| This study is an exploration of customer service excellence within the cultural context of the South Okanagan Valley, British Columbia. Community members in the South Okanagan emphasized that customer service needs to change in order for visitors and residents to receive consistently good service. The pressure for service providers, and others, to improve customer service is likely to increase over time for two reasons: first, there is a strong interest in encouraging new business and growing industries which require a service orientation. Second, as the "baby boomers" retire, an increased number of retirees moving to the Okanagan are anticipated along with requests for new and better service.;The methodology applied was participatory action research situated within a critical ethnographic framework. The participants were co-researchers for this study. They live in the Okanagan Valley and have a passion for learning, and an openness to explore self, other, and community towards improving customer service. They identified the broader service system, including the service culture, and its process and structures.;The learning process for participants was multi-level encompassing data gathering and interpretation, discussion groups, and a call to action based on new insights. Participants identified and challenged assumptions as to their current validity to support their transformative learning process. Transcending the status quo of service and its associated cultural belief systems, a new collective perspective on service excellence was created.;What service is and what it can be is studied in this paper. The research critically highlights the ability of community systems to support or oppress service excellence. |
