As so many other terms, the terms of "service" and "service orientation" are lively discussed in management meetings, in the press and in groups of regulars. Everybody can add his individual story and has his very own interpretation of the whole topic.
How does a company deal with the catching of "the spirit of service" and afterwards with achieving a permanent fixing of its principles in the actions of all employees? And above all aiming at reaching "sustainability" which has been another term on everybody's lips for a long time.

Scholastic Reflection or the Consultants' plain View

The structured, scholastic approach indicates a clear scheme. Of course, the first consideration, as it is conducted from a customer's point of view is the right one, but afterwards all acting and implementation quickly transforms into a top-down approach. The more or less detailed service objective is added to the corporate structure (or to the vision, respectively) - besides the objectives already existing. In parallel with the information of employees, key figures are broken down to individual targets of single divisions or executives. These partly focus on well-known, but also on company-specific service factors. These services can be measured half-way neatly and profoundly; for example by polling the customers, conducting test purchases, or even a TÜV-certified mystery shopping.

The above mentioned approaches surely have their justifications, but companies have to consider many other points to achieve a successful implementation:

What does service mean for me? Service is diverse. Service can be a single effort, but also be conducted additionally to an existing process. Improvement of service can imply the plain optimisation of a process or it can focus on employee-customer meetings.

Who is the customer? Is it the final customer, the next division? I don't meet the final customer in my division, isn't he my customer nevertheless? Or is the customer next?

How does the fixation of such a topic work? Surely, the concept of service is well-placed with the corporate guidelines or the corporate strategy, but it has to be broken down to all levels in an understandable way as well. This is the main task of the management: Understanding the topic individually with their employees in their own division, construing it and finally applying it.

How does the implementation process work, how is the single employee to implement this? They will act as the company act. If the management is authentically acting in accordance with their concept of service, the employees will follow. How can you set an example in living your concept of service? This will only work if you yourself have internalised this concept. Achieving this conviction takes time. Your counterpart will recognise your perception of the topic as an executive and employee. If a company succeeds in lining up the forces responsible for the pervasion of the topic, i.e. the middle management, its final success is guaranteed. "Designer vs. clay" - that is the slogan behind it.

How long does it take? It is definitely no sprint - more a marathon which might never end.

A scholastic Excurse nevertheless

Which are the core elements? We consider the following four dimensions to be of elementary importance when it comes to services - especially with regards to executives:

• Service orientation: development and understanding of first-class service concepts
• Service decisions: service-oriented decisions and the handling of service issues 
• Service role model: customer- and employee-oriented personal behaviour 
• Personnel management and service: leadership and development of employees in accordance with service concepts.