What Would Andy Murray Say? Wimbledon and the important lesson in customer service you simply can't afford to ignore
8th July 2013
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I have to say, I didn't think he'd do it. Only on Saturday I wrote an entry over at my blog: blog.thebehaviourexpert.com about coming second, with Andy Murray being the main thrust of the article. Oh, it's all very well for you to cry: "spoilsport" and "neighsayer" now but don't pretend like you'd half given up in him ever doing it, too. I'm absolutely thrilled for him and amusingly watching so many people basking in his reflected glory, as they sat there stuffing themselves with full fat cream and strawberries. 

I was working on Sunday but did manage to watch the last 10 minutes on someone's iPhone and what a triumphant end to the game it was - I really enjoyed it and couldn't help feel initially really pleased for him, before being only a little bit irritated that I'd have to re-write my blog.

But Murray's incredibly powerful performance; his drive, determination and tenacity to win; to be the best, is all born from his powerful serve. Which is exactly the secret to the success of your business: driving a really powerful service to start you off on the right foot. Marriott hotels (which Andy Murray has stayed in many times) are one of the most well-respected hotels in the hospitality industry and their key differentiator in this highly competitive sector, with little room for differentiation, is service. Delivering high value customer service is the one aspect that they place the most importance on. The group's founder, Bill Marriott said: "If you look after your people, they'll look after the customer" and while the notion of internal service excellence is for another post, it does serve as a topical reminder of the power of delivering excellent customer service. 

- What you think about the service you offer doesn't matter. Only your customers can tell you how good, or poor, it is. 

- Develop a tough skin and view feedback as extremely important criticism: think of it as a free customer service review and then actively go out there to get it. You want, no NEED, for your customers to tell you when you failed them and were awful, so you can ensure it never happens again. Murray's coach will have told him many, many times he played badly, hit a rubbish ball and didn't try hard enough on his over arm - but Murray understood that this was much needed, important feedback (and true, too), that helped him become number one.

- Keep up the pace: at first it can be hard to remember to do all of these new additions to your service offering, like writing thank you cards; following up with a phone call afterwards; smiling and greeting every customer; adding personal touches to communication; sending things next day simply to convenience your customer... but all of these things eventually fall into place as they become the norm. Those last few minutes of the Wimbledon 2013 Final were tense: Murray was clearly tired - exhausted by the searing heat; the intense concentration and the immense physical demands on his body. But he didn't give up. And he won.

Follow these points and you'll be well on your way to game set and match to you. Have a great week.


 Jez Rose is The Behaviour Expert, respected internationally as an expert in customer service and behavioural change. For free resources to help you unleash the power of people in your organisation, visit: www.thebehaviourexpert.com - his new book, Have A Crap Day is out now on Amazon and from his website. Enter promo code SUPERHERO to get £5 off for a limited time.

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About the Author

Jez Rose

Member since: 6th June 2013

Jez Rose is an internationally renowned Behaviour Change Consultant, professional speaker, award-winning entrepreneur, author and media personality.

Despite being the “go-to” guy for memorable and behaviour-changing...

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