Business assessment quiz: how good is your company's customer service?

Invest three minutes in the health of your organization by completing this 10-point customer service self-assessment quiz. When completing this quiz, think about your experiences, your co-workers' experiences and most importantly, how you'd imagine your customers would rate your business.

Select a number from one to five and find out how you stack up.

1. Our entire staff has been comprehensively trained on the techniques needed to handle, diffuse and retain angry customers: disagree 1 2 3 4 5 agree

2. When handling calls from our customers, our entire team employs a uniform, effective greeting: disagree 1 2 3 4 5 agree

3. When an employee has a performance shortfall, our managers are trained to implement a proven coaching process: disagree 1 2 3 4 5 agree

4. Employees at our organization know how to present negative information in a positive way: disagree 1 2 3 4 5 agree

5. Our team is skilled at knowing how and when to use a variety of questioning techniques in their customer interactions: disagree 1 2 3 4 5 agree

6. New employees are well educated on issues such as dress code, limits on personal calls and steering clear of office politics: disagree 1 2 3 4 5 agree

7. Our employees do a great job of rapport building and making our customers feel like friends: disagree 1 2 3 4 5 agree

8. When a team member is having a "bad day," that negative emotion is NEVER obvious to a customer.: disagree 1 2 3 4 5 agree

9. At our organization, co-workers are always treated as well as we try to treat our customers: disagree 1 2 3 4 5 agree

10. Customers are usually astounded by the high level of care they receive from our team: disagree 1 2 3 4 5 agree

Total score:--

The ratings

45-50--If this is an accurate assessment, congratulations! If your customers rate you this high, you're obviously doing many things very well.

27-44--Most organizations rate themselves in this range, about average, but still not excellent. How would your customers likely answer the same evaluation?

26 or below--Congratulations on recognizing a shortfall. You've taken the first step on the road to improvement. The next critical step is to begin fixing it.

Customer service: Accessibility

Avoid the confusion, frustration and disappointment that is often associated with voice-mail systems by incorporating a policy of having a living, breathing employee address incoming calls. During business hours especially, all calls or e-mails should be returned absolutely no later than the close of the business day. If urgent in nature, calls should be returned immediately, even from remote locations.

Source: Employer Administrative Services, a member of the Detroit Regional Chamber.

Nanny Friedman, known professionally as the "Telephone Doctor," is president of Telephone Doctor Customer Service Training in St. Louis, Mo. For more information, visit www.telephonedoctor.com.