Before we kick off a prosperous New Year, let's address and assess some common myths about service. Because if you're focused on things you deem important but the customer doesn't, you'll be chasing a goal line that doesn't exist. Here are six common myths that may inhibit your focus on the fundamentals of service:

"Customers like being served." Service is usually perceived as an act of transfer; something you "do" to or for a customer. But I'm convinced that the best service is not what you do, but what you don't do to a customer. Don't make them wait, don't mess up their order, don't make them get out of their seat or their car to do some part of our job that was overlooked. The core fundamental of better service today is eliminating dissatisfaction; good service means never having to ask for anything. Get it right the first time, and have a plan to fix it when you don't. 

"The Customer Comes First." For unit managers, and all above-unit leaders, our employees are our first market. If you're not serving the customer directly, you'd best be serving someone who is.  Never treat a customer better than you do a team member.

"The Customer is always right."No. The customer is usually right. Rather than assigning blame, focus first on hiring, developing and retaining a focused team that enjoys making customers happy. Happy customers buy more. The customer is not always right but is always the customer and it's OK for the customer to be wrong.

"Memorize the steps of service and you master the skill of service." My experience has been that if you train only to a process, all thinking stops. Meeting and exceeding the different expectations of the wide variety of customers we serve is ultimately a thinking-and-adaptation skill, not a process of rote memorization. The best way to inspire better service is to share effective true stories about team members who demonstrated exceptional customer care and then practicing the basics in pre-shift meetings daily. This is more effective than memorizing "The 10 Steps of Service". 

"Secret Shopper Scores accurately Measure Service". Accurately measuring customer satisfaction by tallying mystery shopper scores or "comment cards" alone is like judging the quality of chili by counting the number of beans. When it comes to service, everything speaks. Measure all that matters. Same store sales, customer traffic, COGS, and lower employee turnover are also key indicators of good service to consider as well.

"Service is what the customer-facing team does."Nope. If you're a manager or owner your customer is anyone who isn't you.