How to Create a Customer Service Philosophy (+ 4 Great Examples to Be Inspired By)
Table of contents
You remember that scene in The Office where Jim and Dwight go do a sales pitch for Dunder Mifflin (even though they were pricier)?
Here, take a look.
You’ll find that all these years later a lot has changed. From a customer’s standpoint, expectations have exponentially gone up. The way they reach out to and interact with brands has also significantly changed.
Businesses, on the other hand, have been aided by several technological improvements – everything from chatbots to help desks. The icing on the cake has been AI, which has slowly made its way into the day to day lives of support teams.
But if there’s one thing that has stayed the same, it’s that people value good customer service. And that, for me, is the biggest takeaway from the above clip.
No matter how much technology evolves or the tools improve, ultimately it all boils down to the ability to provide great customer service. It’s more than just answering questions or resolving issues—it’s about cultivating a philosophy of customer-centricity within your organization.
So what exactly is a customer service philosophy and how do you cultivate it within your organisation?
In this article, I’ll talk about what a customer service philosophy is, how to build one, and share examples of how top companies go about it.
Table of Contents
- What is a customer service philosophy?
- Why is having a customer service philosophy important?
- How to create a customer service philosophy for your team
- 4 examples of customer service philosophies of top brands
- Create a strong customer service philosophy and work to deliver great customer experiences
What is a customer service philosophy?
A customer service philosophy is essentially a set of principles that shapes how a company or organization interacts with its customers.
This philosophy helps ensure that all team members follow the same standards when dealing with customers, focusing on things like communication, problem-solving, and overall customer satisfaction. It’s about creating a positive, consistent experience that meets customer needs and builds long-term trust.
You can think of it like an ‘employee handbook’ of sorts. Your customer service philosophy details your policies and values towards your customers and what you expect of your customer service team.
Why is having a customer service philosophy important?
As I mentioned before, a customer service philosophy acts as a guide for your organization as a whole but specifically your customer service team.It tells them how to interact with customers. Here’s how this helps your company –
- Consistency in Service: Since all team members follow the same guidelines and imbue the same values, it leads to a consistent experience for customers, no matter who they interact with.
- Improved Customer Satisfaction: By having a clear focus on how to serve customers, teams can better meet growing needs, resulting in happier, more satisfied customers.
- Stronger Team Alignment: It helps align the team around a shared vision for customer service, making it easier for everyone to work together and meet common goals.
How to create a customer service philosophy for your team
By now we know the importance of building a customer service philosophy for your team. But how exactly do you go about creating one? Let me take you through the process.
1. Consider your company values and customer needs
To begin with, if you want to create a strong customer service philosophy, connect it to your company’s core values. For instance, let’s say your company values and hires only people that demonstrate extreme ownership and accountability. Then your customer service approach should reflect these principles. Your team should focus on providing complete, helpful resolutions to customers as opposed to just focusing on closing as many tickets as possible.
This way, your philosophy aligns with the identity of your business and the expectations you want to set for your customers.
If you’re still laying the foundations of your company values and are still in the early stages of what you want your business to represent, think about the goals and needs of your customers. Think about the kind of experience you want to provide and what matters most to your audience. Are they looking for quick responses, personalized support, or in-depth technical help? Understanding these needs will guide you in creating a philosophy that both fits your business and serves your customers effectively.
Once you have this down, you’ve identified which values and ideas you want your customer service philosophy to include. Next, we’ll get into actually putting things into action.
2. Provide actionable steps to your customer service team
A strong customer service philosophy should not just be a set of ideas—it needs to include clear, actionable steps that your team can follow. Ask yourself how exactly you want your team to embody these ideas.
Let’s take the example of tech giants Apple.
Apple actually guides it’s team in the form of an acronym of their own brand name –
- A – Approach customers with a personalized, warm welcome.
- P – Probe politely to understand all the customer’s needs.
- P – Present a solution for the customer to take home today.
- L – Listen for and resolve any issues or concerns.
- E – End with a fond farewell and an invitation to return.
Notice how there are actual actionable steps that can be implemented by Apple’s employees as opposed to just vague ideas of empathy and positivity.
By giving your team these concrete guidelines, you’re helping them understand exactly how to apply the philosophy in their day-to-day work. This reduces confusion and ensures that every team member knows what’s expected of them.
3. Prioritize your customers
What I’m about to say might sound very obvious to you, but it’s worth mentioning all the same. While you’re creating this set of guidelines for your company, you need to ensure you’re putting the customer first at all times.
Your customer should receive priority over your product or your profits. In the short term, it may be tempting to maximize profits and chase monetary gains, but consistently prioritizing your customers will lead to long-term success.
For example, some companies might choose to run a lean customer support team to save costs, even when they know it could impact response time and customer satisfaction. This cost-cutting approach may boost profits in the short term, but it can lead to frustrated customers who feel neglected, causing them to leave and seek better service elsewhere. By investing in a well-resourced support team, even if it’s more expensive upfront, you’ll be able to provide a higher level of service that builds customer loyalty and long-term profitability.
A customer-centric approach should influence every part of your service philosophy—from how you communicate, to how you resolve issues, to the extra steps you take to delight your customers. This mindset creates trust and builds strong relationships that benefit your business over time.
4. Document your guidelines and share it with the team
Once you’ve developed your customer service philosophy, it’s crucial to document it clearly and share it across your team. Putting your philosophy into writing ensures that everyone is on the same page and has easy access to the guidelines they need to follow.
This document can serve as a reference point for new hires, existing employees, and even other departments to understand the importance of customer service within your company. Tools like Notion or Confluence can help with this.
Make sure to distribute it to your team in a way that’s easy to access, whether it’s through an internal handbook, a dedicated section on your company intranet, or even a one-pager posted in visible workspaces. Additionally, consider including real-world examples or case studies in the document to show how the philosophy applies in practice.
When your philosophy is clearly communicated and widely available, it becomes part of the company culture, guiding the day-to-day decisions and actions of your team.
A great example for this is Ritz Carlton. The chain of luxury hotels and resorts has very clearly documented guidelines for their customer philosophy. It’s called the ‘Ritz Carlton Gold Standards’.
5. Don’t just instruct, lead
To truly embed a customer service philosophy within your team, leaders—including managers and senior employees—must lead by example. When leaders prioritize customer service and demonstrate the behaviors outlined in the philosophy, it sets a powerful example for the rest of the team to follow.
For instance, if your philosophy emphasizes active listening, leaders should practice this skill in every meeting, both with team members and customers. By showing that you value listening and genuinely care about feedback, you encourage others to adopt the same approach.
Similarly, if empathy is a core part of your philosophy, leaders should demonstrate empathy not only in customer interactions but also when managing internal situations, such as addressing team concerns or resolving conflicts.
Recommended Read:How to Inculcate Empathy in Your Customer Service Culture
Leaders who consistently follow the customer service philosophy help reinforce its importance across the entire organization. Their behavior serves as a daily reminder of the company’s commitment to exceptional service, motivating employees to maintain high standards in their own interactions. Over time, this creates a culture where everyone understands that customer service isn’t just a department’s responsibility—it’s a shared value that guides the entire team.
This is really important to ensure that you don’t just create a customer service philosophy, you actually put it into practice.
6. Review and revise
A customer service philosophy is not something you create once and forget about. As your business grows and customer expectations evolve, it’s essential to regularly review and update your philosophy to ensure it stays relevant and effective. This could mean incorporating new trends in customer service, addressing feedback from your team or customers, or adjusting your approach based on changing business goals.
Schedule periodic reviews—whether quarterly or annually—where you assess how well the philosophy is being implemented and whether it’s still meeting the needs of your customers. Gather feedback from your team to understand any challenges they’re facing in upholding the philosophy, and listen to your customers to gauge their satisfaction levels.
For example, if you find that your customers are expecting more personalized support due to industry changes, you might need to revise your philosophy to focus more on customization and proactive service. The key is to stay flexible and willing to adapt.
“Building a good customer experience does not happen by accident. It happens by design.”
– Clare Muscutt, founder and CEO of Women in CX
4 examples of customer service philosophies of top brands
Now, let’s look at some examples of top brands’ customer service philosophies.
1. Nordstrom
Nordstrom, the US and Canada luxury retail brand, is wildly popular for its customer service. Their “customer always comes first” approach has endeared them to customers over the years and established them as a brand that takes care of its own.
Their philosophy is based on two fundamental principles.
- Support those who support you – Nordstrom believes in supporting those who contribute to its success—customers, employees, and manufacturing partners alike. They focus on fostering an environment where everyone feels valued, respected, and welcome.
- Respect the environment – They’re committed to keeping the environment clean. They actively participate in initiatives aimed at reducing waste and minimizing their environmental footprint within the fashion industry.
Nordstrom’s customer service is legendary and has quite a few interesting stories about it. One rather popular one is the “tire return” story, where an employee accepted a tire return even though Nordstrom doesn’t sell tires, simply because the customer believed the tires had been purchased there. And it’s actually true!
2. Chick fil-A
You’ve likely come across memes about just how far Chick Fil-A employees will go to serve their customers needs.
Chick-fil-A’s customer service philosophy is centered around creating memorable experiences through genuine hospitality. Their approach is simple yet effective: treat every customer as if they were a guest in your own home. This level of care and attention to detail is a key part of what makes their service stand out.
Employees at Chick-fil-A are encouraged to go above and beyond, offering small yet impactful gestures like a friendly greeting, carrying food to tables, or providing umbrellas in the rain. These actions, though small, reflect the brand’s deep commitment to making every customer feel valued and appreciated.
But Chick-fil-A’s philosophy extends beyond just individual interactions. They also emphasize community involvement and giving back, regularly supporting local initiatives and charitable causes.
I saw this on X only a few days ago, in fact.
All of this makes Chick fil-A stand out in an already crowded restaurant business.
3. Virgin
Virgin, led by its founder Richard Branson, is known for a customer service philosophy that revolves around innovation, fun, and putting people first.
Branson emphasizes that customer experience should focus on two key elements: enjoyment and value for money. While these may seem like straightforward concepts, they address a wide range of customer expectations.
By keeping these principles in mind, employees can approach every interaction with a clear goal: how to make the experience enjoyable and how to deliver great value.
Another key aspect of Virgin’s customer philosophy is the focus on innovation. They are constantly pushing boundaries and exploring new ways to improve the customer experience, whether it’s through technological advancements or reimagining traditional services.
4. Zappos
The online shoe and clothing retailer Zappos is another brand up there when it comes to delivering brilliant customer experiences. The company has built its entire brand around a simple but powerful philosophy: delivering happiness to customers.
At Zappos, customer service is seen as a long-term investment, and the company empowers its employees to do whatever it takes to make customers happy. For example, employees are encouraged to spend as much time as needed on calls, sometimes for hours, to ensure customer satisfaction. There’s no script or rigid structure, allowing employees to personalize interactions and solve problems in creative ways.
Recommended read:5 Real-Life Scenarios of Legendary Customer Service [+ Bonus Examples]
One of the standout practices at Zappos is their no-questions-asked return policy, which offers free shipping on returns and gives customers a full 365 days to return their items. This policy reflects their commitment to trust and customer happiness, reinforcing the idea that they prioritize long-term relationships over short-term profits.
Create a strong customer service philosophy and work to deliver great customer experiences
A customer service philosophy lays the path for your customer service team and tells them what’s expected of them. But a philosophy on its own can’t create impact – you need to find ways to ‘action’ it.
Every decision should be viewed from the lens of the customer. For instance, product teams should focus on building products that are helpful, easy-to-use, and accessible. Once there’s a culture of customer centricity, you’ll almost definitely hit your bottom line numbers too. It really is that simple. Treat customers right and they’ll stay.
