Why do we need rituals in customer service?

Almost everyone, whether online or in person, knows the changing of the guard at Windsor Castle.

The Guard conducts the changing of ranks in a truly theatrical manner. The guardsmen raise their legs high, click their heels, and move according to established rules. Why is this happening? All to emphasize the importance of the guard, of the kingdom. To demonstrate that:
– guards and security have an important role to play,
– always adheres to specific behaviors,
– the ritual is visible to everyone and everyone knows that the guard has changed according to certain rules.

According to PWN, ritual comes from [Latin ritus 'custom', 'recipe'] and it is a symbolic activity, carried out according to strictly defined, formalized rules, constituting the external form of a socially significant act.  We associate rituals with the realm of religion, beliefs, and formal celebrations. Yet, rituals hold immense significance throughout social and economic life, even if we don't notice them. Rituals are important because they communicate stability, certainty, and immutability.

When soldiers change guard on Monday, we know that the next day at the same time will be the same. It doesn't matter if we go back and witness the same theatrical process again. Such a ritual, above all, shows us the certainty that certain people will behave in a predetermined manner. Okay, but what does this have to do with customer service? Here are some examples of ritual functions:

Cleaning a table in front of customers and suspension of information about disinfection. So every customer can see and feel that their table is clean too. And even if we didn't see our table being cleaned, we get a clear message:this is how we clean your table".

Pouring beer and serving it on a coasterIn trade marketing, this is often even called a ritual. It demonstrates that this particular beer, served in this specific glass and with a coaster, is different and distinctive. And all the attributes—quantity, specific glass, coaster—guarantee a certain quality of service.

Beauty salon employees during some procedures in front of the client cthey free up their workspace or take out tools from disposable packaging. Why? Well, to show:We know that safety is important to us, too. Please know that we always follow this procedure.This helps us avoid customers having questions or concerns about whether the area is clean and safe. Service becomes faster, and we don't have to explain what we're doing to maintain safety.

Signs in restrooms indicating that the facilities have been cleaned. This is a hotel solution. When we arrive at a hotel, in the bathrooms, there's usually a sign in the toilet stating that it has been disinfected. You could say that we assume it has been disinfected without it, but this signsends'a clear message to customers –'yes the bathroom was disinfected’'.

Handshake gesture. Today, it's been put aside. But it's so important earlier, for example, at the greeting stage in customer service, building customer service quality. It's a ritual that demonstrates our openness and facilitates relationship building. Beyond the physical gesture, it also carries many functions, both symbolic (shortening distance) and practical (enabling easier sales conversations).

Leaving behind the checkout counter in a store when serving products. Often, store employees come out from behind the cash register and hand the goods to the customer. Of course, you could say that this is purely for convenience. That's true, too, but it's also about showing, "see customer, we try to make you feel comfortable, you can always count on our help and openness".

Many car services after mechanical service always in the standard of service washes the car inside and out. Without charging extra for it. Why? Because it communicates with customers in this way."we took full care of your car"Just as it's clean, so it's been repaired. Our brain receives the message not only that the car is clean, but also that the mechanical work has been equally well-cared for.

Rituals are important because:
✅ If they are well chosen, they communicate many values to customers, that companies care about.
✅ They present each client with consistency and certainty regarding specific actions.  
✅ They build the image of a guarantee of the promise made to customers regarding the application of specific principles.

When creating customer service processes and standards, it is worth taking them into account rituals, not to be afraid of their slight theatricality, but above all to focus on the needs of the clients, which we can support through rituals. It is important to select rituals to suit specific client needsThe goal here is to achieve good, natural service, where rituals further enhance the way customers are served. In this way, we build high-quality customer service.