this task. Give yourself a full day and commit to another if
needed.
Begin your retreat by asking yourself what great service
looks like to you. List all of the opportunities you have for
delivering service to your clients. Begin with the task of
answering phone calls and continue through marketing, pric-
ing, estimating, shooting, and delivering assignments.
Remember to “play client” and think about the type of service
that you would want to receive. As you list each service oppor-
tunity and how you would meet it, write each as a goal.
Ultimately, you will create a list of goals that you can post and
refer to.
Once you know what excellent service means to you in each
area, begin to examine how your service is currently provided.
Are you now providing service up to your new service level? If
not, list the areas that need improvement and the steps that you
need to take to truly live your new service commitments.
Don’t expect perfection. That is not the goal. Refer to your
“needs improvement” list as you and your team tackle them one
at a time.
This practice takes time and may feel a bit awkward when
you begin. However, the result of providing your clients with
consistently good service is well worth any initial discomfort.
Once your new service goals are committed to paper, post
them on your wall. Look at them daily. Review your goals twice
a year and update them as needed. When you hire assistants,
make sure to share your goals with them. It’s important for all
the folks you work with to live your service goals while working
with you.
Navigating client conflicts can be tricky, and it is here that
your service goals can once again be helpful. Often when a con-
flict occurs, emotion takes over and the situation can easily
escalate. In order to keep the situation under control and keep
your commitment to excellent service, use your goals as a refer-
ence and check the specifics of the situation against your goals.
Have you slipped up? Or is everything in order and you suspect
your client is a bit out of line? If you feel that you have handled
the situation in accordance with your mission and service goals,
then graciously bring the situation to a close.CHAPTER16 / TEAMARMOURChapter 16.qxd 6/25/07 7:20 AM Page 99