When a business clearly defines its customer service culture in its mission statement, values and goals, great things can happen. The right words inspire, motivate and encourage people to achieve customer service excellence. A great example of how a finely crafted mission statement can create a customer service culture comes out of Singapore.

The colonial post office in Singapore's financial district has been transformed into the luxurious Fullerton Hotel. I worked with the first management team to craft vision, mission and value statements that stand out in a crowded hospitality market by defining a customer service culture.

The vision is bold and clear: "To be the best independent hotel in the world."

The mission is brief yet potent: "The Fullerton Hotel is an inspiration in the heart of Singapore."

The customer service core values are a trio of direction and motivation:

Loyalty: to guests, to the hotel, to each other, to the hotel industry, to Singapore.
Energy: being proactive, taking the initiative, showing enthusiasm, living and working with zest.
Growth: career growth, personal growth, growth of top-line revenue and bottom-line profits, growth of the hotel's reputation.

Key Learning Points

A few words can make a big difference. If you worked in the hospitality industry/ customer service, would you be keen to learn more about this unique hotel? Of course! If you travel to Singapore, would you like to spend a few nights in their care? Absolutely. If you live in Singapore, would you host a dinner or plan a meeting at a location that promises to be "an inspiration?" You bet.

Customer Service Action Steps

Make sure the customer service vision, mission, core values and guiding principles of your organization are at least this clear, motivating and effective. Make it so and you will grow. Define a customer service culture and support it to see great things happen in your business.