Customer Service Standards Builder

Write clear, realistic service standards for phone, counter, email, chat and text, so every customer gets the same good experience from every employee.

Who it is for

• Small-business owners who want every employee to serve customers the way they would.

• Service and office managers who need written standards to train and coach against.

• Shift leads and supervisors onboarding new staff who handle customers from day one.

• HR and training professionals writing standards for several teams or locations.

The problem it solves

Most businesses have values about service, but not standards. "Be friendly" and "respond quickly" mean something different to every employee, and nobody can check them. This builder shows you how to turn good service into short, observable standards organized around READ, KA's four-step service model, for every channel your customers use. It includes guidance on setting response times you can actually meet, standards for when things do not go to plan, and a 30-day rollout that involves your staff.

What is inside

Customer Service Standards Builder (PDF, 24 pages)

• Copyright and License, contents and how to use it (2 pages)

• What a service standard is, with the Replay Test for making standards observable (1 page)

• The backbone: the four READ steps (1 page)

• The six-step process and the standards formula (1 page)

• Setting realistic response times (1 page)

• Guidance for phone, counter, email, chat and text, each with sample language, common misses, a before-and-after exchange and decisions to make (5 pages)

• Standards for when things do not go to plan (1 page)

• Templates: planning sheet, standards matrix and channel page (3 pages)

• Filled-in examples: a dental office (2 pages), a plumbing and heating company, a hardware store and an online bakery (1 page each)

• A 30-day rollout, checking and coaching to the standards, common mistakes and a final check (3 pages)

Editable templates (Word, 14 pages): planning sheet, standards matrix, a channel page for each of the five channels with prompts, a rollout plan, an observation checklist and the dental office example.

How to use it

1. Read the foundation pages (about 20 minutes).

2. Complete the planning sheet with someone who serves customers every day.

3. Draft your standards in the matrix, using the guidance for each channel.

4. Test the draft with staff, then follow the 30-day rollout.

Formats and file types

• PDF (US Letter, print or screen), 24 pages

• Word document (.docx), 14 pages, opens in most word processors

• Licensed for use within your organization

Frequently asked questions