The Customer View

Customer Service for Those in Need

Just had an epiphany about customer service, that might just give all merchants & vendors something to think about.

This one is hot off the presses... of my life.

We had a futon in storage, and we retrieved it today.  Six months ago, when I broke it down for storage, I carefully put all the bolts and other hardware in a zip-lock plastic bag.  Because I knew I would need them again.

So, six months later, where is that bag?  No, really, where is that bag???  This is not a rhetorical question - this is serious!  I've got a futon in parts, and no hardware to hold the sucker together!  In addition to being a bit aggrevating and embarrassing, it also has me in a spot of hot water with the missus. 

So when the going gets tough, the tough go online.  Oh great Google, does anyone sell futon hardware (without having to buy the whole futon)?  It turns out that many organizations do. 

BUT... the fly in the ointment is, each site makes it clear you must order the correct size hardware, because hardware purchases are not returnable.  A reasonable request, I can understand, but my problem is, having lost the bag of hardware, I have no freakin' idea as to what size bolts, etc. that I need.

This, I think, is good opportunity to test the customer service skills of one of these businesses purporting to sell the needed hardware.  So I call Futon Planet, and explain my predicament to their friendly customer service rep.  He understood, and immediately assured me that it was pretty easy to get the measurements I needed in order to buy the correct product.  He didn't try to sell me anything, he didn't hustle for my order, he just told me the info I would need, and how to obtain that info, and that I could then be assured of buying to correct product.  Geez, I love this guy! 

Now, this seems like a sort of baseline quality customer service kind of experience, and perhaps it is.  BUT... what ratched up the significance with me is that I had made a dumb mistake by misplacing the bag of hardware, and I was mad at myself, and my better half was not exactly overjoyed with me at the moment.  When suddenly, there is light at the end of the tunnel.  A way out of this dilema! 

And that is why a basic well-executed customer service interaction has me so fired up.  And that is my message to you (ah, you wondered if I would get around to that!):

You never know the mood or the circumstances surrounding anyone you serve, at any given time.  Therefore, the slightest kindnesses can sometimes be magnified because they came at exactly the right time.  "Customer service" is not just about taking orders and answering questions - it's about SERVING your customer, and helping them.  You might just make a much larger impact than you ever expected. 

  -- Chuck Dennis

Be Friendly to Your Customers, but Don't Treat Them Like Friends

As readers of this blog know, I am not shy about shining a spotlight on examples of poor customer service, and sharing my views on how the matter could have been improved.  Armchair quarterbacking, I believe it is called.

That said, I must now point the finger at myself.

<=====

In a conference call with a client last week, he was explaining that he was going to have to push our project back a couple of months, due to some issues concerning a sister company of his.

What I should have said is, "Hey, no problem.  Give me a holler when you are ready to roll."  But because I had built a friendship with the guy in addition to our business relationship, and we had agreed to speak freely with one another, I barely masked my disappointment, and for some reason felt the need to remind him that I would be seeking other projects in the interim, and I hoped that I would be available when he was ready to go.  I wasn't rude or snotty when I said this; it was more of like "Hey, you snooze, you lose" that you would say to a buddy.

Even now, as I retell this story, I am astounded at my ignorance.  Anyone who has worked with a consultant before, and certainly anyone with this particular gentleman's business pedagree, understands that projects need to scheduled as to availability.  But friendship or no friendship, buddy or no buddy, I should have had my customer service consultant hat on at that time.  I should have been understanding and accomodating, and I am afraid that in this instance, I was not.

I soon regained my common sense, and apologized, which the client quickly accepted and dismissed in true male-buddy fashion, and we have continued our business relationship and friendship.  But I was lucky.  By letting my guard down and wearing my friend hat when I should have been wearing my consultant hat, I could have easily lost or damaged a business relationship.

So please, learn from my error.  No matter how friendly you become with a client or customer, always remember to treat them with the respect that all customers deserve.  Any less can be damaging to both the business, and the personal, relationship.

   --- Chuck Dennis

Hammer Time - Angry Customer Style

A recent article in the Washington Post titled Taking a Whack Against Comcast tells the story of a 75 year old Virginia woman, who, after receiving poor and indifferent service over the course of four separate incidents, decided to draw some attention ftom her cable provider's service department by taking a hammer to a service rep's PC and telephone. 

While I am sensitive to the plight of angry customers everywhere, and believe that businesses can learn a lot from listening to their angry customers, and while I believe that being ignored and mistreated by businesses can rightfully elicit anger from customers, I must draw the line at violent reactions to the service.

And I am a little bit disturbed at the smirking, cavalier tone of the Post's article.  In this day and age, violent outbursts are not really a laughing matter.  The fact that this woman is 75 years old does not mean she was incapable of inflicting pain or injury to Comcast personnel.  OK, she busted up a keyboard, monitor, and telephone, as a way of getting "attention."  Cute.  What if some of the splintering equipment hit a Comcast employee in the eye?  What if Granny's backswing of the hammer caught someone in the face?  What if she hurt herself while wreaking havoc on the Comcast office?  Would she then sue Comcast for the pain and suffering? (Fact is, her blood pressure did go up to a dangerous level, and she began hyperventilating, and required an ambulance.)

And the Washington Post, who really should know better, chose to highlight this woman as a great American outlaw, going outside the boundaries of the law, yet striking a blow for "justice."

Let's get this straight.  I love angry customers.  My consulting practice and the articles I write are all about getting businesses to take heed of their angry customers, and learn how to improve their service, products and operations by hearing, and then addressing, customer complaints.  But their are limits to the appropriateness of customer anger.  I tend to draw the line after the first use of profanity.  Violent actions?  Forget about it!  You just lost your complainin' priviledges, is what ya did.

  -- Chuck Dennis

Hell Hath No Fury Like a Customer Scorned

It used to be, if your business angered a customer, you could lose the customer's business, and count on him telling anywhere from 5 to 25 people about the negative experience.  Depending on the nature of the the experience and the credibility of the angry customer, you might take a business hit from some existing and prospective customers.  Not to mention, your loss is your competitor's gain.

Nowadays, through the wonders of technology, specifically the interactivity of Web 2.0, disgruntled customers have a much larger stage for their soapbox.  Hundreds, thousands, even millions of people can now read about a single customer complaint!  An article in yesterday's New York Times, titled "Dealing With the Damage From Online Critics," discusses this topic. 

Now, no business is immune to the occasional dissatisfied customer.  However, as the article explains, it's often how the business deals with the dissatisfaction that makes or breaks them.  Depending on the magnitude of the customer's anger, bitter online posts with embellished details and ominous threats can give pause to potential customers and even disinterested third parties.  Critical and derogatory web sites can be created, or simply steaming posts on blogs or online forums can wreak havoc on a business' goodwill.

Businesses can fight back by jumping into the fray with denials, counter-claims, or simply by posting authentic or contrived positive news about themselves or their products.  However, my belief is that nobody wins in this kind of online street fight.  Everyone comes out with at least some scrapes and bruises.  A better approach would be for the business to attempt to reach out to the offended customer, and try to learn the exact nature of the problem, why it happened, why it disturbed the customer, and how it can be avoided in the future. 

The business that acknowledges its problems, and resolves them to the customers' satisfaction, is going to win a lot more loyalty and admiration than one who simply tries to sweep the dirt under the carpet.

  -- Chuck Dennis

Whither the Customer Service Excellence?

Blogger Nan C. Loyd recently posted an interesting article on her Joy-Cafe.com blog, about the lack of follow-through and excellent business practices within many businesses today.  She raises some valid points, and asks the question "What on earth happened to the 'the customer is always right' attitude?"

While personally, I tend to modify that statement:
The customer may not be always right, but they are always the customer, and therefore should never be made to feel wrong.

But I know where Nan is coming from.  Read her post, simply called Excellence.

  -- Chuck Dennis

Patients are Customers, Too

Oftentimes, medical facilities seem to forget that they, like all other businesses, are in the people business.  Maybe it's because the majority of the payment comes via insurance companies.  Maybe it's because the healthcare providers see their focus as the sickness, more than the patient.  But whatever the reason, the customer experience is frequently overlooked.

Last week, my father, almost 87 years old, was in the hospital in Memphis, TN.  He had surgery for some recent health issues, but brought some of his existing health issues with him, namely, diabetes.  During his post-surgery stay, the meals that were brought to him routinely included foods that had significant amounts of sugar.  Thankfully, my dad had the awareness and good sense to simply leave those foods alone.  But he was not too pleased that the hospital could not understand something that even airlines get, which is that diabetics require a special diet.

The delivery of his food also left much to be desired.  A well-dressed chap (black pants and vest, white shirt, black bow tie) came in each day, reading what "the chef" had prepared for upcoming meals.  Unfortunately, it was all scripted, and this fellow was not able to answer any questions that deviated from what was printed on his cheat sheet.  He also delivered the meals to the room, and placed it on the movable tray.  Unfortunately, wherever the movable tray was located at the time of his arrival, that is where the food was placed, irregardless of whether it was within reaching distance of my father.  Since Dad was bedridden, it was of no help to him to have the food on the other side of his room.  If my sister or I was visiting, we could move the tray into place.  If we were not, Dad would have to call a nurse for help. 

Another time, they brought Dad a snack of crackers and a small container of peanut butter.  Unfortunately, they did not bring him a utensil to put the peanut butter on the crackers.  Another time, they brought him grits with no spoon!  Now, oversights do happen, and if this occurs when you go out to a restaurant, you simply ask the waiter to bring you what you need.  But in a hospital...

a) you're not feeling well
b) you're not terribly mobile
c) you're being cared for by nurses, who have other medical matters to tend to

It's not asking too much that your meals be coordinated with you overall health concerns (not just the matters you are being treated for), and that they are served to you where you can reach them, and you are given the proper utensils to eat with.  The philosophy of seeing the world through your customer's eyes has never been more applicable than when dealing with those who can not adequately care for themselves. 

  -- Chuck Dennis

Jet Blue: A Little Lovin' Goes a Long Way

It's a well-known postulate in the world of customer service, that a customer who has had a negative experience quickly and sufficiently remedied by the offending business tends to be even more loyal to that business than the customer who has never, ever had a negative experience with them.  When I first heard that, I laughed, "Yeah, so if someone smacks me in the face, then says he's sorry - I'm gonna like him better than somebody else who never smacked me?  Yeah, right."

Leave it to me to reduce business concepts to smacking.

But in business, it makes sense - the loyalty thing, not the smacking.  Customers' great fear is that they get "taken" - that they provide their hard-earned cash, and in exchange they get less than dollar value in return.  This is one of the reasons customers fly into rages so quickly when something goes wrong in their interaction.  They sense they are going to get reamed, and they are not happy about that.

But, if they have had a problem already successfully resolved by a business, the customer then has his fears alleviated a bit by the business' past performance.  There is a comfort level, and a confidence that, regardless of what might happen, things will be resolved amicably.  There is trust.

Whereas, if a customer has only seen a business perform when all is well, he/she has no idea how they may react under pressure.  And all it takes is one bad situation to turn away a customer for life.

So this brings me back to the Jet Blue St. Valentine's Day Massacre, where an otherwise customer-focused business just sort of melted down, and 1000 flights had to be canceled, including several that had customers effectively imprisoned on the tarmac for 8-10 hours.  Surely, this was a back-breaking situation for the airline, which had spent considerable time and energy building up a strong reputation for customer care.

But looky here!  It seems as though the efforts Jet Blue had put into customer focus before this fiasco, as well as their swift attempts to remedy the ill-will created by it, have paid off.  A recent survey of travelers conducted by Compete, Inc. showed that 14% are actually more inclined to fly Jet Blue since the Valentine's Day melt-down and subsequent recovery and re-commitment to service that the company and its CEO have pledged.  This is in addition to the 56% of travelers whose belief in Jet Blue never wavered in the wake of this service nightmare.

When a service horror story that gains global notoriety hits your business, yet 70% of your market still believes in you, THAT shows you the true value of  customer focus.

  -- Chuck Dennis

Jet Blue's Valentines Day Blues

Ah, Jet Blue.  I suppose it was just a matter of time before you, too, stepped in it.

Jet Blue airlines has been a favorite of ours for some time now, due to their less expensive fares, new jets, creature comforts such as large comfortable leather seats for everyone, and individual TV sets at each seat that show satellite TV when available, or at the very least, your choice of two movies. 

This is a company that really seems to "get it," in terms of seeing the world through its customers' eyes.  In fact, an article in Inc. Magazine describes a scenario where Jet Blue's CEO traveled on a flight, and helped the attendants serve customers, and stopped and chatted with each one!  The CEO and founder, David Neeleman, was asked how he came up with the airline's great innovations.  "I get most of my ideas on flights like this one," Neeleman said. "The customers tell me what they want."

This is why it was particularly disturbing to read about the Jet Blue passengers who were forced to sit on board an outbound plane at JFK Airport in NY for 11 hours, due to foul weather, compounded by logistic and equipment issues.  Another incoming flight landed at 10 AM, but passengers could not get off the plane until nearly 7 PM.  Other flights suffered similar delays.  The chaos was exacerbated by the vast sea of luggage that had to be returned to delayed / stranded passengers.

This was a serious black eye for any airline to suffer, but especially for Jet Blue, that had prided itself on its customer focus.  Mr. Neeleman, the CEO, has been up front in apologizing profusely for the problems and inconveniences, and has tried to put his money where his mouth is by offering refunds and vouchers, based on the level of inconvenience suffered by each passenger.  But really, what else could he do, if he wishes to stay in business?

Only time will tell whether Mr. Neeleman's promised overhaul of operations will actually make a difference in future crises.  If his disaster recovery skills are as bountiful as his other customer-focused ideas, then there is a good chance that Jet Blue can bounce back.  We hope that they do.

  -- Chuck Dennis

Something for Everyone

That's the tag-line for The Cheesecake Factory in Burlington, MA where I had dinner with a business colleague last week.  In my ongoing quest for the points where marketing, sales and service connect, I had a really interesting experience that I'd like to share. 

As anyone knows who goes to The Cheesecake Factory, there is usually a wait to get in.  I'm not one of those folks who minds that wait - and they handle it all pretty professionally there, moving things pretty quickly.  We got called for our table which was a small table for two, right across from an empty booth that was just being re-set up.  My dinner partner asked if we could sit over there instead. 

Our hostess hesitated and then informed us that we'd have to go back to the lobby and get reseated by "the computer."  I asked her what that meant and she told me that all seating was done by a computer, and that we'd have to be re-entered and would probably have to wait another 15 - 20 minutes for a booth.  "Would you like to do that, or would you like to sit here?" she asked.  We looked at each other, and then sat down.  Needless to say - we had quite a bit to say about this between ourselves.  A computer.  To sit at a table that was empty and not 3 feet away from us!  Interesting approach: customer service dictated by technology. 

We quit talking about it when our waitress arrived - but she sensed something and asked if there was anything wrong.  I demurred - but she asked again because maybe she could help us.  So I related our exchange with the hostess. Our waitress quickly said she'd bring back a manager to talk with us.  I said it wasn't necessary - but she said he'd really want to talk with us, so would it be okay with us if she got him?  Okay, we said. 

He came back, knelt down next to my seat so we were looking eye-to-eye, and asked if there was anything he could do to help us. He seemed genuinely interested. I related the exchange to him, and he was very quick to apologize.  He explained that the hostess was new, and that he was surprised by her comments.  "Of course, it's perfectly reasonable to want a booth,"  he said.  "I'd be happy to give you that booth in just a moment."  He went off to make the arrangement.  Our waitress offered us a drink before we were reseated.  We thanked her and said we'd wait until the switch.  "Are you going to be our waitress over there?" I asked.  Unfortunately, that wasn't the case, but she brought us our new waiter and introduced us.  Then we got moved the the table we wanted. 

Sounds like a happy ending, right?  Our request was honored.  Everyone was happy.  But did the manager, Jason Spieler, stop there?  No.  He took it upon himself to exceed our expectations going forward. So here is what also happened in turning around our initial negative first impression:

• Our drink orders where taken immediately by our new waiter.
• Jason the manager served our drinks.
• Our waiter took the time to make great meal recommendations.
• Jason also served our meals himself.
• Our former waitress stopped by to check on how things were going.
• Our new waiter was solicitous, on top of things, and really funny to boot.
• We didn't lack for anything - we were completely taken care of.

By the end of dinner, we agreed that this was one of the best service experiences either of us had had in some time.  In fact, I'm hard pressed to get this kind of service from other "high-end" restaurants.  Now, let's think about this. It started out less than stellar. It was packed in there.  Most restaurants would have either stuck by their "policy" or just reseated us and left it at that.  The Burlington staff "got it" right away - from our first waitress, to the manager, to the new waiter. They worked together flawlessly to reset our impressions and to make up for a rocky start.  Fantastic job!

I told Jason what a great meal we had and how impressed we were with their response to our little problem.  I shared with him a little information about customer loyalty.  A study by Technical Assistance Research Programs ( a customer experience research consultancy) shows that customers who have had a problem resolved successfully and amicably tend to be more loyal than customers who have never experienced a problem with a particular business.  Jason thought that was interesting and noted that he had never heard that before.

Here was another really interesting thing.  Jason shared with me that when he goes away on vacation to see his family, he goes to the local Cheesecake Factory for dinner purely as a customer.  He says being a customer while he is away helps him focus on delivering service to his own customers, and he gets new ideas he can use when he gets back home. 

How many of us would visit work on our vacation, if we really didn't have to?  Now I know why Jason and his team "get it."  He's not delivering just meals or good service - he knows he is delivering an experience. And he is a student of that experience.  His company should clone him and promote him.  Thanks Jason!  It was great being a guest in your restaurant. 

And by the way, when you go to the Cheesecake Factory, get the Pineapple Upside Down Cheesecake.

Oh my god....I almost caused a scene eating it!

-- Lisa Dennis

Nothing Casual About This Service

Last Saturday, Lisa and I were going to a wedding.  So naturally, the evening before, I was frantically seeking a new suit to wear.  (Brief explanation: due to the advent of "business casual" dress codes in the late-Nineties, all of my suits are more than 10 years old, and frankly, I may have put on a pound or two in the past decade.)  I had tried a few shops and stores, but had not found any suits to my liking.  So, feeling frustrated, at about 8:45 PM, I spotted a Casual Male store, that specializes in, ahem, larger sizes.  The shop was empty, except for two employees who were busy putting up banners and signs, trumpeting a sale that was to begin the following day. 

From the parking lot, I caught one employee's eye, and gestured, asking if they were still open.  She smiled, nodded, and waved me in.

Now, given the stores name, Casual Male, I did not expect to find suits, but I figured I could come up with a nice pair of slacks and a dress shirt that I could button at the collar without cutting off all oxygen to my brain.  This I found - and more!  Both employees stopped what they were doing to assist me in finding items of interest, including pointing out a new suit that had just arrived that day.  They helped me locate shirts that complimented the suits I liked, and actually encouraged me to try the shirts on to ensure they fit, which required them opening the package and taking out all the little pins and cardboard backing.

Instead of hovering around me, hungry for a commission, they gave me time and space to find things I liked, but any time I needed assistance or had a question, one or another of the employees was there to help.  I ended up with two suits, three shirts, and a belt.  When it was time to pay, I was told that they would give me the 20% discount that was part of the following day's sale!  I happily paid, and cheerfully thanked the two employees, who cheerfully thanked me and wished me a good night.  As I was leaving, I noticed that it was now 9:30 PM.  Then I saw the stores hours posted on the door: they were supposed to close at 9:00, and neither employee ever said a word about it, or even fidgeted around like it was time to go!  Now that was impressive!

Here's what these employees did right:

1. They invited me into the store, even though it was minutes before closing, and they were engaged in setting up for the following day's sale.  They never mentioned that closing time was rapidly approaching.
2. They were attentive and helpful, but not pushy or in the way.
3. They made sure everything fit, even after taking my measurements, even opening up packaging to allow me to try on shirts.
4. They gave me the sale pricing that was not scheduled to start until the following day.
5. They stayed open an extra half an hour, just for me, with nary a peep of complaint or martyr-ism.

Here's what these employees did wrong:

1. Absolutely nothing, with the possible exception of making sure that I knew their names so I could commend them to their manager.  But that's okay, because I will be sending this blog entry to Casual Male, so that they know the caliber of employees they have at their Warwick, RI location.

--- Chuck Dennis