can change over time. Great service can compensate for mediocre food; continued poor service, however, brings more scrutiny to even the highest-quality food.

Every job encompasses this same combination: what you do (your "product") and how you do it (your "service").

The labour market information that the Council is now making available gives valuable insight to employers and employees (both current and prospective) as to what jobs will be required and where gaps are likely to occur. As labour shortages loom, both employers and employees can make use of the "service" element to ensure that their respective "product" is seen in the best-possible light.

Servicing your workforce

Whether in logistics, warehousing, transportation, inventory control, purchasing or any other supply chain area, each function fulfills a vital service to the organization, directly or indirectly. Recognition and inclusion in the wider business story can give people at all levels of the organization increased buy-in to the corporate mandate. Some may not care: they are not looking for that kind of service. Others will relish the information and appreciate being involved.

Dissemination of information takes different forms and is important in executing good service. Corporate messages must align with the informal communication channels from managers, supervisors and on down the line. These communication channels quickly dry up if they are one way, so companies – and their people – have to listen well, too.

Servicing your workplace

Daily contact with others is where service begins and ends. Treating others in the company as clients strengthens the interdependence that allows for efficiencies in the process. Indirectly, your job will also affect different links in the value chain. These links tend to become more visible when unscheduled activities occur (or when "fires" erupt). These situations often provide opportunities to create more value through service that we provide in communicating necessary information. Out-of-the-norm situations give unique glimpses into related areas up, down and across the organizational chart. Use these as opportunities to provide service.

Parting words

When we think about "customer service," we often think of a face or, at least, a voice on the phone. Increasingly, we have opportunities to provide value-added service in communicating information by electronic means, either sent (e.g., e-mail reporting) or stored (e.g., recording data in the system).

Companies and individuals can embrace communication as a forum for fostering customer service. The idea of providing "service" to employees and employers ensures that the importance of the role is fully recognized. This becomes increasingly important for both parties when workforce gaps emerge.

Parting words to employees: Service your way to success!

Parting words to employers: Ignite Excellence can help with the cultural shift to internal customer service. You are more than welcome to become a customer of ours...