Competition for the loyalty of consumers makes it important for companies to do all they can to reasonably meet customers' needs. To stay on track with their service priorities, many companies adopt a customer service charter, a document spelling out customer service goals and processes. Writing a customer service charter does not take a great amount of time or money.
Develop a general overview statement of your business that describes what you do or what products and services you offer. For example, if you own a jewelry company, your overview could be “XYZ Company is an artisan business that creates hand-crafted jewelry made of genuine gemstones.”
Write down your customer service goals. For example, if you own a graphic design firm, your goals could be completing orders within the quoted time frame with less than three revisions. If you run an athletic shoe store, your customer service goals could be helping each customer find the most appropriate shoe for their sport, and being knowledgeable enough to answer any and all questions they have about athletic shoes.
Write down your customer's rights as they pertain to your business. For example, a clothing store may deem that their customers have the right to courteous, timely assistance and a speedy checkout.
Add a section to your charter detailing what your company will do to ensure you meet your customer service goals and observe your customers' rights. Going back to the clothing store example, you may decide that you will keep all displays presentable or orderly, greet each customer with a smile, and regularly introduce new trends to your inventory.
Note in your charter what customers can do if they do not feel that their rights were honored, or if your customer service goals were not met. This may include the postal address, phone number or email address to a customer complaint department or company manager.
Post the customer service charter on your company's website, blog, or in your store or office.
