Brian Wisdom, chief executive of People 1st, thinks about the impact good customer service can have on business.

The National Skills Academy of Hospitality’s recent Mystery Shopper campaign got me thinking about what excellent customer service actually looks and feels like. And how can you differentiate excellent service from very good service when people will have very different views?

I’d be interested to hear about how others make that distinction. For me, excellent service must have the X-factor. It’s not about the culmination of boxes ticked but about how the service made me feel and whether the person providing that service was clearly motivated in their work and enjoying engaging with me.

So, I was heartened to read the story about the family who traveled over 20 miles, several times a week, just for a taste of a restaurant’s strawberry tart and own blend of coffee. Obviously the restaurant was doing something right and had that elusive X-factor.

But providing good customer service shouldn’t be a mystery. It should be common sense - efficiency and effectiveness of the delivery of the service, providing a memorable experience with warmth and sincerity, and actually enjoying the job. And everyone within an organisation should be collectively responsible. So often the managers and supervisors set the tone.

The Academy has taken the opportunity to launch a positive campaign that aims to identify excellence in customer service and showcase the best within the industry rather than yet another ‘name and shame’ list.

As a nation, the Brits aren’t generally very good at celebrating success. But as the Academy’s Mystery Shopper findings highlight, there are some very good and strong examples around. Forty-nine businesses surveyed scored well over 90 per cent in the satisfaction stakes while most scored an average of 72 per cent.

Yet, we shouldn’t be too complacent. Britain’s biggest ‘staycation’ this summer will be a good test of whether we’re up to delivering world class customer service as we edge towards the 2012 London Olympic Games. I’d like to think we can as it’s a great opportunity for the UK to shine on the global stage.

We have ambitious targets to meet and People 1st has recently launched two new customer service qualifications to galvanise frontline hospitality and travel staff into delivering the ultimate customer experience. The qualifications last one day and come in two levels: Level 2 for frontline staff focuses on excellent customer service procedures and behaviours and Level 3, a qualification for managerial and supervisory staff which includes modules on coaching and facilitating skills, return on coaching investment and the challenges of managing teams. We believe they should make a significant difference to the quality of service delivered to customers.

Now my challenge to you is to think what you can do to make your customers’ day more satisfying when you wake up and enjoy the positive impact it’s had. You could try our Mystery Customer Evaluation programe through our national database of mystery shoppers.

MCE Team.