They fear that, if employees are empowered to make decisions, their roles in the organization will be diminished or eliminated.

You can’t tie employees’ hands with cumbersome policies and procedures and expect them to provide exceptional service. It’s also important to let employees know that it is OK to make a mistake in the process...

It ‘s solving a customer’s problem or complaint and sending him out the door feeling like he has just done business with the greatest company on earth. It’s taking an unhappy customer from hell to...

What we’re talking about is improving customer service. Virtually any company can benefit from this.

When a customer has a problem, you must act quickly, take responsibility, be empowered, and compensate the customer. Do that and you will have a customer who will be loyal for life.

Too many employees want to blame someone else for mistakes. The customer doesn’t care who made the mistake; he wants the employee standing in front of him to take care of it. You must own...

I’ve discovered four dirty little secrets of empowerment. And those little secrets are preventing 99.9 percent of companies around the world from providing the superior service customers want. As a result, they are driving many...

They think customers are liars and cheats and, if given the chance, will rip off the company. To prevent that from happening, they develop ridiculous rules, policies, and procedures.

Making empowered decisions means taking risks. Many employees fear being reprimanded, or even fired, for making what management might view as a bad decision.

Advertising will get a customer through the door to your business once, but it is service that will keep them coming back. Advertising is aimed at the masses; customer service is aimed at the individual....

Service recovery doesn’t end when you solve the customer’s problem. Give her something of value that excites her. Every company has products or services that have value in the eyes of the customer that don’t...

Recognition is another important element of empowerment. Employees who make empowered decisions should be recognized and rewarded. Celebrate them. Feature them in the company publication. Give them a prime parking spot near the front door...

Without empowerment, an organization will never be a service leader. Empowerment is the most critical skill an employee can master and a company can drive in order to lure?and keep?customers.