Posted by Deborah Chaddock Brown on December 18, 2009 under Customer Moments, Missed Moments, Resolving Conflict | 
I’m struggling to regain my composure. I have just been made to feel more stupid than dirt and it isn’t a feeling I enjoy.
You may have read that I joined a gym recently - happy one week anniversary to me – and I’m using this TechnoGym thingie that keeps my workouts on a computer chip. I insert the handy-dandy thumb drive into each piece of equipment and it tells me the seat height, number of reps and weight I should lift. At the end of the session, I put my thumb drive into a main computer and it tells me how many pounds I lifted (15,680, thank you very much) and gives me more charts and graphs than I care to look at.
But what happens when you have to use one of the old fashion, non-computer pieces of equipment because the fancy stuff isn’t available? Well, that’s what happened to me yesterday and today. It isn’t a prob – I just used the regular equipment, but it messed up the computer thumb drive.
So today I decided to ask for help to fix the problem. The staff member shall remain nameless (but it sounds like TROY) lolly gagged his way across the gym in my direction, the tortoise could have beat him and still had time for a movie, and doesn’t make eye contact but mumbles something.
I hate mumblers.
I am already frustrated but I know it is human error, my human error - I just want a work around. Show me how to get credit for the sweat I just left all over the bike.
He put my thumb drive in the machine.
“You didn’t do the exercise.”
“Yes. I did. I already said that. I just did it on a different machine.”
“Well, it says here you didn’t do it.”
“Y..e..s..I know that. That is the problem. How do I get credit for it?”
“You can’t because you didn’t do the exercise.”
I am about to learn a new exercise called strangulation, but I take a deep breath. I decide to take a different tack. Because here’s the deal – if I don’t figure out how to get credit it won’t allow me to access my other workouts.
“How can I get out of this computer mode?”
“You can’t until you do the exercise.”
URG.
So, what did I do? I got on the Techno bike and RE-DID my exercise so the computer would feel better.
He came over and said. So did you figure it out?
AHHHHHHHH.
I felt like he thought I was stupid. I felt like the computer thought I was stupid and now my legs are like rubber because I did the exercise twice just to make the computer feel better. How stupid is that?
And guess what? I AM PAYING FOR THIS!
I am not a happy customer right now. I am not happy that I paid EXTRA for this computer support and I definitely don’t feel like I experienced good customer service. I limped out of there bordering between anger and tears over a stupid exercise.
How often do we follow the rules and policies to a tee and make our customers suffer the consequences? When we talk down to our customers, use company jargon, don’t listen carefully to the issue we run the risk of making our customers feel stupid. What customers wants to pay their HARD EARNED MONEY to feel stupid?
Not me.
Posted by Deborah Chaddock Brown on October 30, 2009 under Customer Moments |
I was just reading John DiJulius’ recent newsletter in which he shares the latest statistics on customer service. In the past (survey from 1997-2007)38% of companies ranked a “3″ on a 1-5 scale in terms of customer service. One representing the worst possible experience and “5″ as World Class.
That’s a “C” on my report card. I don’t know about you, but there wasn’t a whole lot of celebrating going on at my house if I brought home a “C” on my report card.
- Average
- Neither Here nor There
- Not that great, not that stinky
- What was expected and nothing more
- NOT memorable
Think about your customers – is that what you want their view of your company to be? Just okay? Average?
So what has the recent economic climate done to those results: John spells it out:
“…the shockingly bad news is that more organizations have gotten worse. Levels 1 and 2 have spiked 15% combined, while Level 3 has dropped from 38% to 21%. Level 3 used to be where most companies lived, but today is shrinking.
Companies are making a conscious decision to remove “customer service” from their to-do list. Just like “employees should be happy they have a job” customers should evidently “get over themselves” and forget about being VALUED and CONSIDERED and NURTURED in the selling experience.
O.M.G.
Just like a coin, there are two sides and John spotlights the fact that some companies – albeit very few – do get the value of building customer relationships:
The good news: Level 4, Above Average, customer service companies actually grew 2%, and the 3% of companies that were World Class are still World Class. That did not drop off like some feared. So that tells us there has been an increase (2%) in companies that have seen the value of improving their customer service level in order to compete in today’s economy. The 21% (original Level 4 & 5) have not compromised on their commitment to superior customer service.
My take on the whole thing? THIS IS OUR CHANCE!
We all have way too much competition, but this is our chance to really shine in the customer’s eyes. If we put more, not less, focus on the customer, we have the opportunity to be the leader in our industry:
- Understanding and exceeding customer’s expectation
- Actively listening
- Making recommendations based on uncovered needs
- Building a relationship – establishing trust
- Following up
The economy is going to get better. It is! And when it does and when consumers have more confidence in spending – where do you think they will return? To the company who saw no value in the customer when the chips were down or the company that did everything in their power to build customer relationships, establish trust and work hard to exceed their expectations every time?
Posted by Deborah Chaddock Brown on October 27, 2009 under Customer Moments, Expectations |
I had an aha moment a few months back. In all this talk about customer service and building relationships and earning customer’s loyalty I suddenly asked myself:
“Who decides what great customer service looks like?”
In every company I’ve been with, a team of executives and operational leaders will sit around a room and decide how many rings the phone should go before answering and how many seconds a customer coming into a store must be greeted within and what greeting the employee should use. But has anyone ever actually asked the customer what is important to them?
Do they care if we answer the phone by the third ring if, when we answer, it is with a curt “Hello, Burger Town, what do you want?” or worse yet “Hello and thank you for calling Burger Town, home of the double stacked burger made just the way you want it where for a limited time only you can get two burgers for the price of one, how can I help you?”
The more I thought about it, the more I wondered how often businesses ask the customer what is important to them. We may be establishing policies and measuring success for our employees against something the customer could care less about.
In this article, How Do You Define Customer Service, I expand my thoughts on customer service and determining what we should be striving to do based on what the customers finds valuable.
But in the meantime – HOW DO YOU DEFINE CUSTOMER SERVICE? As a customer does great customer service vary depending on the type of shopping/business transaction or are there a few basic must-haves. As a business executive – what do you expect every customer to receive and how did you determine those criteria?
Please share – I’d love to hear.
Posted by Deborah Chaddock Brown on October 12, 2009 under Perceptions, Word of Mouth |
My mom recently had knee replacement surgery and when she left the hospital, she selected a live-in skilled nursing facility for her rehab therapy.
One of the added bonuses has been the friends she’s made of the other patients during her two week stay. What do they talk about? Their surgery and their recovery.
They compare notes.
They observe and brag about their accomplishments.
They notice when one receives special treatment and they don’t.
“I feel like the red-headed step sister,” said one of my Mom’s new friends. “The physical therapists sit with you and encourage you and no one ever does that for me.”
“Yeah,” adds her other friend. “The doctor seems nicer to you than he is to us. What’s up with that?” Okay – maybe these 70-something patients didn’t say “whadddsup” but you get the point. My Mom was receiving special treatment the others didn’t benefit from. Her customer service exceeded that of the other patients.
During her discharge meeting with the doctor she asked if it was her imagination or if it was fact.
“No – it’s true,” he confirmed. “The surgeon that operated on you is a favorite of ours and we know he likes us to treat his patients with extra care.”
Wow. Imagine if your customers/clients/patients sensed or observed such inequity. Luckily for us – my Mom was on the good end of the stick – but what if it was the other way around.
Should there be a separate policy of customer care for t hose we like more than others? Certainly it is EASIER to take care of someone who is friendly and meets you half way in the building relationship process. And when a customer is irritable or difficult it can be more challenging to be positive and friendly.
But should we offer different levels of customer service based on who we like and who we don’t?
Customers talk. Word of mouth advertising is the number one way to brand your business. If your customers talked would they all have the same story of great service?
The best way to discover the answer is to ask. Call your past customers and ask about the service. See what kind of answers you get. What are customers saying about your service?
Check out this Customer Service Survey article for more information.
Posted by Deborah Chaddock Brown on October 7, 2009 under Customer Moments |
Terri Maurer of Maurer Consulting Group recently sent me an email after reading my October newsletter article entitled “Take Your Money to the Competition.” Terri shared this story:
I recently bought a WiFi card for my PC at Radio Shack, only to get home to find our son had one that he purchased and couldn’t use on his MAC. So, of course, I used the ‘free’ one and the other one sat on my desk a number of months. When I looked at the receipt, it clearly stated they had a limited time for returns, but I took it in anyway to see if they would at least give me a store credit. Price: about $35. They pleasantly took it back, credited me credit card account and kept a customer.
About this same time frame, I had ordered a $30 telephone amplifier as my 91-yr.-old was moving in with us and has hearing problems. When I contacted the company…who also had a strict 30-day return policy. In spite of the fact that the item had never been opened or used, the customer service woman repeated the policy to me (via e-mail). I responded to her with a message thanking her for her prompt, although disappointing, response and informed her that I would certainly remember their policy when looking for their products in the future and share it with my widening group of friends and colleagues with elderly parents.
Lesson learned: Radio Shack was more interested in keeping me as a customer, the others cared only about that $30 sale. Radio Shack customer experience: 100%…’other guys’ customer experience: 0%. Radio Shack: brilliant..’other guys’ really, really stupid!
Terri reminds us of a simple truth: Companies who live by their POLICIES will die by them as well. Are your policies more important than the customer with whom you are dealing?
More important thought: YOU as the manager/entrepreneur/owner, certainly understand that rules were meant to be broken and are there to serve as a guideline, BUT DO YOUR EMPLOYEES?
One of the things that makes the Ritz Carlton so customer friendly – all of their associates understand the power they have to ensure each guest has a great experience and the associates are challenged with making that a reality.
Do your employees understand that although you have policies in place, there are times when those rules should be bent just a little when appropriate?
Posted by Deborah Chaddock Brown on September 1, 2009 under Customer Moments, Greeting, Missed Moments, Resolving Conflict |
There is nothing that makes me angrier than being ignored. Well, there are a few things but as a CUSTOMER, being ignored is unforgivable. It’s rude. It makes me question my loyalty.
Yesterday I stopped by the local Wal-mart where I’d ordered photo prints via the Internet. The pictures were supposed to be completed by 5:30pm. I arrived at 6pm. As I entered the department I made eye contact with the single associate who was helping a woman make a camera purchase.
He didn’t greet me. He didn’t acknowledge my presence. He just continued to talk to the woman, leaning against the counter and answering her questions.
She was still in the decision-making process.
I watched as he unlocked the cabinet and retrieved different models.
THIRTEEN MINUTES LATER.
The woman walked away without purchasing and he asked me ”Picking up? Name?”
“Brown.”
He walked over to the counter, retrieved the package and handed it to me.
Our transaction took less than 20 SECONDS.
No apology.
No thanks.
No personality.
No relationship building.
Is it a training issue? Is it apathy? How hard is it to ask the first woman “Please excuse me for a minute?”
You may be thinking “It was Wal-mart – what else do you expect?”
But I’ve experienced this same scenario at a variety of businesses. We are failing to teach our sales associates how to manage more than one person at a time.
My ex-husband used to tell me that he believed asking to be excused was rude to the first person. Here’s why he is wrong:
- Customers understand that you have more than one customer in your life.
- Often customers appreciate the break in your interaction to think through all you’ve told them.
- Customers know that if they were the second person coming into the department – they’d like to be acknowledged rather than waiting indefinitely.
It isn’t rocket science. It is COMMON COURTESY.
Think about hosting a party. The doorbell rings with the first guest. You invite them in. Take their coat. Offer them a drink.
The doorbell rings again. Do you wait to answer the door until you’ve seated the first guest and fed them the first course?
No. Of course not. You say “Please excuse me for a minute” and you answer the door inviting in the next guest.
Target refers to their customers as GUESTS. Their training views customers as guests in your home. That’s what our customer are – they are guests to our business.
When you think of it that way – it is easy to see how simple it becomes to manage more than one customer at a time.
By asking to be excused – you can ask the second customer “how may I help you today?”
If the customer’s need requires a lengthy experience you can get them started and then return to the first customer.
However, you may find that the second customer only requires a 20 second pick up – like me.
One simple question – how many I help you – and you’ve taken care of a person satisfactorily and can return to the first customer.
Instead – you run the risk of ticking off all of the customers.
Think of it this way. The first customer isn’t blind – they can see you have more than one customer waiting. They become uncomfortable. Maybe even guilty for taking so much time to make a buying decision. Rather than be uncomfortable – they may say “thanks – I’ll need to think about it.” Now you’ve lost the first customer and ticked off the second.
Bonus.
What is your thought on handling more than one customer at a time. Do you agree with my ex-husband – that it is rude and you should focus your entire attention on the first person – or do you agree that managing more than one customer can be done effectively, smoothly and in such a way that you endear yourself to everyone that comes to visit your department/store?
Posted by Deborah Chaddock Brown on August 31, 2009 under Books, Customer Moments |
We talk about customer service and earning customer’s loyalty but when push comes to shove – which came first:
The quest for sales and profits?
Or
Customers?
My experience has shown that it is a rare company indeed that puts customers first at every level of the company – from the owner/founder to the board to each executive level on down to the people that actually talk to the customers.
As our business grows our focus shifts to all of the balls we juggle to keep our business afloat and at some point we decide (and I think it may even be a conscious decision) to leave the customer relationship building to the hourly wage employees that actually see the customers face to face – or phone to phone.
What’s wrong with that picture?
- If the only person putting the customer first is the front line employee – what happens when their boss needs them to do something that puts the customer second?
- When managers receive a bonus based on inventory turns and bottom line profit what happens to the “put customers first” mantra?
- When the communication and paperwork that hit the store and the tasks assigned are so cumbersome that employees view customers as an intrusion into their daily responsibilities, what happens to putting the customer first?
- When we’ve been forced, due to the economy, to work with fewer employees but don’t streamline tasks or eliminate those that aren’t customer-focused – is the customer still first?
Do you have a Put Customer First culture? How do you manage to keep the customer in the forefront of every discussion, every new direction, every new product or service or marketing campaign? Who polices the corporate behavior to protect the customer-first culture? What tips do you have for ensuring that if it doesn’t positively impact the customer – it doesn’t get done?
HELP our customers!
I’m collecting your stories, tips, nightmares – anything you’d like to share that helps the rest of us get back to the business of PUTTING THE CUSTOMER FIRST.
I’d like to compile your stories in an e-book that we’ll launch here.
HELP ME GET THE WORD OUT. Please share this request with your network – let’s make this a “must-have” resource for putting the customer first.
Include:
Your name
Your company name
The link or URL address to your website or blog or both – your choice.
Thanks so much! Let’s start a revolution so that the customer comes out on top.
Posted by Deborah Chaddock Brown on August 10, 2009 under Customer Moments |
Rita Shisler owns Shisler Cheese in Orrville, Ohio and not long ago she was the focus of a million dollar business owner column in the Plain Dealer.
I have the pleasure of knowing Rita, both from a shared acquaintance of business coach Norma J. Rist and our membership in the NEOhio based Women’s Network.
The article: Rita Shisler Built a Business on a Conversation by columnist Marcia Pledger chronicles the history of Shisler Cheese and Rita’s dedication, perseverance and savvy business acumen.
There is one quote in the article that really grabbed me:
One elderly woman used to stop by four times a week. When she died last year, her niece found 25 bags of cheese and bologna in her refrigerator.
“We thought she liked our food,” Shisler said. “Clearly our conversations meant more.”
Rita’s focus is on building customer relationships. She said:
Work hard and hire people who are a good fit for your business. You have to love what you do. It reflects back on to your business. People like doing business with happy people. They want to be part of it.
People buy from those they like and trust. Those that take the time to have a conversation; to get to know their customers.
Norma Rist, our mutual friend and business coach said: “She has developed the most outstanding customer service you can imagine. “Her business is built on repeat customers.”
Now I’m sure YOU work hard on building relationships with your customers. But what about your employees? Do they work as hard as you to create an environment of fun and conversation?
Are you in the back office or out front listening, encouraging and leading by example?
What conversations have you had with customers today?
Posted by Deborah Chaddock Brown on July 16, 2009 under Employee Moments, making a difference |
I’m shopping for a new refrigerator and stove – have I told you? Two really big expense items. Last year it was the dryer and dishwasher – man, it is expensive owning a home.
So after researching on the Internet, I decide that Best Buy has the best prices. I walked in the other day and was greeted by a smile. He says “What can I help you with?” I told him and he said “So what color do you want?”
Of all of the features and decisions when appliance shopping, I thought that was an odd place to start. It made me smile – it was so unexpected. So I laughed and said “That’s where you want to start?”
He said – “No – how about we start by saying, I’m Paul and you are?”
He reached out his hand and smiled.
I was immediately won over. I’m going to be spending a lot of money. It’s nice to know that I will be buying from someone who knows my name and begins to use it.
It turns out there is a question as to whether or not I have a drop in stove and he recommends that before I spend a bunch of money, I should have a professional come measure and check out the situation and he can take care of that for me. We get to talking and learning more about each other and he learns that I will be giving a speech on Customer Service and he says:
“So how am I doing?”
“You’re doing great,” I assure him.
Paul Has Ideas For Customer Service
He proceeds to tell me that he has all these ideas for improving customer service above and beyond. He wants to take a sign language class so he can communicate with those who have a hearing disability. He wants to create an “in home” shopping program for those who are unable to leave their home but want a more personal shopping experience than just shopping on the Internet and he wants to start a blog about shopping for appliances.
Now Paul is not the owner of Best Buy. He isn’t the Manager of the Macedonia, Ohio Best Buy. Paul isn’t the Department Manager. Paul is a hard working sales person in the appliance section with dreams and ideas for how to make Best Buy better.
When was the last time you ASKED your employees what ideas they have for making your business better? The employees that actually talk every day to the customers are probably your greatest source for ideas on marketing, sales techniques, customer service, merchandising and purchasing. Have you solicited their ideas? Have you listened to what they have to say?
I hope someone within Best Buy has a Google Alert set up so they see this post and then follow through and talk to Paul about his ideas. He’s got a lot of them and they are all good.
I bet your employees have a lot of great ideas too.
Posted by Deborah Chaddock Brown on July 8, 2009 under Connecting Moments, Customer Moments, making a difference |
Susan Oakes of M4B Marketing asked nine business owners their thoughts on customer loyalty in her post Top Tips to Keep Your Customers Loyal. Each participant had a different take on the theme and yet all were very similar. The main theme:
Treat your customers as people – treat them as you’d like to be treated.
So often we get caught up in the day-to-day grind and stress so that prospects entering our store, calling on the phone or sending an email almost seem an intrusion in our daily business. I talk about missed moments – missed opportunities to make a difference in the lives of our customers and the fact that it is hard to keep a smile on 24/7. Yet it is the extra effort it takes to reach out to prospects as people with needs that we can fill, that sets us apart from the competition.
Dave Brock from Partners in Excellence had this to say: “Create value in every exchange you have with your customers. ”
That really says it all. If we are creating value, we are greeting them with a smile, asking open ended questions, listening, seeking to help…making a difference.
And that’s memorable. That’s worth referring to friends and family and that’s an experience I’ll want to have again and so I’ll most likely return.
Susan has gathered nine great tips (thanks, Susan, for included me as well) and I encourage you to check out the complete post of Customer Loyalty tips.
