Tuesday, April 7, 2015

Cornerstone Constants - Creating An Experience

"Customer service" is a thing of the past, and I'm going to try to erase that phrase from my vocabulary. Allow me explain: Everybody uses the term "customer service," but a lot of companies just don't deliver. That's why it has become a trite expression. Nobody wants to hear about your customer service because they've heard it all before. It's time for something better.

What if we instead told you about our "customer experience?" Now that's a little more interesting, isn't it? Service is mundane; it's a given that should be expected no matter what. An experience, however, is something that goes to such a higher level that it's far beyond the expected. It's something so impressive that you talk about it long after it's over.

Here's an example: I recently heard a friend talking about his Disney "experience." He was so impressed by the way he didn't even have to go to baggage claim after arriving in Orlando. He and his family were picked up at the airport minutes after arrival and taken to their hotel where their bags were waiting for them in their room. Their "experience" was practically hassle free. Disney has long understood that customer service is the bare minimum, but creating a customer experience is what keeps people coming back for more.

We understand that a disaster in your home or business is a far cry from travel to a Disney resort. There's certainly a lot more hassle involved, and you don't even get to ride The Teacups or see a parade at the end of it. But at ServiceMaster by Cornerstone, our hope is to create a customer experience that you don't get with anyone else; one that shows we've put a lot of thought into what the customer is going through, and how we can make it easier on them.

Long ago, our franchise owner developed something called the "Cornerstone Constants." Our constants are the things that our team members are expected to consistently do on every job in order to create the Cornerstone experience.

There are three parts: Cleanliness, Service, and Integrity. Under each part are words that clarify those parts. For example: Under "Cleanliness" are the following words: Uniform, Hygiene, Workplace, Vehicles, and Equipment. So, when someone from ServiceMaster by Cornerstone shows up to do work in your home or business, you can expect them to arrive in a clean vehicle, wear a clean uniform, and use clean equipment. You can also expect that they will take every measure to keep your home as clean as possible before, during and at the end of the job.
Here is the list of Cornerstone Constants that hangs in our office:


If you ever need us, we hope you'll clearly see the difference between customer service and the Cornerstone experience.