The Customer View

US Airways' Heroic Customer Service

By now, everyone knows about the heroic efforts of the captain and crew of US Airways flight 1549, which had to make an emergency landing in the Hudson River after its engines had been immobilized by a flock of geese.  The captain, Chesley "Sully" Sullenberger, and his crew became instant celebrities in the aftermath of this incredible event, and rightly so.  We read interviews, and we watched them on morning and late night television.  We saw them in parades and at ballgames.  These were true American heroes.

But one thing we did not hear so much about was the heroic efforts in customer service that the extended team of US Airways personnel to care for the passengers, all of whom survived, following the emergency landing.  This was practically as amazing as the flight crew's actions.

Recently, BusinessWeek ran an article on how the airline immediately put teams into play, to assist the passengers and their familes.  The article called the airline's performance "a model for crisis management."  After reading the article, I must agree.

Here are some of the things that US Airways did right:

• Activated a special 800 number for families of passengers and crew to call
• Scott Stewart, managing director for corporate finance, brought a bag of emergency cash for passengers and credit cards for employees to buy medicines, toiletries, or personal items that were needed
• Others arrived with suitcases full of prepaid cell phones and sweatsuits for any passengers who needed dry clothes
• Staffers escorted each passenger to a new flight or a local New York hotel, where it arranged for round-the-clock buffets
• Arranged train tickets and/or rental cars for those who did not wish to fly
• Some passengers lost their driver's licenses, so US Airways reached out to high-level executives at Hertz and Amtrak to ensure they had no trouble getting a rental or a ticket
• Retained the services of locksmiths to help passengers who had lost their keys get back into their cars and homes
• Sent three letters providing updates to customers, along with a ticket refund to each passenger and a $5,000 advance check to help cover the cost of replacing their possessions
• Employed claims adjusters to compensate passengers whose losses were higher
• Did NOT require recipients to waive their legal rights, "an unprecedented exception to the industry norm."

US Airways has not been known as a provider of world class service.  In fact, oftentimes, their service has left a lot to be desired.  But this time, during and after this crisis, they shined.  Their employees should be proud, the public should be aware of their efforts, and anyone who has anything to do with customer service should take note.  This is how you care for customers.

  -- Chuck Dennis

Are Generic Testimonials Any Good?

As a "valued customer," I was recently asked by VistaPrint if I would be willing to provide a testimonial.  I'm a big believer in the power of testimonials.  Because I have used the service many times in the past, I said yes.  I think there is a bit of an art to getting and giving a good strong testimonial.  So, I took the time to write a meaty one with some specific points that I thought would make it more powerful.  Here is what I submitted:

Quick turnaround, great quality, and low cost is always a winner. But service is the glue that makes things stick.  VistaPrint has been a terrific resource for both my company and my clients.  I’ve used the service to produce materials for my own business – but being in the marketing services arena, I’ve also had needs for my clients that need to be addressed.  Everything I’ve done for them using VistaPrint has turned out perfectly.  Tracking and service have been great. And the ability to go to production when I want to, at any time of the day or night, has been key. I’m submitting another customer order next week! The website is well designed and very easy to use.  I’ve been using VistaPrint for several years and will continue to turn to you to help me deliver high quality work.

Now, I'm both a marketer and seller, and think I do understand the need for getting to the point.  But I also know that many testimonials could be said by anyone - and often don't have specifics that sound like they came from an actual customer.  The last think you want is someone asking "did the customer really write this, or did the marketing department do it?" 

VistaPrint later got back to me and said they, "wanted to thank you for your reply and interest in becoming a VistaPrint customer testimonial! We’re thrilled with the overwhelming number of replies and are enjoying reading all the comments.  I’m interested in using your quote and will be in touch with you again soon, as we work out the details."

So far so good.  When something nice is said about you, mom always says to say thank-you quickly and enthusiastically. Two weeks later, they got back to me with an edited version of my quote for approval.  Due to space limitations, they wanted to use some pieces of the original quote.  So the new quote looked like this:

Quick turnaround, great quality, and low cost is always a winner.  But service is the glue that makes things stick.  VistaPrint has been a terrific resource for both my company and clients.  I've been using VistaPrint for several years and will continue to turn to you to help deliver high quality work.

We marketers love to edit, it's true. But sometimes we go too far.  Take a quick quiz with me.  If you remove the name "VistaPrint" can you actually tell what the company does?  Hmmm. How many other companies do you think could use the exact same quote? 

So instead of approving it as is, I commented on the heavy editing, and the issue of boiling it down so it sounded generic, and invited them to take the same quiz.  I also asked them to correct the misspelling of my company name after the quote.  (a DEFINITE testimonial No-No!)  I approved it as is if generic was their goal, but suggested they reconsider.  They responded diligently and said they were sorry and wished they could use the full quote, but had a 300 character limit (which they never informed me of in the original request).   They might have another spot for it, but would have to talk to their developers about it.  (Marketing & IT - that's a whole other post!)  They invited me to re-edit or or submit a new quote.  All of that sounds reasonable, but as a customer who took the time to actually write a testimonial, it was a bit of a turn-off.  A testimonial should speak to what the customer experience was like - specifically.  The important part of the quote was the description of my experience: 

Everything I’ve done for them (my customers) using VistaPrint has turned out perfectly.  Tracking and service have been great. And the ability to go to production when I want to, at any time of the day or night, has been key. I’m submitting another customer order next week! The website is well designed and very easy to use.

Instead they latched onto the basics:  Quick turnaround, great quality, and low cost. Is that enough?  Maybe for some - but as a customer myself, it's not the whole enchilada.  So, as you think about your own customers, and how they might read and write a testimonial for you - what's important?  The experience of being a customer, or the standard and generic descriptors that anyone could say about any company?  I know what gets my vote!  So, I dare you:  take your company name out of your testimonials.  Would they apply to Joe's Pizza just as well as to your company? 

  --Lisa Dennis

My Neighborhood Knows More about Customer Service than Your Company

If all companies were as concerned about service as my neighbors proved to be, the business world would be in a lot better shape.

Our home is a short distance from the harbor.  This means we have a perpetually damp basement.  So we have a dehumidifier and a sump pump that are integral parts of our lives.  But in the midst of last week’s snow storm, the sump pump quit working.

While out shoveling the snow and talking with two of my neighbors, I mentioned my predicament.  One neighbor explained a couple of things that could be the problem, and how to address it.  The other neighbor said he had a colleague who did restoration work around town, and probably had a few extra used sump pumps in reserve, and he would try to get hold of one.

So, while Neighbor #2 called his colleague, I went and tried the things that Neighbor #1 suggested.  Neighbor #2 came with me, and brought an arsenal of tools, including a wet/dry vacuum, which cleaned up the overflowing water.  It was a messy job, but unfortunately we did not fix the pump.  Meanwhile, Neighbor #2’s colleague called back and did have some extra pumps, but he could not guarantee that they would work, so he would go and take a look and see if he could get one in working order.  In the meantime, Neighbor #1 called to see if I had any luck fixing the pump.  When I told him it still didn’t work, he called Neighbor #3, who happened to have an old pump that worked, but he no longer used.  He said I could have it if I needed it! 

So I went over, got the pump, installed it, and presto!  It worked like a charm!  Dry basement!  Money spent: $0.

Here’s what my neighbors did right, customer service-wise:  First and foremost, they wanted to help.  That, in and of itself, goes a long way.  They made my problem their focus.  They tapped into years of experience in fixing household appliances, and suggested actions that could address the problem.  When that didn’t work, they pursued other means of help.  Calls were made, people were contacted, and a solution was found.  They didn’t leave me hanging.  And all three neighbors checked in with me later, to make sure the pump was still working.

The moral of this story is, the best kind of service you can provide is the kind that a real friend would provide.  While it may be true that you don’t have the same relationships with your customers that you have with your friends, you can certainly emulate the caring and helpful nature of those relationships.  Your customers will recognize that effort as the kind of effort that real friends and family do for one another, and that positive experience will make a profound impact on them.  This is how businesses retain their customers for life.  Loyalty.  If your customers know that you care about them, they will not be inclined to leave you.

-- Chuck Dennis