Creating Devoted Customers with Imaginative Service

Imaginative Service: Serving Unconditionally

Ramen is a traditional Japanese noodle dish that, well prepared, is a highly desired delicacy.  That is the back story for the new movie, The Ramen Girl.  A young woman finds herself in Tokyo and wants to understudy a master ramen chef who speaks no English; she speaks no Japanese.  He’s impatient and demanding; she works hard to be perfect.  The climax of the movie (without giving away too much) happens when the frustrated chef takes the equally frustrated protégé to visit his mother, the person who taught him to be a great ramen chef.  

Creating ramen, the mother tells the young women, is not about mixing ingredients in the proper proportion and cooking the broth at the right temperature.  In order to make a dish that connects your heart to your customer’s heart, you must put your soul into the preparation and presentation, not just your smarts and sweat.  It was a turning point.  The woman let go of her pursuit of precision and embraced the “from the heart” expression of spirit.  Imaginative service is like preparing ramen.

Learn the fundamentals of your quality service.  Bank customers want accuracy; hospital patients desire cleanliness, and airline passengers expect safety.  Then, without loosing sight of “the right ingredients in the broth,” put your energy into your customer’s needs and hopes. 

Service is not about you it is about assisting another in a way the makes a difference while making an impression.  Would your customers judge their experience with you as “unconditional service?”

Imaginative Service: Indifferent Service: Rx for Customer Churn

“We’re on break!” the warehouse attendant barked in response to the customer’s repeated, “Hello! Anybody home?” as he waited for assistance at the service desk.  It was the customer’s third encounter with apathy that Monday. The first was the coffee shop employee who gave him a curt, “what’s good about it?” response to his morning greeting.  The next was the gas station owner who offered no verbal response or eye contact as he enriched the station’s coffers by twenty bucks.  And now, “We’re on break!”

Apathy comes in many shapes and sizes.  It can be complete emotional indifference by the cashier, the sleep-walking actions of a hotel housekeeper, or the wooden sound in the customer service representative’s voice.  Apathy robs work teams of energy, marriages of romance, and organizations of much needed service sensitivity.  While not a life-threatening malady, it is a spirit-squashing affliction that communicates a deadly message of indifference to customers. Continue to spend your money with us or not, says the language of apathy – we’re okay either way.

But, there is a bigger price today for apathy lived out loud.  Customers go away.  As customers’ bank accounts get thinner and the budgets get scarier, they are no longer tolerant of apathy.  They want good service or they are “outta here.”  There was a time when it took bad service to send them packing; today, all it  takes to loose a customer is indifference.  What are your doing to light the fire in all those serving around you?

Imaginative Service: Customer Connections for Great Experiences!

Walk into one of your favorite service providers and you immediately feel the difference in the experience that makes this establishment one of your chosen few. What is the difference? There is no doubt that the product or outcome they deliver is one you value and trust but most likely they make a strong emotional connection with you that you find meaningful.

How can you make a strong emotional connection with customers? As we often tell our consulting clients, “it is not hard”! It does take a well thought out vision of what your unique and distinguishing service experience should be as well as a clear definition of the experiential elements employees need to consistently provide to deliver your special experience. There are several common components we find that deliver the “special” feeling to customers that bring them back and cause them to advocate for your business.

We find the top component in terms of “return on experience” is delivering a strong personal connection. It starts with an attitude for service greatness and a commitment to knowing and using your customers’ name. What comes next is a sincere curiosity to learn more about your customer and the willingness/ ability to use that knowledge in forging not only a strong connection but in delivering a service experience tailored to their life and/ or their business.  There has been much written about the necessity of good listening as a precursor to delivering great service. We believe you cannot get to great service without great listening! In today’s fast paced world of electronic communications (email, text, tweet, etc.) you can differentiate your service with great listening to form strong personal connections.

What is your vision for the kind of service experience you want to consistently deliver to customers? Have you communicated this vision effectively throughout your organization? Does everyone understand the attitude and behaviors needed to deliver that unique experience consistently? Are you using the customer’s name every time? What role does great listening play in your customers’ experience?

Imaginative Service: Creating A Powerful Customer Experience

Imagine a quiet Saturday afternoon watching a favorite sports event suddenly interrupted by a loud popping sound immediately followed by smoke in the house. What flashes through your mind is a combination of I just lost the big screen TV, the house is on fire and much later in the day – who won that game I was watching?

My wife shut down all of the power while I checked out the room adjoining the big screen TV which had filled with smoke. Call the fire department now I exclaimed! In just a few minutes we heard the welcome sound of sirens and major diesel engines straining to get to the scene quickly. As I met the firemen in the driveway I let them know we had smoke in the house but I didn’t think the house was on fire. What I witnessed next was a powerful experience composed of a fantastic blend of concern for our safety, professional expertise on display, and well thought out recommendations for next steps on a cold wintery afternoon. One of the fire trucks departed but the other stayed to talk us through their recommended next steps. Their concern for our safety and well being was always on display as was their professionalism and politeness. Great job by the Atlanta Fire Department’s Engine Company 26!

Following one of their early recommendations my wife had already reached our electrician with Mr. Sparky. Steve arrived in about 30 minutes concerned about our situation and especially the surge protector in the electrical panel that was smoking and still very hot! Steve patiently listened to our story and the firemen’s analysis before beginning his own through examination. He quickly identified the source of the power surge as a power company issue and offered to place a call to Georgia Power for us. After updating the Customer Service Representative on our dangerous situation Steve informed us he would need to replace one of the surge protectors in our box and wanted to check out everything else. Steve waited patiently with us for the Georgia Power Troubleman to arrive.

Very shortly we saw the Georgia Power truck pull up in front of the house. As the Troubleman stepped out of his truck he greeted us and said I remember this house and those two dogs! Greg had in fact replaced the line serving our home two years ago. He was the image of an experienced and very capable professional as he reviewed the situation with Steve and updated me on what he suspected the problem was. Greg quickly went to work to remedy the problem being ever mindful of our property and everyone’s safety. As he turned our power back on he briefed me on everything he did, things we could do to prevent a recurrence and thanked me for being a Georgia Power customer.

Our experience with all three of these service providers was fantastic! They were calm in the face of an emergency, thoughtful and professional in their communication with us and demonstrated appropriate concern for our safety then and in the future. All were polite and all demonstrated appropriate urgency while following safe procedures and patiently explaining their work. This is a great formula for delivering powerful experiences to your customers! How powerful is the experience you are currently delivering to customers?

Imaginative Service: The Music is Not in the Guitar

" The music is not in the guitar." These lines are a part of the extraordinary book called Life is Good by Jake and Rocket (aka, Bert and John Jacobs).  It holds a special message for remarkable service.  Examine how much energy and resources organizations typically expend on CRM software, ironclad return policies, service processes and procedures, and call center metric mania.  In the end, service is not about stuff--it is about people creating positively memorable experiences for customers.  Even erudite and super sterile business to business connections are far less B2B than P2P--people to people.

Who is paid more--an IT programmer or a front-line clerk?  The bus driver or the bus mechanic?  Where are training dollars directed---toward supervisors or the customer contact people.  Do systems make service delivery easier for the people who serve customers or more efficient for the organization?  Guitars make harmonious melodies only in the hands of talented, prepared and passionate performers.  The same thing is true for customer-facing employees.  Take care of the guitar; but, cherish the musician.

Imaginative Service: Turning Castor Oil into Champagne

Castor Oil:  “A foul tasting oil used in the 1950’s to cure whatever ailment a kid claimed he had that would keep him from having to get on the early morning school bus.”

My mother believed castor oil was a miracle cure.  From a stomach ache to sore legs to ringing ears, a spoon full of castor oil was the “all-purpose” answer to almost any malady.  But, she added a small twist.  Before she directed me to, “Open your mouth,” she would ask: “What is the best tasting thing you have ever eaten?”  For me it was wild blueberries.  “Now, think about that great taste.”  Thinking about those blueberries never altered the taste but it surely made the castor oil go down easier.

All customers face occasional “foul tasting” aspects of getting service.  Airlines have cancelled flights; doctors have emergencies that leave you stranded forever in the reception area; hotels have room keys that occasionally don’t work; and, popular restaurants have longer than normal waits at peak times.  Smart service providers find ways to “turn castor oil into champagne” by managing their customers’ experiences to “think about blueberries.” 

When we exited the Hertz courtesy van at the Hartford airport, the strong below-freezing winter wind bit hard.  But, the Hertz attendant had a warm smile and an eager-to-help attitude.  “This is way too cold!” one of us commented.  She almost giggled. “Now, you guys know in Hartford we do weather as entertainment!”  Ten miles down the road we were still laughing at her unexpected champagne comment.  What can you do to make service maladies seem more pleasant to your customers?

Imaginative Service: Honesty is Not a Policy

The Delta regional jet was packed.  As the flight backed away from the gate, the flight attendant began her ritualistic safety spiel about seatbelts, sudden turbulence and smoking.  She ended by saying, “The flying time to Grand Rapids will be two hours…no, it will be an hour and a half…no, actually, I don’t know.”  The cabin erupted with laughter and applause.

What jolted the half-asleep plane-full into cheering?  Unscripted, raw honesty!  We all  loved her confident authenticity!

We grow up hearing “honesty is the best policy.”  As adults we hear half-truths portrayed as honesty.  Politicians keep secret the number of paramilitary civilians fighting in a trouble spot to disguise the true size of the military engagement--a number the public would not tolerate.  The super low price loudly advertised comes with fine print describing a rebate only claimed with a pound of paper work.  And, when we hear the radio ad end with a super-fast talking guy rattling off all the exceptions and contingencies, we know we are not hearing raw honesty.

Customers love honesty.  It shortens the distance between people.  It frees customers from anxiety and caution.  It triggers a connection with the humanity in each of us.  And, in that space we are quicker to forgive, more tolerant of error, and much more accepting of, “Actually, I don’t know.”  Honesty is not a “best policy.”  Honesty is a “best practice.”

Imaginative Service: Simply the Best

“Good morning!  Welcome to our USA Today route.  Now, if I should go completely brain dead and miss you, please don’t hesitate to call me at the number below.  I will personally re-deliver your paper as soon as possible.  If you have a complaint that you and I can’t solve, you may call my district manager directly.  His name and number are also below.  Thanks a lot.  We really appreciate your business.”

This is the introductory letter to Chip’s USA Today home delivery he received this week with his first paper.  It was crafted, copied and conveyed by Hazel his local newspaper carrier.  Take a look at its tone and information!   Research shows the number one concern of customers of home delivery newspapers is; “not getting a paper.”  Hazel’s letter deals with that loyalty driver right up front.  And, it clearly leaves you with the distinct impression you and your business are truly valued.

What are ways you can make your new customers feel important?  Are you addressing their concerns early and in a fashion that reflects authenticity and confidence?  Are you providing easy ways for them to communicate with you?  Are you offering a back-up plan in case they cannot reach you? 

Imaginative service is not “rocket surgery!”  It’s simply making customers matter and carefully managing the details important to them.  Thank you, Hazel, for being a great example of service that is simply the best!

Imaginative Service: Give Customers an Occasional Miracle

A Boston family adopted an Asian girl.  No sooner had she arrived in the U.S. than the family learned she needed to have major surgery.  The nine year old child––who spoke only Chinese and had life experiences limited to a small Chinese village and her trip to the U.S.––was very anxious.  As she was about to be discharged following successful surgery she was asked through an interpreter, “What most surprised you about your stay here at Children’s Memorial Hospital of Boston?”  The child smiled and proudly responded, “I did not know my doctor would be Chinese!”          

The occasional service miracle has many advantages. Organizations that promote a perpetual “exceeding customer expectations” approach can leave the front line in search of ever more costly gestures to keep the standards climbing.  At some point the organization runs out of room to one-up the last experience while the budget is left empty. Occasional miracles provide a creative gesture to get you out of this linear rut.

Just like planning a surprise birthday party, miracle-making can be as beneficial to the creators as the recipients.  The pursuit of an occasional miracle helps service providers think differently about customers--  connections are more personal; communications more attentive.  It also causes employees to think creatively about every aspect of their role, not just those related to serving the customer.  Finally, when people are a part of a culture that strives for imaginative service, there is a greater sense of passion conferred on customers who reciprocate with their affirmation, gratitude, and devotion.  What can you do to turn ordinary into miraculous?  Who in your organization is a “miracle maker”? Have you thanked them recently for all they do for your organization?