How Sales Reps Can Use Service As A Differentiator with Ron Kaufman

The world of sales is continuously evolving. What worked in the past doesn’t work anymore and is precisely why sales professionals need to keep on ‘upping their game’. In this episode of the Selling in Asia Podcast, Tom Abbott recently met up with friend and customer service expert Ron Kaufman from Uplifting Service. Join them as they discuss how sales professionals can use service as a differentiator, how the sales role has evolved, and the six crucial service levels.

 I had to actually write the definition which is that: Service is taking actions to create value for someone else.

Ron KAUFMAN

Service & Sales: What’s The Connection? | Service as a Differentiator

Service is taking action to create value for someone else; service excellence is taking this action to the next level. In regards to the sales situation, sales are usually in the format of a conversation. So a great salesperson is not just figuring out “What the customers want.” but instead, it understands their need, desire or wishes behind that question. 

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Six Levels of Service | Service as a Differentiator

Very few companies understand that service is the same—it’s continually changing. Your job as a sales professional is to stay ahead of the competition and ahead of the curve. To start, figure out the level of your current service with the six levels of service below.

1. Criminal Service

Criminal service is really bad. It’s service that violates even minimum expectations, the kind of service that your customers remember never to use again, and are angry enough to call you and complain about.

2. Basic Service

Basic service is disappointing. It’s the point of frustration that can turn into anger—but when it’s over the customer is not disappointed enough to complain. However, he will tell his friends, and will remember not to call you for that kind of service again.

3. Expected Service

Expected service is nothing special. It’s the average, the usual, the norm. The customer might come back to you, but only if no better options exist.

4. Desired Service

Desired service is what your customers hope for and prefer. They’ll do business with your organization again because you do things for them just the way they like it.

5. Surprising Service

Surprising service is something special, like an unexpected gift. It gives your customers more than they expected. This makes you an organization that customers enjoy and will come back to again and again.

6. Unbelievable Service

This is the level of service your customers can’t forget, the legendary treatment they will tell all their friends about.


More about Uplifting Service

Uplifting Service is a global service education and consulting company. We are a team of customer service experts who enables organizations to quickly upgrade service performance and secure a sustainable advantage by building an uplifting service culture.

Uplifting Service was founded by Ron Kaufman, one of the world’s most sought-after educators, consultants, and thought-leaders in the world of superior service. Ron is the author of the New York Times bestseller Uplifting Service and 14 other books on service, business and inspiration. Ron has been featured in The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, and USA Today. In 2018, GlobalGurus rated Ron the #1 customer service guru in the world.

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