Our customer satisfaction surveys have been rating low for some time now. When we first noticed this, the organization introduced customer service training for all of our staff. Our staff express that they are more friendly and patient with clients and, as a supervisor, I see a friendlier atmosphere. Still, our ratings have remained low. What more can we do?

The saying “good news spreads fast – bad news spreads faster” can be more damaging to a nonprofit than to a for-profit business.

Friendly and welcoming staff who are capable of handling a challenging client is just one component of client/customer service. For a nonprofit, traditional customer service training, while applicable, does not always cover all of the marks. Nonprofits are often a bit more complex than for-profit businesses, especially when you consider they have a client base that also includes volunteers and donors and funders, in addition to the general community they serve.

An important component to include in your onboarding and ongoing training for staff is to demonstrate value for your staff. Do your staff feel valued by your management, board, volunteers, the community you serve and your funders? Often times, the service provided by staff is a direct reflection of the value they feel they have in eyes of the client or customer. Staff are a part of your internal customer group. The value they are given is reflected in the service they provide.

Don’t neglect the business systems: how your organization works, who is involved and who is responsible for what at every level, the difference between internal and external customers and the importance and impact of all. Understanding how each component of the organization works and how each component is related to and reliant on the others, enables staff to know where to direct questions, who to go to for information and how what they do everyday impacts the rest of the organization. Well equipped staff know the system of your organization from A-Z. If your staff can’t answer client, volunteer or community inquiries or address concerns, they may be viewed as inept (and may feel that way too).

Also important is the knowing who has the authority to make decisions. Your staff need to be able to make decisions when the “decision makers” are not available. Give them guidelines about options for managing unsatisfied clients/customers, board members, volunteers, other community organizations and funding agencies, as well as what they can do to resolve or redirect an issue so it can be taken care of in the moment. Keeping someone  waiting on a decision is a sure fire way to frustrate that individual and can cause unnecessary disruptions in the flow of services.

Remember that ach unsatisfied client provides a learning moment for your organization. For each issueor concern that arises, review what took place and identify ways to avoid the same issue in the future. By reviewing this on an ongoing basis with your staff, they will be better prepared to handle situations effectively while keeping operations flowing smoothly.

Follow through on commitments. When a commitment is made to a client, ensure your staff follow through on that commitment. Again, like waiting on a decision, if there is no follow through on a commitment, you risk disruption in service and dissatisfaction from the variety of customers that you serve. Remember that this applies to internal and external customers as both impact the flow and success of the organization.

In today’s “fast food” society, our clients expect quick and efficient service. If our staff do not understand the flow of the organization, do not have a sound understanding about services, do not have the authority to make decisions and are not able to give quick responses to clients’ needs or concerns, clients, funders, volunteers and the community being served will look elsewhere.

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