Great leaders seeking to develop outstanding customer service at their companies can get there by committing to an office culture that celebrates ongoing improvement and empowered employees.

A recent posting at the Skip Prichard blog argues that both elements are key to elevating customer service that a company provides.

Training should be a focus from an employee’s start, the posting notes, and it can range from “inspiration and guidance” employees get during their orientation to more complex training sessions and workshops down the line.

“All of these are ways that great customer service cultures are maintained,” the posting notes. “It ensures that they continue to grow. Service greatness should never be left to happenstance or it is at risk of hitting a plateau or diminishing over time from inertia and entropy.”

Just as important, according to the posting, is empowering employees to take customer service initiatives. The argument is that employees can’t do their best customer service work unless they’re given the freedom and leeway to get the job done.

“All great customer service cultures do give employees such power and leeway,” according to the posting.

The blog item asserted that luxury retail or hotel establishments, as well as innovative online retails, can be a point of inspiration.

“An employee in a great service culture, such as predominates at Nordstrom or [online shoe retailer] Zappos or the Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company, is expected to take positive, creative action on behalf of others,” according to the blog item.

The full blog posting – “10 Elements of an Outstanding Customer Service Culture” – can be accessed at this link.