The 2006 World Cup in Germany set a benchmark of excellence in service and the expectations of tourists coming to South Africa for the 2010 World Cup will be high. I have no doubt that the way in which visitors experience South Africa during the World Cup will be a make-or-break in terms of future tourism and the benefits the country wants to derive from the event.
When we talk of this success, we must put the soccer focus to one side and realise that there is another aspect that will be key to future successes - and that is customer service and delivering on brand promise. The people who deliver the service will be the ultimate ambassadors of South Africa in 2010 and they will make or break 'Brand SA'.
I was speaking on SABC News International last week, where I highlighted that in reality, while FIFA, the 2010 LOC and other key bodies play a vital role in positioning the country to host the event, they are not the ones who will be interfacing with the visitors and creating the 'South African experience'. Who will be doing that? Quite simply, the people on the ground - clerks behind the reception desk at the hotels, sales agents at the car rental offices, waiters in restaurants, and anywhere else where services will be rendered. These are the people who need to understand the impact of their company's brand promise, be trained on effective delivery and 'act the part' (behave in a manner that is expected of their business based on its brand promise).
With overall customer service being less than adequate in most instances nowadays - and I can cite far too many examples for a short article - how can companies up their game ahead of the influx of 500 000 tourists into the country? For that matter, it is a fantastic opportunity to change the face of client interaction forever.
A brand promise, what is being promised to the public and how your staff is delivering it, must be explained frequently to ensure they are able to deliver to those terms. If you promise to do something simpler and better, staff must understand what those words means in the business context and receive the right training to deliver on it. Processes will likely also have to change to deliver that promise. When all of this is aligned, staff will be able to deliver brand value that correlates to the brand promise.
Similarly, if you promise 'excellent customer service' - what behaviours do you have to display to deliver on that? It's not about knowing the words. Rather, it's about understanding the action required to fulfil the promise.
Effective implementation of internal communication fundamentals that address a strategic need will go a long way in realising these promises. Companies should aspire to address staff behaviour change through three major phases - look the part, act the part and live the part. These over-arching principles ensure that all staff in a company look presentable, act in a way that enhances an organisation's image and brand values, and adopt a way of life that is aligned with the direction of the business. While this sounds simple, the work involved is grand in scale and not often optimised. However, it can be done, and we have seen fantastic results in companies where we have applied this logic.
To ensure there are no inconsistencies between what a company says it does and what it actually does, and the customers' experiences, companies need to be clear on their values, vision and behaviours. The best way to achieve this is not through superficial communication campaigns that only address an explicit layer of the business, but through strategic attention to the norms and values of the company and the implicit layer that consists of the rules and methods that an organisation uses to address its business issues.
This may sound straightforward, but there are two levels of communication - the first is where managers communicate with their staff; the other, which requires more effort and time, is where a communication culture is created that is supported by middle management and driven as a key business objectives.
With 2009 nearing an end, 2010 around the corner, and the World Cup only seven months away, this is an opportune time to take stock and get all our ducks in a row! We are entering a year that will go down in history, and immediate, determined action is essential if we are to delight our visitors and exceed their expectations. History, after all, will judge us by what we do, and more importantly, by what we do not do. We can do it!
