Creating Devoted Customers with Imaginative Service

Imaginative Service: Looking Forward from the Service Museum

A quick trip to any museum not only provides an interesting picture of yesteryear, it reveals an instructive barometer on the ways we have changed.  What would go in a Service Museum and what would it tell us about the ways customers have changed?

In the not too distant past, retail stores had sales clerks on the floor (not just at the register), grocery stores had bakers, elevators had operators, gas stations had a mechanic, and mail-order catalogues were all-purpose and not specialty.  Stores had layaway plans and returns clerks; banks had signature loans.  Doctors made house calls and treated whatever malady they encountered.   

What has changed?  Obviously, there has been a dramatic push toward self-service.  But, there has also been a swing toward reliance on specialists.  We often hear “we don’t carry that item, check with…” or, “I need to refer you to…” or, “you might look it up on-line.” 

As customers are unable to “take care of it myself” and are forced to deal with an expert or specialist, their standards of service excellence go up and out.   That means customers assume competence of every expert and assume expert in every service provider. 

What steps are you taking to make all front line employees the smartest, best resourced, most empowered service providers in the neighborhood? 

Imaginative Service: The New Customers Are Loud!

As we have previously discussed customers coming out of the recent recession are fundamentally different than they were before. Even customers not directly impacted financially were emotionally shaken by the uncertainty, anxiety and adverse effect on family and friends.  Many organizations continue to do “business as usual” failing to understand the new customer and thus completely miss the mark in how vocal and powerful the new customer has become.

The internet has increased customers’ assertiveness in voicing their views.  Social media is completely changing the landscape of communication.  Social media drives five times the impact of traditional word of mouth.  According to research, 62% of customers who read about a bad experience on social media stop doing business with or avoid doing business with the offending company. This “secondary smoke” phenomenon will grow as the use of social media increases with more and more consumers being digital natives rather than digital immigrants.

Smart organizations provide lots of vehicles and channels for customers to easily and register their feedback and suggestions. “Most good innovation comes from customers,” says Ebay CEO John Donahue. “The more time we spend thinking in the ivory tower in San Jose, the worse off we’re going to be.”  Customers want to be treated as partners.  BusinessWeek.com reported how Unilever assembled a group of consumers to help them design a new health-and-beauty product called Twist.  As one executive involved in the highly successful project commented, “Often consumers take you to places that you would never thought of going to had you used more traditional research methods.”  Like the merchant in a small village, wise organizations a learning conversation with customers. 

Many organizations struggle with how to implement a “social media strategy”. Companies like Whole Foods and Coca Cola have been very successful in connecting with their customers via social media. They attribute their success to starting the “old fashioned way” by listening to the conversations their customers were having over many of the social media channels. Then they began a dialogue (two way conversation) with customers utilizing several social media channels to test effectiveness. Their approach with social media has evolved to a very effective element in their overall voice of the customer program by involving their customer in every step of program development.

The American Express Global Customer Service Barometer research reports that nearly half (48%) of consumers report always or often using an online posting or blog to get others’ opinions about a company’s customer service reputation.  They report that when consumers go online they’re looking for “watch outs,” saying they put greater credence in negative reviews on blogs and social networking sites than on positive ones (57% and 48%, respectively). 

Are you listening on lots of channels to what customers are saying about your service experience and responding to their comments with urgency? You should be as the new customer is loud AND very powerful!

What’s Wrong Today with Delivering Pretty Good Service?

Blame it on Disney or Nordstrom or Zappo’s.com.  The yardstick for determining what “good service” means has been stretched.  Customers view your “answering the phone in three rings” as not as fast as FedEx.  They see your pleasant front line as “not as enthusiastic as Disney.”  Your return policy is held up against Nordstrom or Amazon.com.  And, suddenly it seems the bar has been raised beyond reach; especially as the big boss is demanding you do more and more with less and less.  What is a concerned service provider to do?

Don’t take a linear view of the yardstick; take an illogical perspective.  Go for “different” not “more than.”  If it takes a bit longer to answer the phone, but the person on the other end is funny or interesting or instructive, the brief wait time is quickly erased from the customer’s memory bank.  If the front line was particularly compassionate or fun to talk with, you might make plain old enthusiasm seem rather ordinary.  Reach the checkout counter of Dallas garden center Nicholson-Hardie and you can pet one of two big calico cats (appropriately named Nick and Hardie) sprawled across the counter with business cards proclaiming them “house cats.”  Do you think their patrons talk about courtesy or cats?!

What can you do to make your service different, not just “better than.” Enchanting trumps enhanced in today’s experience economy.  Go for imaginative, not just improved!   

Imaginative Service: Managing the ‘Outcome after the Outcome’

The outcome in grocery shopping is to get groceries desired as conveniently as possible.  But, that’s not the final memory the customer has of the experience.  Ever gotten home and discovered two eggs were cracked?  Or have a bloody cut of meat soil the birthday card you bought for Aunt Molly?  Too often the grocery store is in the mix of negative thoughts associated with the “outcome after the outcome.”

Nordstrom is famous for pursuing the “outcome after the outcome” effect.  “We try to guess what is beyond our customers’ purchase,” says John McClesky of the men’s suits department at their Dallas store.  .  “If a customer buys a sports jacket, the obvious extension might be a tie.  But if you learn the customer is buying the jacket for a cruise, you might explore an ascot or Panama hat.” 

Play out in your mind the possibilities of what customers will be doing, thinking, and feeling after you have met their presented need.  What small gesture would bring delight to your customers?

Imaginative Service: The New Customer is Picky!

There is no doubt customers coming out of the recent recession are fundamentally different than they were before. Even customers not directly impacted financially were emotionally shaken by the uncertainty, anxiety and adverse effect on family and friends. Learning more about the new (post-recession) customer and acting on that knowledge can turn an under-served customer into an advocate.  But, too many organizations fail to understand the new customer and thus completely miss the mark in what customers perceive they provide.

The new customer is Picky--more cautious in their choices (and they have many more choices) and interested only in getting obvious value for their money.  New research shows 72% of customers check out your organizations’ reputation for customer care prior to buying. Customers expect to get good value for their hard-earned, ever declining dollar. Made smarter by the internet, they are empowered and emboldened to accept nothing short of obvious value.  Plus, they have witnessed great service--the Disney cast members they saw were all friendly; the FedEx customer care center answered their call on the first ring, Southwest Airlines flight attendants made them laugh, and suddenly their standards were raised for everyone who serves them. They show a low tolerance for hassle, zero patience for wait, and no lenience for front line employees who cannot address their need on the first contact.  Let them encounter some bureaucratic process that adds no value to their experience and they are off to post a scathing review and visit a competitor.

So, what does a picky customer really want?  According to very recent research, when customers were asked what they expected from companies, almost a third chose “Quality of Customer Service” as their top priority--more than selected price, product, or brand.  While years of quality initiatives have almost made product quality a table stake, the quality of the experience still lags customers’ expectations. Bottom line, a quality product at a fair price with a reliable brand might bring customers in the door but it is the quality of their service experience that will retain them and transform them into advocates. 

How do your new customers feel about the quality of their service experience with your organization? What are they sharing with other prospects and customers on the internet about your service experience? Do you know the answers to these questions? They are of critical importance with the new customer!

Imaginative Service: Service over the Top

Recently Chip and I flew from Hartford to Dallas to work with a client. We were lucky enough on this four hour flight to have a fantastic crew of American Airlines flight attendants who were committed to providing an exceptional service experience. Little did I realize at that time that another American flight attendant not on that flight would provide me with an incredibly amazing service experience!

We landed in Dallas on time after a long day anxious to get to our hotel and get some much needed rest. Unfortunately our hotel check-in experience left much to be desired.

The next morning I went to get my iPod Nano and earphones from my backpack to head to the fitness center. It was then I realized I left my great Bose earphones and my Nano in my seat back pocket on the flight to Dallas. It was with a great sense of dread that I looked up lost and found at American on their web site. I was directed to call the DFW lost and found. I have not had great experiences with airline and rental car company lost and found services in the past. I wrote the number down as they were only open during “business hours” and headed to meet our Dallas client for a series of meetings followed by a dinner meeting that evening.

During a meeting break that morning that I realized I had a voice message on my cell. As I listened to the message my mood turned from dark to one of delight as I realized another American flight attendant had gone the extra mile for me!

The passenger sitting in the seat I had previously occupied as the plane continued from Dallas to LAX had found my prized earphones and nano and turned them into Joy one of the flight attendants. Joy stated in her message she did not want to turn my stuff into lost and found since little that went into that department was ever seen again!

Rather, if I would call her back on her personal cell and provide my address, she would send it to me ASAP! At the next meeting break I called Joy, who was delightful, thanked her profusely and provided my address. Sure enough in a few days my prized possessions arrived from Joy who paid for the postage personally! Although I went on the American web site to tell them about Joy, I never received an acknowledgement so I don’t know if American realizes what a jewel they have in Joy.

We often talk about the greatest variable in consistently delivering great service – people. Here is an example of an employee who is obviously committed to providing great service to her customers. Here is also a sad example of a corporate department – Lost and Found – that could enhance a travelers experience but instead is so bad at service even their own employees have lost confidence in it!

Which of your employees are delivering “over the top” service? How do you affirm and reward them? Which of your departments have lost their way on their service excellence journey? How will you know and what will you do to correct it? Your customers know who your great service providers are and which departments consistently fail you. Do you know?

The Power of the Extra Straw

Talk to 100 grandparents about how customer service has changed and you will get a common theme--the soul of service has been removed.  Probe a bit further and you learn that “soul” is the spirit of other-centered care laced with generosity, true compassion, and an unmistakable desire to add value not just fulfill an obligation.  It is the power of the extra straw.

We were conducting a focus group with family members who had a parent in an assisted living community of our client.  We were searching for a deep understanding of the key factors that drove customer advocacy.  The topic of conversation was a particular nurse in the unit that served dementia residents.  “She gives my mother an extra straw.”  Everyone in the room registered an all-knowing recognition of exactly the meaning of the compliment.  Nothing more needed to be said.  Service had been delivered with soul. 

And, just like the 100 grandparents will tell you, take the soul out of service and you are left with the character of an ATM or elevator.  Would your customers say they get an extra straw?

Imaginative Service: Service Reliability is Still King!

We recently completed several focus groups for a client in the senior living industry. One of our most interesting findings was that the outcome most desired by residents and family members alike was service reliability. For the resident it is all about the confidence that someone will answer their late night call quickly, take care of them just like they were a member of their family; that the employees here care and they can always depend on them. For family members it is all about the confidence that “mom” or “dad” will be well cared for by people who sincerely care about them. It is the ability to be free from worry when they are not visiting the community. Service reliability is critical to success in this fast growing industry.  

What does this important outcome say to service providers everywhere no matter the industry? It says the great work on service reliability done by Professor Len Berry remains an important element of service success in today’s turbulent economy. It requires that you make sure your selection process identifies people who genuinely care and see their work as much more than just a job. It means insuring all of the processes and practices you utilize to deliver the customer experience consistently and reliably support your customers’ desired overall outcome.

When is the last time you took an in-depth look at how reliably you actually deliver outcomes your customers desire? Are you hiring employees who bring the spirit and attitude you want your customers to experience? What score would your customers give you on service reliability?

Your customers know the answers to these important questions. Do you?

Imaginative Service: Limitations of Measuring Customer Emotions

In the Sea of Cortez, John Steinbeck describes a fishing expedition:  “The Mexican sierra has 17 plus 15 plus nine spines in the dorsal fin.  These can easily be counted.  But if the sierra strikes hard on the line so that our hands are burned, if the fish sounds and nearly escapes and finally comes in over the rail, his colors pulsing and his tail beating in the air, a whole new relational externality has come into being—an entity which is more than the sum of the fish plus the fisherman.

The nature of customer service is fundamentally an experience--feelings characterize it more than facts; emotion more than logic.  Steinbeck’s reminds us that no matter how accurate our customer assessments, they will never completely assess its magic.  With our objective data, tidy calculations, and sterilized reports, we must never forget to rely on the unscientific report of those directly involved in creating the experience. 

What data guides your decisions about your customers?