Your Brand Image

I have this idea that with the use of images you can improve how your customer service is perceived by your customers and help motivate your employees to provide world class service. The customer service you provide and its perception are a major part of your brand.

You may be asking yourself, “What do images have to do with customer service”? The answer is more than you think. I spent many years measuring the level of customer service for major financial firms. We continually surveyed our customers asking them to rank our service on a variety of factors such as overall satisfaction, ability to solve problems, empathy for the customer, timeliness and follow through, etc. The answers to these and other questions allowed us to quickly make changes in the way we delivered our products and how we managed the customer service function. What was harder to measure was the relationship the representatives built with the customer and the bond the customer had with the company.

Check a website (try your own website first) that has a link for customer service and you will most likely see an image of beautiful people on a phone or in a call center. The interesting part about these images is that most are stock photos, some which have been used thousands of times. Is this what your customer service department looks like? Is this what your customer thinks your customer service department looks like?

If your customer service images don’t reflect your reality, then you are not being authentic in portraying your brand. In many businesses, your customers have direct contact with your customer service personnel, they know them from talking on the phone and they may even interact with them in person. Your customers know that your company doesn’t employ people who look like models. Authenticity is key in building your brand and the bond with your customers. Hot tip: use images of YOUR people.

Another but possibly less obvious advantage to using images of your own people is its effect on productivity – yes productivity! By using authentic images you are giving your people recognition for being a part of the organization. People who are recognized for their contribution, work harder, work smarter and are more likely to carry your brand “torch”.

Here are a few ideas on how to use images in your customer service department:

- Use authentic images on your web pages and printed materials.
- If possible, create a directory of all customer service personnel and have it accessible to both internal and external customers.
- Recognize your star performers and highlight their achievements including an image.
- Make sure the images are well done. The images don’t have to be formal or staged - candid photos may better reinforce your corporate culture. If you can’t do it yourself, hire a professional.

I urge you to give this a try. It is a variation of an old theme where the employee of the month gets their picture on the company bulletin board. All we are trying to do here is to make every employee an employee of the month!

Neil McKenzie Photography

• Promote to Article