Business Record - Iowa Biz

How Do Businesses Weather Tough Times?

Image by khalid almasoud via Flickr

We're all trying to navigate our way through turbulent economic waters. Why do some businesses resiliently sail through with relatively little damage while others find themselves sinking? That's the question Ranjay Gulati sought to answer in the book Reorganize for Resilience: Putting Customer's at the Center of Your Business.

Harvard Business Review recently inteviewed Gulati, whose research found that resilient companies have an "outside-in perspective," giving primary consideration to the customer in every part of their business.

Gulati was surprised how exceptional outside-in companies are:

"When I began this research, I naively assumed that all firms must indeed have an outside-in orientation whereby they put their customers first in all their decisions and actions. After all, that is what business is about. Much to my surprise, I found that this was the exception rather than the rule for most businesses."  

While the "Voice of the Customer" is a buzz phrase tossed about by many companies in today's marketplace, many businesses are struggling to effectively change their inside-out menality. Gulati highlights five "levers" needed:

• Coordination—Alignment of activities, processes, and information across units within an organization
• Cooperation—Alignment of goals, attitudes, and behaviors across units within an organization
• Clout—Assignment of power and decision rights to customer-facing individuals as well as those responsible for integration of activities across units within the organization
• Capabilities—Development of customer-facing generalists along with product specialists
• Connections—Expand the source of inputs and also complementary offerings beyond internal production units to external strategic partners

Gulati's message is a great reminder for all of us. Giving lip-service to being customer-centered is not the same as organizing our business (administratively, organizationally, operationally) around the customer's expectations.

Do You Serve ALL of Your Customers?

Image by Getty Images via Daylife

I've been working on an interesting project lately. This particular client has two distinctly different types of customers. The service delivery system has been built to serve one type of customer and that segment of their customer base is relatively satisfied. The other customer segment isn't so happy.

We often speak of customers in generic, generalized terms. We tend to think of "the customer" as if there is one profile that fits every person who walks through our door or calls us on the phone. The reality is that most companies have a plethora of customer types. Your customer base could be segmented into very different and distinct groups. Different customer segments can have vastly different expectations. While you can't please call the people all the time, it's important to know who your key customers are and what drives their expectations.

Sometimes, you discover untapped potential at your own doorstep. Callaway golf looked at their customer base and discovered that women make up only 20 percent of the North America market. They also discovered that their products and service was heavily focused on the male customer. They are working on a line of products "by women, for women" to address what they believe is a customer segment they have largely ignored.

What are the major customer types coming through your door? Which are you catering to? Which are you ignoring?

When in Doubt, Let the Customer Choose

My wife and I stopped for dinner at Famous Dave's the other night. It's one of our favorite spots for a casual bite and we had a pretty average dining experience. When the server brought our check she placed it on the table and said "I wasn't sure if you wanted one check or two. I just put it on one."

It wasn't a problem (double charging me for my drink was a problem, but that's a different blog post). I was expecting one check, but her statement begged the question: "Why didn't you simply ask?"

Customers, in general, like having a say in how they will be served. Giving customers options or asking customers what they prefer is a good thing. I often train Customer Service Representatives (CSRs) who serve customers on the phone and face situations in which an answer may take some investigating. CSRs often find this to be a "deer in the headlights" moment and struggle to know what to do. Do you place the customer on hold? Do you try to make small talk? Do you tell the customer you'll call then back? Do you just leave the customer sitting there in "dead air?"

Why don't you simply ask?

"I'm sorry, Mr. Customer, but I'm going to have to look into this and it is likely going to take a few minutes. Would you like hold or would you like me to find the answer and call you back?"

Asking the question places the customer in a position of control and sends the message that you are deferential to his or her needs and wants. The next time you find yourself wondering what you should do, try asking the customer what he or she prefers!

If a Customer Could Tip You...

Image via Wikipedia

My wife and I just returned home from eating out. While writing down the tip amount for our server at the local restaurant, I was reminded of an experience I've had in training. When training Customer Service Representatives (CSRs) who work in contact centers or jobs that require them to provide service on the phone, I will sometimes ask "if the customer were given an option to tip you at the end of the call, would it change the service you provide on the phone?" The answer I receive has always been a resounding "yes."

As far as I know, no company has figured out how to use an Interactive Voice Response (IVR) system to give the customer a "tipping" option. Nevertheless, it's an interesting question.

I link this anecdote to an experience with one particular client. There were two CSRs who worked at this client who had what I would consider bad attitudes. They approached each call as though the customer should be serving them, not the other way around. I must admit that I'd given up hope that either of these individuals would ever provide quality customer service.

But they both turned it around. When the client stepped up to the plate with a substantial bonus linked to their service quality scores, both reps demonstrated noticeable improvement. The following quarter I recall approaching one of them in a coaching session. "What happened?" I asked with surprise and joy. "You did GREAT this quarter!"

She responded with a familiar scowl and a shrug of the shoulders. "I wanted the money," she said.

While I was personally saddened to think that greed was the only thing that motivated this person to provide good service, I was glad that her customers were finally receiving higher levels of service on a consistent basis. People are motivated differently. Some are self-motivated. Some are motivated by recognition. Some are motivated by competition. Some are motivated by personal gain.

How are you motivating your employees to provide great service?

The Friendly Skies are Listening

Image by Getty Images via Daylife

I am a loyal customer of United Airlines. More than 300,000 lifetime miles flown in the "friendly skies" does not qualify me as a uber-road warrior, but I can safely say that I've paid my dues. Through the years my friends at United have provided me with both positive and negative examples on the customer service front. I've tried to be objective and honest when dishing out critiques, and I will certainly do the same with my props. Today, I have to give United a thumbs up because, to their credit, they are listening.

Last week, I flew from Des Moines to Salt Lake City. Weather was bearing down on the Midwest and I prepared for a long day of delays. Sure enough, we were late getting out of Des Moines but I was assured the folks at United would automatically book me on the next flight out of Denver to Salt Lake. As soon as I got to the Denver airport, I went to the Red Carpet Club to double check my connection.

"You do want to go to Salt Lake City today, don't you?" the agent at the desk asked me. "Because they have you booked on tomorrow's flight." It was a simple correction and I had my boarding pass for the next flight out.

Sitting down in the Red Carpet Club to work on my laptop, I pulled up Facebook and updated my status:

Made it to Denver. Missed connection. United rebooked me on a flight TOMORROW, but got it straightened out. Working at the airport.

I didn't think anything of it until the following morning when I found an e-mail from United in my inbox:

Dear Tom:

Please accept my personal apologies for the delay and misconnection when you flew from Denver to Salt Lake City.

You were inconvenienced and this runs counter to our team efforts to run a great airline.  To assure you of our intentions to improve your next trip with us, I'm depositing 9,000 miles into your Mileage Plus account.

       Sincerely,

       Nancy Castro
       Manager Customer Solutions
       Customer Relations

United Airlines is listening to social media, and they are responding. Kudos to Nancy Castro and the team at United. Well done!

Are you listening to what your customers are saying in social media?

You are the "They" to Whom You Refer

Image by dhammza via Flickr

I ordered a television on the phone last week. I found it online, called to place the order for a local in-store pickup at Sears. The ordering process was pretty slick. But when I went to the store to pick up the television, things started to fall apart.

I went to the electronics department and asked the sales associate. "You've got to go to merchandise pick up. 'They' handle those orders," I was told. So, I went to the merchandise pick up and entered my information in the kiosk. The computer didn't have my information, so I was told by the kiosk that an associate would help me and my name was placed on a queue on the computer screen. I had a seat and waited a few minutes. I looked back at the screen and my name had not been moved to the "completed" list. Something was very wrong.

When the associate came out to help another customer, I interrupted and asked about my order. "'They' have been having problems with the computers all morning. It must not have come through. Go to the sales floor. 'They' have better access to the system than we do. 'They' will look up your order number."

Back at the electronics department I was informed that "they" often have problems with the system. To the sales associate's credit, he apologized and assured me that "one way or another you're going home with a television today." The phoned-in order was never resolved in my visit. I had to purchase the television in the store and then call "them" on the 800 number to cancel my original order.

A common response of human nature is to distance ourselves from responsibility and point blame at another person or entity. It happens in customer service all the time. To the customer, however, you are the "they" to whom you refer. As far as I was concerned, my issue was with Sears. The CSR on the phone, the people in IT, the guy in merchandise pick-up and the sales associate were all "Sears" in my eyes. I don't care where the problem lies or who dropped the ball, I want "Sears" to make it right.

World-class customer service operations understand the subtle difference between "they" and "we" in the customer's experience.

Good Service Acknowledges the Customer

Image via Wikipedia

Last night, my daughter and I walked inside the McDonalds in Story City. We were on our way home from a road trip to the Twin Cities. There was no one in line and I walked up to the counter. The seemingly well-oiled machine of workers were scurrying behind the counter. I waited for someone to step up to the register and take my order, but no one did. After a few moments, the manager, who stood a few feet from the register, called for someone to take over register duties.

I waited.

Several workers darted back and forth behind the counter filling drive-through orders and making coffee. The manager walked up and placed a cash drawer on the counter, calling once again for a young man to come take over the register. The young man walked up and argued with the manager why he had to run the register because he was "no good" at it. The manager insisted that he would do it.

I stood on the other side of the counter, waiting.

The young man now took the inventoried cash from an envelope and carefully counted the bills, reconciling them to the report, and putting them into their respective slots.

I watched and waited.

The clerk now inserted the drawer into the register and looked up, surveying the lobby but not making eye contact with me even though I was standing directly across the counter from him. I felt like the invisible man. He then turned to look back at the crew in the kitchen.

"Excuse me?" I said. "Can I place my order?"

The young man finally looked at me. "Yeah. Whattaya want?" he asked.

One surefire way to make your customers feel alienated is to ignore their presence. Yesterday's example came at a fast food restaurant, but I've experienced the same problem at much nicer establishments, as well.

Shift changes happen. People go on breaks. Customers must sometimes wait while service personnel get organized. If your customers must wait on you, make sure you:

1. Acknowledge the customer's presence. Make eye contact, speak directly to the customer and acknowledge that you realize he or she is waiting on you.
2. Apologize. "I'm sorry to keep you waiting," or a similar statement of apology, tells customers that you understand their time is valuable and you regret creating an inconvenience for them.
3. Address the situation. Explain what is happening and how long the customer can expect to wait. "I need to log in to the register. This should just take about 30 seconds." If there is lag time while waiting on the system, you might even begin to address the customer's need: "It will be just a few more moments. While we're waiting, tell me what you'd like to order."

Don't ignore your customers. Acknowledge and connect with them, even in uncomfortable pauses of service.

Service Above Self

Image via Wikipedia

"Service Above Self" is the motto of Rotary International, an organization in which I've been involved over the years. I love the motto because it is at the core of any act of service. Customer service, community service, military service and (you name it) service are all about being focused on the needs of others. Giving priority to what others need, want or expect is at the heart of service.

This is forgotten when we:

• Ignore the customer completely. I recently stood at a counter for several minutes while the clerk finished whatever task she was doing at her terminal. There was no eye contact. There was no acknowledgment I was there. There was no "I'm sorry for the delay. It will be just one moment while I finish this transaction." It was as if I didn't exist.
• Put our convenience ahead of the customer. I hear this when Customer Service Representatives (CSRs) refuse to help customers if the customer hasn't anticipated the necessary information that will help the CSR be more efficient and get their talk time down. "If the customer doesn't think ahead to have all the information I need, they shouldn't expect my help," I've been told on multiple occasions by different "service" reps. I experienced this recently when there was no one at the counter to help me. Finally going on a hunt for help, I discovered the clerk standing by the back room texting someone on her cell phone.
• Focus on industry standards without regard to customer expectation. Standards can be great guidelines, but if you hit the industry bulls-eye while completely missing the customer's target, you've wasted a lot of time and resources. You'd hope that industry standards would have customer expectations in mind, but they can be so process and metric driven that they leave customer expectation and satisfaction out of the equation.

Is your staff putting "service above self" or "self above service?"

Drive-Through Distinction

Image via Wikipedia

I've always believed that the key to great customer service is doing little things consistently, and doing them well. The difference between good and great, that which makes your service stand out, is in the details.

Bruce Temkin recently referenced an article in QSR magazine that provided quality ratings for America's biggest fast food drive-through windows. The research measured how often a restaurant drive-through got the order right. Now getting the order right may be considered a small thing. Everyone makes mistakes, right? Yet, each time the drive-through messes up your order, you make a mental check mark. When deciding where you're going to buzz through for your next lunch, you're likely to remember which company messed up your last order. It becomes a good reason to try someone else.

So, who is best in the drive through department? Here's the list:

How does this jive with your local experience? Who is the best and worst at getting it right here in the Golden Circle?

Macaroni Grill Surprises Me

My wife and I were in Portland, Maine last week on business. It had been a brutally long day and we wanted a quick but nice meal before crashing at the hotel. We opted for Romano's Macaroni Grill because it was nicest choice among the restaurants that were close. I normally wouldn't have chosen Macroni Grill because my previous experiences, though a few years old, were mediocre at best. The food had always tasted like it was pre-packaged and then warmed up before serving. The service had been nothing to write home about.

Our server this particular night was a young man named George who was nothing short of spectacular (and being in the Customer Service field, my expectations are pretty high). He was cheerful, personable, articulate and carried himself with professionalism. Even when he was a little behind he would stop to let us know we weren't forgotten. He knew how to check back frequently without being bothersome. He knew his wines and his food exceptionally well. My wife and I split the chicken parmesan that night, and I was really impressed. It was tasty without being heavy. When George checked back with us and we noted the great taste of the food, he informed us that Macaroni Grill had consciously been moving toward healthier, locally prepared foods and away from the heavy portions and nuke n' serve mentality that many chains have adopted. It was a far more pleasant evening than I could have imagined. Believing that good service should be noted, I stopped the manager on the way out to compliment our server.

On our final night in Maine, (I'm shaking my head as I type this) we opted to go back to the Macaroni Grill. The hostess seated us in George's section again. Remembering us from a few nights before, and realizing we really enjoy our food and our wine, he engaged us in even more conversation about the way the chef prepared our food, the sauces the restaurant used, and in different wines he likes with different dishes. He even brought us some complimentary examples of wines to try with our meal. When he brought us the check, he informed us that the manager was appreciative that we came back and had taken our appetizer off the bill. Even nicer experience than the night before for less money. Not bad.

Our two experiences were a great example of exceeding a customers expectations and earning their loyalty. Good food, good wine and decent atmosphere are somewhat easy to replicate. George's exceptional service, and the unexpected kindness of the manager, put the experience over the top. I don't know if we'll ever be back in Portland, ME again, but I can tell you that the local Macaroni Grill can expect a visit from us. Our experience earned them another visit.

Three ways to listen to what your customers are saying about you

Image via Wikipedia

For small and large businesses alike, it's important that you have your ears open. If you are deaf to the thoughts of your customers, you're likely going to be blind to what you can do to meet their needs. Here are three suggestions to help listen to your customers:

• The on-line ear. If you're not plugged into social media, you might be missing the on-line conversations that are happening about your business. Google Alerts are a free service that allow you to be notified when somebody writes something about you or your company. Go to Google, click on the "more" link on the top menu, then look for "Google Alerts." Put in a search term. You might start with just your company name. I will often tell clients to do a search for their company name followed by the word "sucks." You'd be amazed at how common it is for an angry customer to write "[enter company name here] sucks!" Now, when something is said on-line about your company, you'll get an email telling you so! You can decide how to respond.
• The personal chat. Customers are generally willing to tell you what they think if they genuinely believe you're interested in what they have to say. Think of a few key questions you'd like to ask your customers. Then, simply approach a customer. Introduce yourself, tell them you'd appreciate their opinion about their experience. You might start with a quantifiable question (e.g. "On a scale of one to five, how would you rate your experience in our store?"). You could ask a fill in the blank question (e.g. "The one thing that would have made my experience in the store better is [fill in the blank]"). You might be surprised at what you hear, and at the appreciation customers show that you value their opinion.
• Survey. On-line feedback is generally going to give you feedback from people who had really good or really bad experiences. Personal chat will give you good, honest feedback - but from a limited number of customers. A small, targeted survey of customers right after they've visited or contacted your company will give you the best, most definitive picture of your average customer's thoughts and expectations. It is a larger financial investment, but will also yield the greatest, most actionable information from which you can make tactical decisions that will drive satisfaction and loyalty.

Avoiding Common Customer Service "Errors"

Image via Wikipedia

My wife and I love the Iowa Cubs. We are card carrying members of the local boys' fan club and make regular pilgrimages to tradition-rich Sec Taylor Field at Principal Park. As far as I'm concerned, Michael Gartner and his staff give families one of the best values you'll ever find for your entertainment dollar.

And, even at the ball park, you can be reminded of some valuable customer service lessons.

We found ourselves at the concession stand buying our hot dogs before the game this past weekend. The young man behind the counter put one hot dog on the counter and handed the second one to my wife. The hot dog took a bad hop in the little cardboard carrier and my wife dropped the ball. The hot dog fell to the pavement. Flustered, she placed it back on the counter and asked for a replacement.

The young man was incredulous. "It's not my fault!" he said with a shrug of the shoulders (obviously, he would have scored it an E2 for those of you filling out your scorecards at home).

"Are you serious?" my wife responded with equal incredulity.

"I can't give you another one," the young man responded. "I CAN'T!"

In a few quick seconds, the young man had made a few common, critical customer errors that are sure to raise customer frustration and dissatisfaction:

1.    Never risk losing a loyal customer (and the revenues from that customer attending multiple games a year, with multiple trips to the concession stand and gift shop, over several years) over a $3.50 hot dog that cost you a fraction of the price.

2.    Don't focus on blame, but on resolving the customer's issue. While there are always exceptional situations, most customer service issues are simple matters for which the customer wants a simple resolution. Getting into an argument over who is to blame for the situation will not lead to customer satisfaction.

3.    Never tell the customer what you can’t do, but what you can and/or will do to resolve the situation. If the front line employee is not empowered to make a $3.50 customer service decision, then what he or she can do is flag a supervisor to deal with the issue.

To the credit of the Iowa Cubs organization, a responsive member of the concession staff quickly saw what happened, intercepted my wife as she was walking to the trash can and offered to get her another hot dog. It was a nice recovery. No dust was kicked on anyone’s shoes and the umpire didn't have to ejected either player.

It is common for businesses to place the youngest, least experienced and lowest paid staff members in positions where they are the primary face of the company to the customer. It’s critical to ensure that, as part of their training, they understand a few basic customer service rules to deal with common customer frustrations.

Do You Know How Your Customers' Expectations Have Changed?

Image via Wikipedia

The other week, I sat with my parents, my wife and my teenage daughters for a lazy Saturday morning conversation. I asked my parents about some of their earliest memories and what they viewed as the biggest changes they've experienced in their lifetime. My dad commented about reading the comic strip, Dick Tracy, when he was a kid.

"I remember he had this wristband watch/radio. He could talk into it and communicate with headquarters," my father recalled, "and I thought that was the stuff of fairy tales. As a child, I thought there was no way that type of thing would ever be real."

Technololgy is speeding up how we perceive and interact with our world. The VHS tapes my teen daughters watched as children are now dusty old technology. The clunky, brick-sized cell phone I got 15 years ago seems ridiculous today. Two years ago, no one had heard of Twitter and Facebook.

How does changing technology and communication change our culture? How does it change the way your customers want to interact with you? How does it change their expectations for customer service?

Our company recently did an annual customer satisfaction survey for a client. Two dimensions of service that didn't appear on their customer's radar 12 months ago had suddenly become vitally important to their customers. The two dimensions were an interesting contrast. One was "ease in finding the phone number for customer service" (e.g. I want to call when I'm on the go with my cell phone and need to quickly find the number). The second was "using my name when talking to me" (e.g. in an age of increasingly disembodied communication I want you to provide me with a sense of interpersonal relationship).

Have you ever asked your customers what they expect from your company? Do you have your finger on the pulse of what satisfies your customers today? Is it possible you're stuck delivering VHS service to a Blue-Ray culture?

Service Extends Beyond the Bricks and Mortar

Image by Leonard John Matthews via Flickr

Last week, my colleague and I stopped by Orlando's for a late lunch. As we approached the door, one of the employees appeared from behind us. I don't know if he'd been taking out the trash, having a smoke or just showing up to work. Nevertheless, he went out of his way to greet us, welcome us to Orlando's and then insisted that he hold the door while we entered first. It was a nice first impression.

The following day, I stopped into one of the local Target stores. There, in front of the store, was a group of employees on a break or just off their shift. They congregated in front of the store and ignored me as I pressed to get through them to the door. I was not greeted or acknowledged in any way.

My wife and I were on our way into Iowa Methodist hospital this weekend. Employees were arriving for the morning shift. It felt as if we were in competition with them to get to the building. Again, we weren't even acknowledged and we got the sense of attitude like "get out of our way, we work here."

"People sometimes forget that customers are still customers whether they are inside the building or in the parking lot," my wife commented. As I recalled my experiences outside three different businesses this past week, I realized how right she was.

Does your customer service extend beyond the bricks and mortar?

Courtesy Can't Make Up for Poor Products or Bad Policy

Two years ago my wife bought me a super cool top-of-the-line all-in-one coffee grinder and coffee maker. She'd scrounged and scrimped for almost a year to spring for the pricey CoffeeTherm 455 by Capresso. The grinder and coffee maker work like a charm and make great coffee. 

A year after I bought it, however, the LED display began to give out. I couldn't read the time or any of the settings. It rendered the programming useless and forced me to always brew my daily setting of six cups. If I had company over, I couldn't brew a full pot because I couldn't see the settings on the display.

I called Capresso.

First, they asked me to unplug it for two hours and then plug it back in. It still didn't work, so they told me to send it in. A few weeks later, I got it back working like new. It was a pain, but it I had it back and working again.

Well, it was working again for about a year.

Like clockwork, the same thing began to happen 12 months later. I wondered if I had a lemon, but my friend Kyle said he had the same model and his has done the same thing three years in row. I called Capresso again and went through the unplug it for two hours routine. It still didn't work. This time, however, Capresso told me that it would now cost me $85.00 plus shipping to get it fixed again.

So, let me get this straight. I pay top dollar for a quality coffee maker, but it appears Capresso put a faulty LED display in the unit. Based on the experience of me and my friend, I can expect the LED to go out every 12 months. My almost $400 coffee maker will now cost me another $85 a year to keep replacing the LED display. If my coffee maker has a life span of 10 years I can plan on having invested well over $1000.00 in my morning cup of joe.

The Customer Service Reps at Capresso were kind, courteous and empathetic when I called, but no amount of courtesy can make up for faulty manufacturing and short-sighted corporate policy. I wonder if Capresso is listening.

The Right Way to Approach Customer Service

Image by Jim Frazier via Flickr

Several months ago I found myself in the midst of a real life version of Planes, Trains and Automobiles and I learned a valuable lesson in customer service. I was on my way home from a business trip and, to make a very long story short, I was stuck with a bunch of other travelers at Chicago's O'Hare International Airport. We'd loaded the plane. We'd sat on the tarmac for hours. We'd returned to the terminal to correct a problem. We'd reloaded the plane. Then we were told we'd have to get off the plane and be shuffled to another flight. It was your basic travel nightmare.

As I stood in the back of the line at the service counter waiting for my reassignment, I watched as my fellow travelers verbally accosted the ticket agent. Granted, they were saying all the the things I was thinking, but the poor guy was getting mercilessly yelled at and berated.

I was the last person in line. As I approached the lambasted ticket agent, I noticed that he defensively refused to make eye contact.

"Tough night for all of us, isn't it?" I asked with the most cheerful tone I could muster.

He finally looked at me as he held out his hand for my boarding pass. I forced out an "I know how you feel" smile as I gave it to him. He rolled his eyes, nodded, and began to work on my reassignment.

"Thanks for taking care of us," I said as his fingers clickety-clacked their way across the keyboard.

The printer whirred and he pulled out the new boarding pass.

"Thank you," he said to me with deliberate earnestness. With that, he handed me a first-class ticket home.

Like it or not, Customer Service Representatives have the power to help or hinder our quest for resolution. How you approach them may determine which it's going to be. As my Grandma Golly always said, "You can catch more flies with honey than you can with vinegar."

Customer Service is Crucial to Local, Small Business

Image by corwinok via Flickr

Living in small town Iowa has a lot of advantages. Not only do I enjoy some of the best quality of life in the world, but I'm also on the front lines of interesting, real-life business issues. The classic tension between small, local business and the "evil" corporate big boys rages continually and I've enjoyed watching the community struggle.

While my heart and desire is to support my local business people, I must admit that I've been disappointed by the service experience I've received. I have often found small, local business to take advantage of my goodwill and excuse their lack of basic customer service.

A few classic, true personal experiences from the archives:

• I walked into a small local hardware store to buy some bird seed. Based on the type of store and their inventory you'd expect them to carry bird seed. I was met by the scowl of an employee who informed me in a snobbish tone that they don't carry birdseed because it attracts mice. "Huh," I thought to myself, "Maybe it would also attract customers who want to buy it." I went to Wal-Mart, was greeted with a smile and bought my bird seed.
• I used to walk into the local coffee shop almost daily. I was a regular for almost three years. They should have put a sign above my usual booth saying, "Tom's Office". Not once was I greeted with a familiar smile. If they knew my name, they never used it - even though I tried to initiate and greet the baristas by name. I ordered a coffee and a cinnamon roll when I came in. After 30 minutes they hadn't delivered the cinnamon roll. When I went up for a refill on the coffee, I mentioned this. It was promptly delivered. No apology. No "thanks for your patience." No "Gosh, Tom, you're such a great customer. Sorry we blew it. Next time the cinnamon roll is on us!" The attitude was "Who cares? Screw you. Where else are you gonna go? What, you think there's a Starbucks on the next corner?" I stopped going.
• I had problems with my roof. I called a well-known, local roofer in an effort to keep it in the community. It took multiple phone calls and several months to get a quote. It took more than 15 months to get my roof. When I had problems, it took multiple calls and several weeks to get a response and follow-up visit.
• I walked into the local small engine and equipment shop, money in hand, to buy a lawnmower. I waited for several minutes for someone to approach me. When someone finally asked if they could help I said, "I want to buy a lawnmower." I was utterly flabbergasted at the response. "Listen, I need to unload some stuff in the back. Can you come back in an hour or two?" (I wish I was making this up).

I've heard it said that small, local business can provide the friendly, neighborly, personal service that the big, corporate stores lack. I have no doubt that they can. In fact, it's crucial that they do. The temptation that must be resisted by local small business it to take customers for granted, and expect them to accept and excuse a poor customer experience.

Make a "Customer Connection"

Image by libraryman via Flickr

Through the years, I've learned that the best customer service providers develop their expertise by continually "improving their serve." We can learn all sorts of valuable lessons about customer service simply by having our eyes and ears open, observing the many service interactions we witness on a daily basis.

My wife and I are on vacation this week, but I'm still learning. Yesterday, we walked into a Black and Decker Outlet store in Branson, Mo. As I looked around and stood in line, I became aware that the guy behind the register was constantly making connections with his customers.

"What's your name?" he asked a little boy. After making a quick friend, he gave the lad a small little children's tool "on the house" and won the hearts of the boy's parents.

"Oh, that's an interesting name," he commented as he looked at a patron's identification. "I had a buddy in the Marine Corps with that name." The man and his customer enjoyed a pleasant conversation as the sale was rung up.

"You're gonna love this," he told a customer buying a rechargeable battery. "Let me tell you a little secret that will help you get the longest battery life."

"Is that your family?" he asked a customer who held out his billfold to reveal his identification. "Beautiful daughters. I've got a daughter a bit older than them. They grow up quick, don't they?"

"You're from Iowa?" he asked me. "Are you anywhere near, Story City? Did you know we just opened a store up there!" I didn't know, and I was happy for the information. I'll likely make an occasional stop on my way to and from the Twin Cities on business.

I was reminded how simple it is to make a "customer connection" which transforms a rote, mindless transaction into a pleasant, personable interaction. It is the interaction which makes the experience memorable and brings customers back for more!

Get Customers' Attention by Doing Old Things a New Way

Anyone who flies frequently can likely recite the flight attendant's safety briefing by heart. Despite warnings from the purser about how important it is or pleas from the cockpit to put down your reading material, most of us just zone out. A few months ago, an airline passenger caught a Southwest flight attendant on his camera phone turning the tired old spiel into a clever rap.

Think of all the ways companies, Customer Service Representatives and sales people approach you with bland, been-there-done-that phrases which customers shrug off like an airline safety briefing:

• "Did you find everything you needed?"
• "Anything else I can do for you today?"
• "Can I help you find anything?"
• "Do you need a fitting room?"
• "Are you finding everything okay?"

Sometimes, you must choose NOT to do what the customer expects. Perhaps it's time to think through all of your customer touch-points and consider opportunities to catch the customer's attention by doing old things a new and different way!

Customers: Prize or Nuisance?

My wife and I just returned from a quick weekend trip. I had two contrasting experiences that became an important Customer Service lesson.

On Thursday night, we walked into a Gap outlet store. It was my birthday and I'd received a gift card from the chain, so we figured we'd use it. After shopping for about a half-hour, we headed to the counter with a few items to purchase. The store manager was standing off to the side of the checkout counter training a new employee. She saw us standing there and got on her little intercom headset.

"Travis, can you come to the front and check out some customers please?," she said into the microphone. She didn't try to hide it. She said it rather loudly with just a hint of annoyance in her voice. After about 30 seconds of standing there continuing her training and not even acknowledging our presence, she finally grunted in frustration and came over to the counter, took our merchandise and began to check us out without making so much as eye contact with us.

I felt like a nuisance. I almost apologized for being in her way. Ironically, as we walked past the manager and new employee on the way out the door, we overheard her say, "Make sure you take care of the customer. You know, make them feel special."

On our getaway, we stopped by another merchant. We'd called ahead to see if they were open. It was the end of the day. They asked when we could be there and agreed to stay until we got there. They greeted us and introduced themselves, making small talk as we browsed. We never felt rushed. It was as if we were considered friends waiting to happen. I felt prized. On our way out the door of the establishment I noticed the floor mat. It read, "If we don't take of our customers, someone else will."

Do customers walk away from their experience with you, or your company, feeling like a prize or a nuisance?

A Unique, Inexpensive Way to Capture Phone Calls

Many small to mid-sized businesses would love to have the ability to record phone calls "to ensure quality service" without the huge price tag that usually comes with purchasing the appropriate phone switch and recording software. I witnessed an interesting application that may be an affordable work around for some businesses.

I was visiting a company yesterday that is asking our group to help with developing a simple call monitoring form and program. They are using Reach Local to manage their local advertising on Google. For a fee, Reach Local helps figure out what keywords people are using to find this business and then buys the appropriate ad words to drive more traffic to the clients web site. They provide the client with a Web based dashboard to monitor hits and traffic. The gentleman who showed me hid dashboard yesterday was witnessing some pretty impressive growth in his hit and contact rates.

Here's where it really gets interesting. Reach Local changes the client's phone number so that when a person calls the business from referencing Google's site or the client's Web site, the call actually passes through Reach Local. Reach Local front ends the call with a simple "your call may be monitored message" and seamlessly passes it on to the client. They digitally record the call and upload the call to the clients dashboard. The client can hear a recording of every call that came to his business through someone referencing the number on Google or his Web site. He didn't have to buy a digital phone switch. He didn't have to install a new phone system.

There are certainly limitations. He isn't getting a true sample of all customers calling him or all calls being taken by his team. In addition, he doesn't have all of the cool bells and whistles of a true QA recording and analysis package. Nevertheless, it's a way for this relatively small business to begin the process of monitoring customer conversations and developing a Quality Assessment process. And, it's all part of the marketing dollars spent. There's no additional capital expense.

Who Do You Serve?

It was a classic customer service dilemma. I walked into the Courtyard Inn last week to register. I had a long day, a late flight and was ready to get to my room and crash. I had stayed at this location numerous times and typically the check in process took less than a minute.

The desk clerk greeted me and I gave her my name. As she began reaching for the box with the reservations in it, the phone rang and she answered it. It was obviously a guest calling for a wake-up call and she took the information, wrote it down on her log, restated the information to make sure she got it correct and wished the guest a good night. By the time she was finished, she'd forgotten my name and I gave it to her again. She pulled my reservation slip from the box and the phone rang once more. This time it was a customer calling to get some information. I stood there while she spent minutes answering the caller's questions while completely ignoring me.

Most companies want to answer the phone quickly when customers call. The number of abandoned calls and Average Speed of Answer (ASA) are metrics routinely tracked in call centers. Yet, when a call comes into the call center, the Customer Service Representative (CSR) doesn't also have a customer standing in front of her cubicle wanting to be served. I've found it interesting to watch CSRs give priority to callers on the phone at the expense of the customers standing right in front them.

I empathize with the desk clerk that night. She was alone and trying to resolve concerns of customers approaching her from multiple channels. As I eventually received my key card and headed to my room, I contemplated what I would have wished to happen.

1. As a paying customer who was there first and standing there in person, I expected her to give me the priority of her attention.
2. When the phone rang, it would have been nice for the hotel to use technology to route the call to another available associate, or auto answer to an IVR that politely asked the caller to hold. That way, she could have simply ignored the phone and given me all of her attention.
3. If the technology did not exist to manage the incoming calls, I would have wished that she had answered the phone and politely asked the caller to hold while she finished assisting me. Just because customers are approaching her through different channels doesn't mean she can't queue them up in the order of contact.

Sometimes providing good customer service means applying the best possible solution, even when there is no way to please all the customers all the time.

Have you experienced a similar customer service dilemma? How do you think she should have handled it? I'd love to hear your thoughts.

Is Customer Service an Act of the Will or the Heart?

I believe that anyone can be taught good customer service principles. I also believe that anyone employed in a customer service position can perform the task with excellence, even if their performance is simply a conscious act. There are those for whom service is an act of the will, motivated by a paycheck, a bonus, or reluctant obedience to an employers standards. I find this sad, but true.

There are those, however, for whom service is motivated by an act of the heart more than an act of will. There are some who are inwardly motivated to help others, and watching them in action is a joy for me.

This past week I was flying from Miami to Des Moines. I had an aisle seat. A woman, who was also a veteran business flier, sat in the window seat. As the plane began to fill with passengers, we both commented that we hoped to get lucky and have the middle seat remain unoccupied. No such luck. Just before the cabin door closed, a man from another country climbed into the seat between us. He spoke broken English and had a hard time understanding the flight attendant. I watched as the woman in the window seat took it upon herself to assist our middle-seat companion. As we approached O'Hare she pulled out the Hemisphere's magazine, which contained a map of the airport, and went out of her way to help the man figure out where he needed to go. The woman could have easily kept to herself. Something motivated her to help, even though there was nothing in it for her.

Walking down the F Concourse a few minutes later, I witnessed a tall business executive walking next to a diminutive woman from India. Just the sight caught my attention. He was walking slowly, hunched over and listening to her. As I approached, I overheard him asking her what gate she was trying to reach.

"I'll run ahead and see if I can get them to hold it for you," he said. The executive, in his best business attire, then broke into a dead sprint down the crowded concourse. A minute later I spied him. He was out of breath and frantically negotiating with a airline agent as the elderly woman shuffled slowly towards the gate. What motivated this executive, with plenty of other "important" matters to occupy his mind, to go out of his way to help an elderly woman from another country?

Is your customer service a matter of the will, or a matter of the heart?

Service is a "Top Down" Enterprise

One of our clients has a relatively small sales and service operation. There are only a handful of front-line associates taking orders and another handful providing customer service. On one of my initial visits to the clients office, I was surprised by a loud beep that could be heard throughout the building. I was also surprised to see a few people scrambling back to their offices in response. Fire drill? Air raid?

The beep had nothing to do with weather or disaster. It was a warning of another kind. It was the warning of customers not being served. I learned that day that everyone in the company is responsible for answering the phones when things get busy. It doesn't matter what level you are within the company. If the customers are calling and calls are in queue, then everyone drops what they are doing to take care of the customers.

One of the most frequent complaints I hear from front line associates is that supervisors, managers and executives are unwilling to pick up the phone and talk to customers. In many cases, I've found it to be true. Customer service culture is a top-down enterprise. There is something to be said about a company that will truly make taking care of the customer their top priority - and will drop everything to take care of that customer when he or she calls.

What kind of service culture do you work in? Do you agree that the attitudes of those at the top of the organizational chart affect the service attitude on the front line? Why, or why not?

"No Problem!" is "Unfortunately" a Problem

Great service rides on great communication. Sometimes the difference between mediocre service and service that astonishes is your simple choice of words.

I read a great post by Bill Hogg regarding the phrase "no problem." Bill aptly points out that this common phrase is a combination of two words customers don't like to hear. Why risk turning the customer off when you could make a positive impression with "you're welcome" or "I'm happy to help"?

Another word that is often inappropriately used in service experiences is "unfortunately." Customer Service Representatives (CSRs) use this phrase all of the time as a substitute for an apology and in a poor attempt at expressing empathy:

"Unfortunately, we don't have that item in stock."

Customers want their issue resolved and they also want to know that you care about them and their predicament. The root of the word "unfortunately" is "fortune" or "luck." So, when you respond with the word "unfortunately" you are basically saying, "Bad luck, dude. Fortune has not kindly shined her face upon you this day." But, it doesn't communicate any kind of empathy for the customer's situation.

What other words or phrases do you hear in customer service situations that we need to reconsider?

Presentation is Everything

It was the moment that every father dreads. My wife and I sat together in our living room with our daughter's boyfriend. He had invited himself over for dinner and we were pretty sure he was going to ask our permission to pop the big question. He was nervous. There were several periods of silence. He then began to stutter and stammer in an attempt to bring up the subject of engagement. At least, that's what we thought he was trying to say. He spoke as if a dentist had recently shot his mouth full of Novocaine. It wasn't going well.

Then, out of the blue, he asks, "Can I use your bathroom?"

My wife and I stared at each other in disbelief as the young man rocketed to the bathroom. I was convinced that he was tossing his cookies in there. However, I was proved wrong a few minutes later when he returned from the bathroom. He had changed clothes and was now dressed in his best attire. He was also carrying his laptop.

"I'm really nervous, and I'm not doing a great job of getting this out," he said, laying his laptop on the coffee table and propping it open. "So, I've put together a little presentation."

And put together a presentation, he did. There were several slides providing visual and historical evidence of their love for each other. There were charts and graphs quantifying their relationship growth (in "love units"). He even worked in a Q&A slide.

To make a long story short, we did give the young man permission (we've seen this coming) and my daughter is now engaged.

My future son-in-law provided me with a great reminder. Whether you're delivering a sales pitch to a lead, trying to provide customer service to an angry customer, or delivering a presentation to prospective in-laws, getting the desired results often hinges on the quality of the presentation.

Great Service Serves the Server, Too

I work with Customer Service Representatives (CSRs) with a  wide range of attitudes. There are those who, seemingly, don't care about anything. They willingly admit they don't care about the customer. There are those who don't really care, but they will perform if there's something in it for them. Then there are those who seem to genuinely desire to perform their job well and take good care of their customers.

No matter where you fall on the attitude spectrum, it may be worthwhile to remember that your customers perceive your attitude. Having a good service attitude may do more than serve the customer well, it may open up opportunities for the CSR as well.

I was reminded of this fact earlier this week as I met with a client. This client manages a contact center for one of Iowa's leading companies. She shared a great story about a CSR at a local retail store who went above and beyond to help her with a service problem. The CSR even called my client as she drove home from work to follow up and the issue and commit to resolve it the following day. My client was so impressed that she went to find the CSR the next day, handed the CSR her business card, and told her that she should call if she ever wanted a different career.

Within a month the CSR had called my client, received a much better paying job with plenty of opportunities for advancement, and quickly became one of the contact center's top performers. When you provide great service, your customers notice. Serve well, and you never know where it may take you.

Here's to great customer service and opportunities unlooked for in 2009!

Anticipate Your Customer's Questions

I bought a used Waverunner from a neighbor just over a year ago. Shortly after purchasing the thing, it stopped working. I had it sent it to the local shop (is a business focused on repairing personal watercraft called a "garage"?) and found out that the entire engine would need to be replaced. Now, I'm not the most mechanically inclined when it comes to common vehicles like cars, so you can bet I'm completely ignorant about personal watercraft.  Needless to say, I felt a bit cranky when I stopped by the repair shop to discuss my options with the manager. I wasn't even sure what questions I should ask.

She quickly walked me through all of my options, including estimated costs. I suddenly realized, as I stood there listening, that she was always one step ahead of me. Before I could ask a question she was already answering it. She gave me pros and cons for each of my options. She talked about the time frame for repair, what a "rebuilt engine" meant, how long they'd worked with their engine vendor, what their experience had been, what were the common issues with rebuilt engines, how the process worked, common money saving options, and what she would do if she were in my position.

I quickly went from cranky to downright impressed. This lady knew her stuff. She knew exactly what I was going to ask before I was going to ask it, and she even knew a few questions I should be asking that I didn't know enough to ask. She'd equipped me with all the knowledge I needed to make an informed decision. She made it subtly clear that she was an expert and, by taking the time to anticipate and answer my questions, she gave me confidence in her ability. If I'm going to replace the engine, I don't want anyone but this lady and her shop working on it. She knows what she's doing!

One commonly missed service skill in many businesses is the ability to anticipate your customers' questions. Over time you could probably list several common follow-up questions that customers eventually ask. You can probably anticipate the questions, issues and roadblocks your customer is likely to experience based on the number of times you've had to walk other customers through the same issues. You can use that knowledge to improve your customer's experience and build their confidence in your knowledge and abilities.

"One of the problems you may encounter is..."
"The thing to watch out for is..."
"To save yourself some aggravation, be sure to..."
"Many customers find that..."
"Let me save you a little time and frustration..."

Being knowledgable is one thing. When you can parlay that knowledge into a positive customer experience in which you are looking out for your customer's best interests, then one experience may very well gain you a customer for life.

Personal Connections Make Great Service

There is good service, and then there is great service. As I always tell my clients, "The difference between 'good' service and 'great' service is in details done consistently, and done well."

Often, I find that companies who rise above service mediocrity do so by creating a personal connection with their customers in which the customer experiences a sense of relationship with them.

• I recently referred someone to Iowa Diamond to buy an engagement ring, based upon my own memorable experience there. Upon returning from his own positive experience, I noticed two things. First, he knew the first name of the sales person from Iowa Diamond who helped him and spoke as if they had been long time friends. Second, he was impressed that Iowa Diamond took a picture of him and his fiance to add to their scrapbook of happy customers.

• I still remember buying a Saturn and having all the sales people in the dealership gather for the "launch", taking photos for their bulletin board and giving me one for a keepsake. No other car dealers, including the high-priced ones, have made such a memorable connection.

• My father-in-law came to town on this past weekend with the rest of the family. He surprised me by quickly heading up town for a cup of coffee. He returned a while later and I quizzed him about his java excursion. "I always I like to go up to Van Veen's for a cup of coffee when I'm in town," he said, "Not only do they brew a strong cup of coffee, but they always remember me."

What are you doing to make a personal connection with your customer?

"Ink" the Deal with Exceptional Service

I'm a pen guy. The proper nomenclature would be to say "I'm an aficionado of fine writing instruments." While I appreciate the ease of e-mail and the power of processing text on a computer, I believe there is still a place for personal, handwritten correspondence. Love letters to my wife don't have the same impact when I tap them out on my keyboard and spit them out on an inkjet (guys, trust me on this one). A handwritten line from my own hand adds an important measure of personal intimacy to the message.

It was this interest the led my wife and I to pay a visit to Barry Rubin last week. Barry owns a pen store called Ink on the 45th floor of the IDS Tower in downtown Minneapolis. He takes an interesting approach to selling pens. There are many stores that sell writing instruments, but Barry considers himself a matchmaker. While you can find him at his store during normal hours, it's best to make an appointment. He wants you to make an appointment. Why? As his website says...

...to assure that every customer who walks through his door will be given the time and attention they deserve. At Ink, there are none of the hassles, distractions and interruptions you find at other stores. There's only you, Barry, a roomful of pens, and a world of possibility.

I called Barry and he arranged to meet me at his store on Saturday morning (see picture). True to the advertising, we spent a peaceful hour browsing the wide assortment of pens, arranged by price point, which ranged from a few bucks to much more money than you ever thought a pen could possibly be worth. Barry provided us refreshments and let us browse. A naturally jovial spirit, we were soon talking pens and he was showing us different pens to try. We each walked out with a new pen.

Ink is a great example of the power of customer service. I could buy pens from many stores. I could probably get them on-line for a buck or two cheaper. However, neither of these options would come close to replicating the experience of sitting in Ink's breathtaking 45th floor showroom. Neither option would allow me to enjoy the personal attention of a man who is passionate about his products, and equally passionate about his customers.

In these economic times, many companies are focusing on cutting corners, like employee training. Merchants are trying to preserve the bottom line at the expense of their customers' service experience. Perhaps a few companies will learn that weathering the current storm might be easier if you provide what will drive customer loyalty and what your competitors will find most difficult to copy: an exceptional customer experience.

Customer Service Beyond the Traditional Marketplace

We all expect good customer service in the marketplace. But what about applying customer service principles in organizations that aren't traditionally dependent on customer loyalty or satisfaction? Government agencies, civic offices, or libraries aren't normally competing for your money or attention. They aren't going to lose you to the competition. Health care is another area that has traditionally had a "take it or leave it" attitude towards customer service principles. There are signs, however, that this is beginning to change.

My wife and I had an appointment at the University of Iowa Hospitals last week. My wife experienced acute pain walking into her appointment. It may, or may not, have been related to the reason for her visit. Nevertheless, we were concerned. During one of her tests, the technician did something that exacerbated her discomfort. Meeting with the doctor after her test, we mentioned that she'd experienced this pain and we were concerned. The doctor did not appear concerned in the least, said that it could be almost anything, and ignored it altogether.

My wife was so distraught by the doctor's lack of concern that she had to leave the room. We left the appointment angry and frustrated. "If we were shopping for a hospital," my wife said later, "I would have walked out and never returned."

That night I went to the University of Iowa Hospital's Web site where I read that, listed among the patient's rights we should expect to "receive a timely response from your doctor or nurse whenever you report pain or discomfort."

What would I do if this had been a hotel or a department store where I received poor service? I would write and make my displeasure known! So, I scoured the hospital's Web site further to find that they had a patient representative. I wrote an e-mail detailing our experience that day, our resulting frustration and what we had expected. I sent the email late that same night.

The following morning my wife promptly received a call from the patient representative who had received our e-mail. She apologized for our experience the previous day, affirmed that my wife had every reason to be upset, and explained exactly what she was going to do to address the situation. She even asked my wife how she was feeling and asked about her pain. That afternoon the doctor with whom we'd had our appointment the previous day called to personally apologize and discuss the situation. We discussed my wife's pain and agreed on a follow up plan to try and identify and address the source of her discomfort.

Customer service should be the concern of more than just businesses hawking goods in the traditional marketplace. Any organization who serves other human beings should endeavor to apply basic customer service principles in everything they do.

The Importance of Service in Uncertain Times

The economy is what we've all been thinking about the past few weeks. How is it going to affect my clients? What's the bottom-line impact on my business? Perhaps we all should have been considering how to build customer loyalty a year or two ago. Nevetheless, there's no time like the present to start giving more than lip service to our customers.

Our group has completed countless customer satisfaction research surveys for clients over the past 20 years. While each client and each project is unique to a particular business, I have had the unique opportunity to see trends across many different businesses and customer segments.

Certain customer expectations are penalty variables. "Resolving the issue" is a great example. If I have a problem, I expect you to resolve the issue. If you don't resolve my issue, then I will penalize you by being unsatisfied. However, if you do resolve my issue I'm not going to give you much of a reward in my satisfaction. It's what I expected you to do. Period.

Other customer expectations are reward variables. These tend to be "soft skill" dimensions like "courtesy," "friendliness," and a "personable service relationship." If you perform well in these dimensions, I'm going to reward you by being even more satisfied than if you had just resolved my issue. The more I reward you, the more likely I will be a loyal customer. I want that pleasant, relational service experience along with buying my widget or receiving the services you provide.

In tough economic times, companies who have built customer loyalty tend to feel dips in the market less acutely. Wise businesses have prepared for the storm by finding out what drives their customer's satisfaction and loyalty and then delivering on those dimensions of service that keep customers wanting to come back. Even if we don't have much money to spend, we still all "want to go where everyone knows my name."

Cheers.

Creating a Customer Experience Framework

Every company is going to struggle to create and deliver a consistent customer experience. It only gets more complicated when you have a wide range of employees from competent to clueless. To that end, many companies adopt a quality program designed to make sure employees interact with customers a particular way.

One common mistake that companies make is to recognize the difference between creating a "framework" for delivering a common experience and creating a minion of impersonal robots.

Let's take greeting a customer, for example. Let's say your goal is for each customer to be greeted in a friendly, personable, invited way. If possible, you want to build on your brand recognition.

A "framework" for your employees would include certain elements that you'd like them to consistently include when greeting customers:

• A salutation ("Good morning", "Hi", "Welcome to...", "Good afternoon!" et cetera)
• Use customer's name (if it's a familiar customer)
• Inviting question ("What can I get you?" "How can I help you today?")
• Personalization (e.g. Telling a mom with kids "Looks like you've got your hands full today!" or a customer dripping from the rain "It's tough to stay dry on day like today, isn't it?")

The key with providing your employees a "Framework" of behavioral elements is that they can find a way to apply the "Frame" while letting their own personality and style shine through. Each employee can find phrasing and style that is comfortable for them and gives it their own personal twist.

The "robotic minions" style of service delivery is to give your employees a script and ask them to parrot it to every customer no matter who walks in the door and no matter what the circumstance:

"Welcome to Wenger Widgets where our widgets create a wonderful world. My name is Tom. It will be my pleasure to assist you. Could I interest you in our "Winsome Widget" today?"

Yuck! Even the best employees with the most positive of attitudes will tire of such a script - not to mention the customers who must sit and endure it.

To create a consistent customer experience, throw the script away. Provide your employees with a well-constructed framework of behaviors and then help them personalize it.

A Tale of Two Trip-Ups

My wife, daughter and I were in Colorado Springs last week. I hooked up with an old college roommate and our families went to lunch together at a local Mexican place called El Padrino. My former roommate said the place had a pretty good reputation.

As the waiter brought the tray with all of our drinks, he slipped and the drinks crashed to the table. Water, soda and salsa flew everywhere. We were completely soaked and stained. It was very uncomfortable since our pants were soaked clear through every layer. We're talking nasty soaked. Nevertheless, we moved to another table and placed our order. After mumbling a "Whoa, my bad," the server and a few other co-workers busied themselves cleaning up the mess. No one offered us an apology.

About half-way through the lunch, the manager stopped by our table. He said he'd heard that there was a little mishap, and that we should save room for dessert because he was buying.

As he walked away, we sat and stared at each other. We were dumbfounded. "Dude," I wanted to say, "your server soaked all of us so badly that we have to immediately go somewhere and change as soon as we leave. This wasn't a little spill. This was a major accident. You need to comp the lunch, not just offer to buy dessert that none of us want. Your dessert will only keep us here in our wet clothing."

Compare this experience with another "trip-up" at a different Mexican restaurant. This recently came to me in an e-mail:

My boys love going to Panchero's. They love their burritos! For a high school graduation gift this year, one of my sisters gave Zach a Pancehro's gift card. He was very excited. It was for $150.00! He saved it all summer. When he went to use it his first week of college, they told him that there was a zero balance on the card.

He came home to Ankeny this weekend and stopped into the local Panchero's
where the card was purchased. There was no manager on duty, but the young man working the counter called his manager at home. The manager asked Zach to come back in on Monday and he would take care of it. Zach walked away thinking that nothing would come of it.

Monday came and Zach returned to Pancerho's . He told the manager that he had stopped in on Saturday. The manager knew exactly what Zach was talking about and checked the balance on the card which did, indeed, read zero. Without a question, the manager rang up a new $150.00 gift card and thanked Zach.

We both looked at each other in shock. Granted, someone in our family eats in this restaurant at least twice a week, but at no time were we questioned or did he try and tell us  “this couldn't happen”.  This manager treated Zach with respect and dignity and has won our  business for life.

When mistakes happen, how you respond is critical. Avoidance, excuses and denial will drive customers away. Taking responsibility, sincerely apologizing and making things right may end up earning you a customer for life. Don't count what it's costing you to make it right. Count the cost of losing a customer for life and the negative word-of-mouth it will create.

How will you respond?

What's in a Job Title?

I have a client who has given their receptionist a name plaque for her desk. It reads "Director of First Impressions." I never cease to get a kick out of seeing it when I walk in. I have to believe that it provides the receptionist with a gentle reminder each day as she walks in to sit at her desk. Creating first impressions has got to be more motivating than "answering calls."

For some time, I've noticed that there has been a movement in many business circles to provide creative and motivating titles for their employees. While some are silly and somewhat meaningless, others are quite inventive. They motivate, inspire and remind associates of the underlying importance of their position.

ICMI recently created a post about titles given to Customer Service Representatives (CSRs). Some of the titles provided have been:

Customer Advocates

Customer Solution provider

Specialist (subject matter experts)

Asset managers (One financial service company used this -- their call representatives came up with it -- they said they protected the company's greatest assets, the customers!)

RSR (response services representatives)

Customer Care Executive

Customer Care Co-ordinator

Customer Consultant

Customer Liaison Officer

Customer Service Executive

Customer Service Professional

Telebusiness Executive

Telebusiness Professional

Telecare Executive

Telecare Professional

One company used titles to provide a sense of increasing expertise:

Service Trainee

Service Apprentice

Service Representative

Service Specialist

Senior Service Specialist

Elite Service Specialist

What about your company? Can you come up with a more creative title that will make front-line service providers smile and give them a sense of motivation, inspiration and worth? Post a comment and share your own ideas or examples you've encountered.

Great Customer Service is Personal

On a recent business trip, I found myself standing at a remote gate in the far reaches of Denver International Airport. The Des Moines flight is often at B95, a gate that is within a stone's throw of Canada. I was hoping to get on as a stand-by flier, so I showed up plenty early and waited.

As I was waiting, I watched as a girl was pushed to the gate in a wheel chair. I surmised that she had a bum leg from some sort of athletic injury and she was accompanied by, what appeared to be, her mother and sister. The wheelchair was being pushed by a small woman who was obviously not a native of the United States. If you spend any time in airports, you know that pushing passengers in wheelchairs is a menial job that is commonly performed by immigrants. I imagine that it is an entry-level position for people entering the workforce. The pay must be low and the hours must be long.

As the girl with the bum leg got out of the wheel chair, she intentionally turned to the little woman and gave her a big, long hug. Then the sister and mother gave the little woman hugs, in turn. I could tell from the body language that they were truly grateful and appreciative of this woman who was half their height and spoke broken English.

What does a diminutive woman who barely speaks English bring to her job to make these girls and their mother shower her with hugs? I have watched many wheelchairs getting pushed in airports. I don't see passengers smiling and doling out hugs very often.

The woman made a personal connection with her customers. They weren't just another "passenger," another "pick up," or another "drop off." In the time that she picked them up at their arrival gate and pushed them to B95 (Granted, it's a long hike. Plenty of time to chat.) she had become a friend.

Great Customer Service requires that you serve people. You can't serve a number in line, a phone call, an order, or a transaction. While your interaction may last seconds or minutes, you should treat each customer as a human being with a name and a worthwhile story. You should approach each customer as a person of inherent worth.

When you serve people your job begins to make a difference, even if a minor one, in a person's day. Your monotonous tasks take on new meaning. You're not just pushing passengers, you're lifting spirits. You're not just getting a tip, you're getting a hug along with it.

I didn't make my flight that afternoon, but for once the wait at the gate was worth it. I was blessed to watch a woman getting hugs from her customers. I was reminded of what great customer service is all about.

Can You Measure Service Quality in Time?

Bill Hogg, author of the blog Customer Service that Astonishes recently posted about a new initiative by Avis to provide rental service in three minutes or less. The program, launched in Europe, provides preferred customers with a stop watch when they enter the door. If Avis doesn't complete the rental in three minutes the customer receives an apology followed by a discount voucher for a future rental in the mail.

Bill's went on to ask the question, "Can you reduce service quality into a time equation?"

It's a worthwhile question, as many companies measure quality in their contact centers based on the average call time. Customer Service Representatives (CSRs) are often held accountable to a number of "quality" metrics including average call time, number of holds, average hold time, or calls per hour. Service quality, however, can't be reduced to a simple set of metrics.

A client recently hired our group to provide an objective assessment of service quality in their contact center. However, they wanted to limit the assessment to calls between five to seven minutes in length. To agree to the request would undermine the legitimacy of providing an objective assessment of the customer's experience because it would eliminate a significant number of customer experiences that fell outside the time constraint.

I have regularly witnessed client's internal quality teams who will not listen to calls that are less than a minute in length or longer than ten minutes. However, a 30 second call could have been a significant customer experience if the CSR had hung up on the customer to reduce their average call time. A call that went on for fifteen minutes may be time consuming to assess, but it could be an important call to analyze to find out why it took so long to resolve the customer's issue.

Quality customer service must be measured by more than just an element of time or a numeric metric. Avis might rent me a car in three minutes, but if the Avis agent is rude, they give me the wrong class of car, or I am overcharged then I am certainly not going to be satisfied. Make sure you are measuring all of the service elements that are important to your customer.

Creative Commons photo courtesy of Flickr and Elliott Cable

Great Service is an Internal Issue

I was analyzing the calls of a Inside Sales Representative (ISR) for one of my clients today. The ISR took a call from a fellow associate from whom they needed information in order to answer the customer's question. The conversation contained a profanity laced tirade and the ISR's associate was not helpful in providing the needed information.

We all know that Customer Service is critical to Customer Satisfaction. To that end, most companies train employees on customer service skills, monitor calls with customers, and coach Customer Service Representatives (CSRs) on what to say to customers as well as how to say it.

Unfortunately, the training, monitoring and coaching usually ends with front-line representatives and their conversations with the customer. Resolving the customer's issue, however, may require the assistance of internal associates. The customer may be getting the brunt of internal conflicts between individuals and departments. Instead of working together and treating each other as internal customers, there are internal conflicts and turf wars which only hurt the customer and the company.

Three suggestions for improving your service to internal customers:

1. Begin at the top. Managers should lead by example and treat their associates the way they expect their team members to treat customers. Be courteous. Use your employees names. Offer to help with other questions or needs. Apologize when you can't meet your associate's expectations. Walk the talk. Treat your employees the way you want your customers to be treated.
2. Define "customer". The customer of many employees may be internal, but they don't recognize their fellow associates as a customer. Use team meetings, team mission statements and performance management initiatives to communicate this fact. Changing perceptions requires an extended time of consistently reinforced messages.
3. Wear each other's shoes. Internal division is often reinforced by ignorance and misconceptions. If a front-line CSR is dependant on systems that aren't working, have members of the IT team spend a half-day sitting with CSRs and seeing how system issues effect the customer experience. If poorly documented orders create nightmares for the shipping department, have the inbound sales representative spend a day in the shipping department.

Exceptional Customer Service starts internally.

Every customer has a choice

Do you exercise your freedom, your right, to choose?

I do.

• When QuikTrip forced me to pay at the pump, I chose not to do business with them anymore.
• When the Smokey Row rewarded my frequent visits with continually poor, impersonal service, I stopped frequenting the place.
• When the Geek Squad responded to my problems, I went back and bought another laptop and service agreement.

Businesses that don’t listen to customer concerns or to feeds will eventually have to listen to a loss of revenue. Businesses that do a great job deserve the reward of our loyalty. Only when we choose with our feet and our pocketbooks will some companies hear the message.

Have you exercised your choice?

Post a comment and tell us about a business you’ve chosen to reward with your loyalty, or a company you’ve chosen to avoid.

What are you not hearing?

Just because you don't hear a lot of things being said about your company doesn't mean they are not being said.

• Many people don't know how to listen
• Many senior managers prefer not to know
• Many senior managers are shielded from what's being said by underlings covering their respective patooskies

"If I don't hear anything, things must not be all that bad."

Customers make judgments the moment you answer the phone. Customers make judgments the moment they step up to your counter. It may or may not be a conscious judgment, but the impressions are immediate and they are lasting.

If the impression is overwhelmingly positive, they may mention it to their family and friends. If the impression is negative they may just be motivated to tell everyone. Most often, the impression is not overwhelming one way or the other, but don't think that it let's you off the hook. The customer will talk.

In casual conversation people will discuss a customer service experience and your customer will consider his or her experiences. Then those impressions will form into opinions. Those opinions will become word-of-mouth marketing. Positive or negative, people will talk.

Are you managing your customer's experience?

Creative Commons photo courtesy of Flickr and Shuttercat7