The Problem With Service Today Infographic

The world of service needs to be distinguished

This infographic discusses the problem with service we all face. We are grappling with a service crisis. Businesses are increasingly becoming service oriented and yet service providers are largely unprepared.

We are facing a Service Crisis all over the world. How can this be?

• Organizations are increasingly transitioning from manufacturing based to service based.
• Upset customers make use of whatever medium is available to vent their anger, with social media one of the most accessible and damaging options.
• Many service providers are resentful and cynical about their jobs.
• Many organizations promise great service – and then do not deliver.

This leads to a Service Crisis that is plaguing organizations and communities all across the world. Yet service is all around us. Despite this, we often ignore the importance of ‘service’ and its relevance in our professional and personal world.

Two main reasons are behind this crisis:

1. Considering Service to be Servile

We often hear businesses say, “The Customer is King” which implies the service provider is somehow less important. This statement is not only archaic but is also operationally and emotionally counterproductive.
Numerous studies have proven that loyal customers bring in more profits, and that the key to retain your best customers is providing superior service. Organizations with an uplifting service culture also naturally attract, develop and retain better talent. Moreover, employees associated with service-driven organization are more engaged, productive and committed.

2. World of Service is Poorly Mapped

In many areas of human activity we fine recognized terminologies which are commonly used. However, the world of service is less well distinguished; there is no common service language or vocabulary to apply.

The service domain suffers from faulty interpretations, inaccuracies and poor clichés. Some service academics have created meaningful terms like gap models, channel preferences etc. but these terms are still not widely recognized or understood among millions of service providers worldwide. We suffer from a lack of fundamental service principles, effective service-improvement processes, actionable frameworks and models to guide us.

So, what do we do about it?

The first step is to understand and teach others the essence of the word “Service”. Service is taking action to create value for someone else.

The second step is to recognize and promote the fact that service is at the core of every successful business, organization, and career. Uplifting service brings pride to service teams and increases service providers’ sense of fulfillment and satisfaction at work.

Finally, when we strive to uplift others through our actions, we uplift ourselves too. Uplifting the spirit, practice, quality of service also uplifts the service provider.

In today’s world, we need a set of proven service principles that can be applied in every industry and service situation. We need practices that can consistently help us deliver service value in our professional and personal lives.