Most Tuesday nights, I don’t check a council website or the fridge calendar to see which bin goes out. I step outside and look down the street. Green lids? Red lids? The neighbours show me. They are the signal. 

In workplaces, we do the same. People don’t always follow the operations manual. They follow each other. We’re wired that way, especially in high-pressure, high-stakes environments where leaders are stretched, and teams are fatigued. 

The Power of Social Cues in Service is equally important as your service systems and service standards. 

When a team member sees their peers being praised for their service behaviours, it sends a service signal. 

When a team member sees their leader review customer reviews and listen to LIVE customer calls, it sends a service signal. 

When a service moment made a customer write in to thank and compliment the team, and that compliment is visible and shared, that sends a service signal. 

When a team member is given a pin to wear in recognition of their service excellence that month, it sends a service signal. 

I could go on, but what all these suggest is that service matters here. 

It tells others what “good” looks like and what’s expected, with minimal effort. 

In a complex organisation, especially one where service is reputationally material, your strongest cultural lever is what people see every day. 

Are you sending the right signals? 

• Is service discussed at leadership tables and in weekly routines? 
• Is service first or high up on the agenda of Exec discussions and Strategic planning days, or does it get discussed last? 
• Do service stories feature in team huddles, or are your briefings just compliance updates? 

Service Signals doesn’t need to be a whole comms strategy overhaul. Start with your bins: 

• What are your visible signals around service? 
• Who are your “neighbours” and what are they role-modelling?