Service Untitled

Today in the Jonesboro, Arkansas Regional Chamber of Commerce presentation, franchised restaurant operator and owner of Chick-fil-A, Mike Fullington explained to his audience how customer service can have an impact on a person’s day and even his life. He explained those who really do it well have a certain “spirit,” and that is not something that is trained; rather it comes from the heart with the desire to serve and help others.

In the world of fast food, there has to be a special talent to prepare fast food and still be able to pass out a survey asking a customer to rate taste, speed, attentiveness, courteousness, and cleanliness. That sounds more like the upscale restaurant we visit once in a while, but the Atlanta-based franchise is well-known for its passion and service. Instead of a “thank you” at the end of a customer’s purchase, the more genteel “my pleasure” is used. Truett Cathy, founder, chairman and CEO stresses “servant leadership,” meaning managers treat employees how they want employees to treat customers.

It’s not the extra mile of service franchises bring to Chick-fil-A; it’s been described as the second extra mile. It’s where new franchise owners can take up to a year to come aboard. They have worked in the restaurant, gone through countless interviews, involved their families in the business, and identify with corporate values. All Chick-fil-A’s for instance, are closed on Sundays as a day of rest and prayer. While it’s not mandatory to be Christian, all owners must have demonstrated a special passion, humility, and genuineness Cathy finds mandatory. He places families first, and is a firm believer in strong family units.

Innovative ideas to promote the Chick-fil-A culture for outstanding customer service is rewarded. Contests for competitiveness are rewarded as teams show exemplary work ethics and ideas. Technology and training assist employees in attaining goals of efficiency and speed; 90 seconds for service at a drive through and 60 seconds for counter service.

As an incentive to heighten customer loyalty, coupons, restaurant openings, and special community occasions bring forth new opportunities for “ambassadors” to spread the word to someone not familiar with Chick-fil-A.

And to constantly keep a check on the best ingredients for Chick-fil-A, Cathy spends $1 million dollars on quarterly evaluations which questions customers about their experiences. Respondents receive a free sandwich for answering twenty questions about their experiences. Each location is then forwarded a two-page report.

Excellent customer service is adding that special recipe people just don’t expect to receive. With over 1200 restaurants and $1.5 billion in sales, there’s a lot to be said about integrity taking first place as has been shown via Truett Cathy’s philosophy.

photo credit: Carl Black

Customers frequently offer feedback; sometimes it is solicited, and sometimes it comes back as a complaint or a question. No matter how the delivery, it comes down to what you do with the feedback that keeps customers and affords an organization the opportunity to build customer loyalty.

More often customers are displeased with a company’s service than with the product. When an organization disappoints a customer, it becomes personal. For instance, my recent experience at Chase Bank in Palm Beach Gardens is an excellent example of what went wrong and what should have been done to correct the problem. Briefly, I needed to see a banking representative to move one account to another. There were six personal representatives; two were involved with customers, and the other four were doing something else, but definitely not serving customers. It was during my lunch hour; there was a general attitude of indifference. I couldn’t wait any longer, and notified a teller I wanted someone to call me to make an appointment for the next day. No one ever called; no one ever apologized, and I wound up at another branch of Chase a few days later and closed all of my accounts.

Analyzing what went wrong with the bank, it seems someone lost sight of customer importance. Customers should not have to wait while representatives are doing work at their desks. In order to establish a customer service culture, the emphasis needs to be placed on the customer. All departments need to attend to a customer so their problems can be solved and someone is not getting shuffled back and forth within the company or just left sitting in a chair wondering about the cavalier attitude of the employees. By that time, customer frustration has grown; surely not a positive experience for anyone.

Someone should have come over to me and explained why I was not being served. Someone should have come over to me and introduced themselves and worked on my customer needs. There should have been trained staff members available that could have addressed my growing frustration before I became a disgruntled customer. After all, statistically 90 percent of dissatisfied customers will not return, and one unhappy customer will tell nine others.

Here are a few basic rules to help establish a customer service culture that can lead to success:

• Make your customer the most important part of your work. That means put the other work away when a customer is waiting.
• Train all personnel so they can attend to a customer.
• Staff members need to have resources and the training to be able to resolve customer problems. Employees need the training so they are equipped to take action when others are engaged in business.
• Bring customer service to a personal level by greeting people by name.
• Have resolutions and compromises available. It’s not always just “yes” or “no” and be flexible. Picture yourself as the customer and how you would feel if placed in a similar situation.
• Reward staff members for outstanding service.
• Ask customers what you can do to improve customer service.

The ultimate reward for companies that provide excellent service is that we keep coming back. Today I was at the Wachovia Bank in Jupiter, setting up a new account. The staff provided efficient, friendly service; exactly what you expect from a well-run bank.

photo credit: paulswansen

The environment matters! The concern over the environment does affect people’s choices of business. We bring our own recyclable grocery bags to food markets, we use less paper in our offices, we adjust our office lighting, we use more environmentally friendly detergents to wash our clothes, and most of us are willing to spend more for “green” products and packaging.

Green marketing is not just the weekend garden place you can go to buy fresh vegetables, fruits, and home-made goods in your community; it is a tried and true marketing strategy to get more customers and make more money. There are no special customer service tricks in going green, but there are some basic principles to be followed to ensure a successful endeavor.

Most important in green marketing is to be true to an organization’s environment saving campaign. A business has to be consistent. For instance, Mary S. owns a shoe store, and encourages her customers to bring their own recyclable cotton made bags to her store when they go shopping. She no longer accepts cardboard or the plastic packaging in the boxes from the manufacturers; working in her own little way to cut down on paper and plastic goods, and when a customer buys a pair of shoes, the customer just puts them in their reusable bag. Rarely does she ever get a complaint, and word of mouth has brought in new customers just because Mary S has stepped out of the “box” in a very traditional community.

Part two is that Mary S actually educates her customers as to the overuse of plastic packaging and how plastic bags, packaging, and bottles end up in landfills or oceans. She tells people how plastics are made up of petroleum-based, and non biodegradable materials. Since we live within moments of the Atlantic Ocean, she is able to be even more convincing by explaining how plastics are designed to last forever and do not break down, are not digested by marine organisms, and describes the potential danger to our oceans and our futures.

Let’s face it; it’s all part of customer service. We do our best to provide the best products and services for all of our customers. As part of the living planet, we have the opportunity to educate and then let our customers participate. Now more people may choose to utilize better practices in their lives; use less plastic, and even use alternative packaging.

“My customers don’t have any qualms about walking out with a product from my store that hasn’t been wrapped. I give them a sales receipt, and they’re grateful because I reflect my savings back to them, plus I’m helping the environment and actually doing something more for my customers. I’m making them aware of our planet, and they like it! They tell their friends, and we’re all utilizing new ideas to make this a greener world,” stated Mary S.

photo credit: siftnz

There’s a huge Internet buzz today about a Google Android app called “Dog Wars,” where virtual dog fights using virtual Pit Bulls glorify illegal dog fighting. Using such phrases as “Raise your dog to beat the best,” “puts money in your pocket, and lets you earn more in fights,” provides “guns for police raids,” and even “inject your dog with steroids,” has instilled message boards to light up  demanding that the game be taken off the market and the creators fired.

So what does Kage Games, the creator of the free app, do in an attempt to keep their customers and smooth over the controversy? You’re right if you guessed that the game developer released a statement insisting they are indeed animal lovers and a percentage of their profits from this game will benefit animal rescue groups and tsunami relief. Seem a bit contrived?

Giving back means giving back to customers, and the majority of people when making purchases are only too delighted to know that a percentage of their purchase could be going to benefit a charity, the environment, or even to a great disaster. Goodwill, however is not generated by an obvious public relations ploy. If a company makes a grave error, a charitable contribution can even make it worse.

Using Kage Games as an example, the logical solution would have been to immediately withdraw the game. Let’s face it – one of the characters portrayed in the game is “The Athlete” who wears a red football jersey. Just today, Michael Vick and the Humane Society of the United States came out publicly condemning the game as a training ground for “wannabe dog fighters.”

The prime intention of any organization to give back should go to what the customers want. A company builds their reputation by its day-to-day operations and consistently works on caring and honesty. Charitable contributions are a part of consistent goodwill, and whether the donations go to national charities or even community organizations, it should be the customer base that determines where the contribution is headed.

Companies that make mistakes need to apologize and never make the same mistake again. Of course we all expect them to make retribution, but never say it is a charitable donation. That goodwill every business would like to have is a positive added bonus to the ethical and moral standards mankind depends on to make this a better world.

photo credit: Beverly & Pack

The 2011 Temkin Experience Ratings surveyed 6,000 different consumers from 143 different companies which included retailers, banks, hotels, and financial institutions. Customers were polled mainly on their opinions regarding customer assistance and problem resolution – whether by Twitter, Facebook, corporate websites, telephones, or in person. Amazon.com, Kohl’s Costco, and Lowe’s scored the highest ratings.

Author Bruce Temkin stated the ratings concentrated on direct interactions, and not necessarily on the product ownership. It was more to do with how a customer’s needs were met, how easy a customer could do what they needed to do, and how that customer felt about their overall experience. In other words, consumers rated the functional aspects of doing business, the accessible elements of interacting with the business and employees, and then finally the emotional results and how the customer felt when all was said and done.

So what makes a company measure up on customer service? Amazon.com boasts of having 130 million active accounts. Their customer service is constantly measured and evaluated by user-generated reviews and software that has been specifically designed to help the company and provide feedback on “better customer experience through price, selection, and convenience.”

Amazon.com has expanded from once just selling books and magazines to  appliances, videos, and even groceries. Where many companies lose something of themselves when they branch out too far on products or geographic areas, Amazon seems to be doing great at all of it.

Kohl’s secret to their expanding success is combining their own thrifty labels with “exclusive” brands. Kohl’s uses great value, savings, and value messages to amp up their customer service promises. In turn, Costco, states it simplifies members lives by helping them to make smart choices.

So what do we learn from the top four scoring companies? They all provide great value, they all provide a great selection, and they care how their customers feel about their businesses. While it is true that Amazon.com rarely does personal interviews with customers about their particular experiences, the bells and whistles that consumers find important and relevant to their particular sales are being fulfilled.

When doing business and doing it well, consumers just want the best products, and the best way you can deliver the product to them with the promise that you will stand behind that product and your word. While PR companies like Owen Tripp with Reputation Defender exist to slow down negative PR, bad mistakes can cost a company one of it’s most important aspects, it’s customer’s trust.

photo credit: Adam @ ecadamf

Businesses grow as more customers come aboard, and that constant search for new clients is the life jacket for success. Of course building relationships with new customers are paramount; the hard part is taking the leads and transforming them into customers. One of the best ways to do that is through customer engagement; in other words having a customer relationship management strategy.

The key is to keep current customers engaged so they will want to use your services or buy your products. Ideally these customers will then refer your services or products to their friends and relatives because you have not only provided them with excellent customer service, but because you have consistently followed-up after the sale, engaged customers into interesting conversations and useful information on social media sites, updated your current clients and potential new ones with relevant emails, offered loyalty programs, and then tapped into social awareness.

Besides excellent products and outstanding customer service, customers want to make the world a better place to live. Customer engagement increases as a customer feels good that an organization gives to the less fortunate, to physical or mental health, or to social causes. Large companies normally expend more effort than midsize  companies, but smaller companies generally do more “face” and “personal one-on-one” contact – even if exclusively done in their small neighborhoods.

For big businesses we label it Corporate Social Responsibility. One can never forget the BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico and the ravaged beaches and heart wrenching photographs of wild life covered in black, gooey oil. Communities and individuals expect organizations that make massive profits to give back to their community, employees, and to the environment. BP spent billions on damage control while cleaning up the environment to regain customer loyalty.

Large corporations like Microsoft use social awareness campaigns. The philanthropic action Bill Gates has taken through the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation is world renown. PeopleSoft and Workday founder, Dave Duffield and his wife Cheryl created Maddie’s Fund which aims to create a no-kill nation where all healthy and treatable shelter dogs and cats are guaranteed loving homes. Starbucks ensures fair pay and health care for bean growers.

Even mom and pop stores like our local deli have pitched in to paint a needy family’s home, raise money for an injured fireman, or spent the mornings cleaning up debris left on our usually pristine beaches. Just get involved and make our world a better place for humans and animals to live. You’ll meet more people, find more customers, and serve them better.

photo credit: gwydionwilliams

Customer service is all about what the customer thinks when a business encounter is done. Customers are the ones who decide how much they want to spend, where they want to spend, and how they want to spend. Our job as customer service professionals is to provide the consumer with the best product and the best service so they will want to spend their money, time, and loyalty with us. So what’s the secret?

Some time ago, Douglas Hanna did an interview with American Express’ Doria Camaraza, Senior Vice President and General Manager of the Fort Lauderdale Service Center. Ms. Camaraza explained the company’s service ethos as related to their Customer Care Professionals. One of their keys to successful customer service for American Express is to build relationships with customers in personal ways. For instance, a trained Customer Care Professional will pick up on a cue from a card holder; perhaps a baby is crying in the background, someone is in a profound rush, or a frequent traveler is calling from a busy airport. Then it becomes the art of listening, having the information of each card holder available so individual attention can be specifically addressed, and having the ability through a comprehensive training program and mentoring process enabling them to be prepared in making important decisions to accommodate customer requests. Service and advice can then be personally based on the customer’s mood or even if they are  in a rush.

So what does an organization get out of raising the bar on employee training? The Customer Care Professionals at American Express aren’t limited to a certain amount of time when speaking with a customer nor are they required to memorize a script. Yesterday when I called American Express customer service because of a problem I am having with a company that has not sent me my order, my representative within in a few moments knew what I was talking about, and she was able to do the research to figure out what the problem was and why I didn’t receive the product I ordered. So what will I probably do the next time I need to order something online? I’ll use my American Express Platinum Card because their service was efficient, polite, and extraordinary.

So as customers rule, and that is obviously reality, we must learn never to assume we can guess what a customer always wants. Contact with any customer gives us the opportunity to extend our relationships and increase the lifetime value of each one of our customers. As we engage a customer in conversation, we can discover how they feel about our brand and if our brand delivers on its promises. We can gather customer input and initiate new procedures that are more effectively based on our relationship with the customer. We find out the good and the bad, and it’s an excellent opportunity to show customers they matter.

photo credit: mikecogh

“Counting cows” was a backseat game that parents used years ago in rural areas to quell the endless “Are we there yet?” queries from their children. The rules were simple: each person took one side of the car when the journey began. One point was given for every cow you saw on your side; five points for every horse, and if a graveyard appeared on your side, you lost all your points and had to start over again. Active participation in a simple, competitive game made the car trip seem much shorter.

Today’s customers have a strong need for speed. They are as impatient and restless as a group of “desperados waiting for a train,” to quote the country music song title made famous by The Highwaymen. Faxes gave way to e-mails which gave way to text messages from anywhere at any time. Netflix and FedEx taught us you could get it next day; Zappos.com surprised us with an order for new shoes placed on line in the evening arriving at our door step the next morning. The customer’s standard for the speed of service has continued to hasten with seemingly no end in sight.

But, there is a way to slow the speed of service. Let your customers “count cows!”  Look for ways to help customers participate. Like Disney World, entertains guests who are waiting in line to board that special ride, perhaps you could entertain your customers in an engaging yet appropriate way. My bank has a popcorn machine and big TV’s playing CNN or CNBC to help you wile away the wait should the teller line become long or the CSR is tied up and not quite ready to provide you assistance.

Is there a way you can make getting service seem to go faster through turning it into a compelling game? Ted’s Restaurant (as in Ted Turner) in Atlanta helps calm fidgety little kids waiting for a meal by providing them color crayons and a kids menu turned into coloring book. What would be the adult version for your customers? How about a clever contest? Or, a social gathering? How can you manage the customer’s perception of service pace as you work to improve the reality of service pace?

Chip R. Bell and John R. Patterson are customer loyalty consultants and the authors of Wired and Dangerous: How Your Customers Have Changed and What You Can Do About it due in bookstores in May.

photo credit: alexfiles