Creating Devoted Customers with Imaginative Service

Imaginative Service: If Service Were a Christmas Ornament

Sooner or later it happens if you decorate enough Christmas trees over a long enough time.  At some point you discover that almost all of the ornaments are handmade or have some special meaning.  Discarded are those store bought ones that looked pleasing to the eye but had no short cut to the heart.  The special ones all have stories attached; the store bought ones just have hooks.

Service has a similar transformation.  We start out settling for what looks good, what’s convenient, or what is the least expensive way to get the job done.  But, sooner or later we want handmade service—personalized to our specs—with a story we can share with others.  The glitz might not be there but the value surely is.  

How can you make your customers’ experience as special as the well-worn Christmas ornament that Sarah made for you?

Imaginative Service: Two Very Powerful Words

“Thank you!” These are arguably the two most powerful words in the English language. Customers love to hear and feel a sincere “thank you”. Imagine what would happen to your business if everyone increased their use of these two words with associates and customers. This tactic can set an organization apart in an era of “take-you-for-granted” service.  The goal is not simply the expression of a statement but rather the conveyance of a feeling.  We have all heard “thank you” directed at us, knowing full well there was little sincerity behind it.   In imaginative service, thank you means communicating gratitude in a fashion that makes customers feel your authenticity. What are you doing to improve the authentic communication of gratitude to your customers?

It has been a very challenging year for many. We sincerely thank all of our readers and especially our clients. Our best wishes for a very happy and prosperous Thanksgiving holiday!

                                        Chip                    John

                            

 

 

Imaginative Service: Freestyle Service

It made business headlines in the summer of 2009.  The most popular brand in the world focused on the experience, not just their product.  Coca-Cola introduced their “Freestyle” vending machine.  Their ad copy described it as “all packaged in an innovative and interactive fountain experience.” Step one, pick  your favorite Coke beverage—Fanta, Sprite, Minute Maid lemonade, Coke, etc.  Step two, pick your favorite flavoring.  Want a raspberry coke or a peach Fanta?  There are at least 100 combinations.    

Now, here is the best part.  At the end of the day the vending fountain sends all the combinations chosen to the R&D unit at Coke headquarters.  By watching patterns Coca-cola is able to introduce new products tailored precisely to customers’ latest whims.  Now, take the concept to your business.  Because today’s customers are getting so many choices, all “one-size fits all” approaches look archaic and out-of-date.  

Are you learning your customers’ preferences to turn that insight into tailor-made experiences?  Would “have it your way” describe your customer service today?

Imaginative Service: Invite Customers to “Dinner on the Ground”

“Dinner on the ground” was code for participation in small towns in the South when we were growing up.  While this event went with all family reunions, its most special form of community occurred after certain church services.  “Dinner on the ground” was a super event for little boys to run, holler and pull ponytails pretty much unsupervised since their caretakers were occupied with set-up and clean-up.  For the women, it was a time to show off a new recipe.  Men told tales over sweet ice tea of the one that got away.  Everyone went home after eating way too much fried chicken and peach pie. 

But, this “everyone brings something” event brought people closer and enabled them to feel more interdependent.  It was community in its purest form.  And, it was surely a sad day when someone got the bright idea of “just calling Big Al and having him bring the barbecue with all the trimmings.” 

Customers’ feelings about a service provider soar when they get a chance to put “skin in the game.”  Inclusion not only captures the creativity and competence of customers as they serve with you, it elevates their commitment and allegiance.  People care when they share.  Wise service providers attract customer devotion by making the “dinner on the ground” side of service as fun, memorable and wholesome as a church picnic. 

What are you doing to make your customers feel like a partner?  How can you appropriately include them in ways that ratchets up their loyalty?

Imaginative Service: KISSing Customers

ETA, SOP, MRI, EST, AM & PM…we live with acronyms.  But, one we all know is KISS.  And, it provides a great lesson in an era of economic cutbacks.  Too many organizations make decisions to reduce customer service when keeping it simple is not only a better financial choice, it is what customers want.

Simplifying service means figuring out the points of angst for customers and then finding ways to reduce stress.  Instead of making steps sequential, look for ways to overlap steps to more quickly get customers to the outcome they seek.  What is the focus of most customer complaints?  Are there patterns and trends to service breakdowns?  Fix what pains your customers.

Simplifying service means reducing wait.  A few years ago hotels set up a lobby “express check-in” stand.  They believed customers wanted to by-pass the front desk and go straight to their room.  But, many customers, while appreciating the focus on reducing wait, still wanted to form a bond with a front desk clerk--a useful way to get room upgrade or that room with a better view.  Now, most hotels have put express check-in with the front desk.  Give customers speed, but remember to give them options.

Simplifying service means reducing mistrust.  How much complexity is put in the service encounter out of customer mistrust?  Too many returns policies, for example, are crafted to catch the .001% of customers who can’t be trusted while irritating the other 99%.  

What would customers say was your inclination to trust?  Trust customers and they trust you back.

Guest Post: BEST Practices Link Internal & External Customer Service

 “Thankfully, I don’t have to deal with customers!”

I was shocked when I heard that from a bank operations employee whose role did not involve direct contact with bank customers. She was quickly re-educated to understand that while she didn’t serve the “external” bank customer, she served the people who did – the employees working in the branches and customer service center. These people were her “internal” customers.

Recognizing employees as customers needing to be served is critical since internal customer service quality drives external customer service quality. Consider the ‘domino’ effect if an employee in one department doesn’t respond to another employee’s request for information needed for a new project. This holds up the “internal customer” (the employee who needs the information) from completing his work, which impacts other departments involved in the project, and ultimately hampers the company’s ability to take care of its customers. (As I shared this example in a recent workshop, one attendee sadly shook his head. “We have problems with people like that in my company,” he told me. “We secretly refer to them as the ‘Sales Prevention Team.’”)

So how do you build a service culture that recognizes the importance of both internal and external customers? Here are several BEST practices: Bridge – Empathize – Share Training & Tips.

• Bridge organizational silos by bringing people together in ways that reinforce a sense of common purpose and send the message “We’re all in this together.” For example:
  • Bring different departments together and distribute copies of the company’s mission statement and yellow markers to everyone. Ask employees to highlight and then discuss aspects of the mission that their work impacts. This exercise helps employees visualize and understand that they are all part of the same mission.
  • Departments can take turns hosting a brown bag lunch or virtual open house where they explain what they do and how their work connects to company performance and the pursuit of its goals.
  • Employees can briefly shadow or trade places with other employees to understand what is involved in their work. An ad agency started an “In Your Shoes Day” that resulted in its staff  gaining insight and better appreciation of how the variety of agency functions enable it to collectively serve clients.

• Empathize with the customer experience. Encourage employees to explore what good customer service looks like in situations where they are customers. In staff discussions ask employees: What’s it like being on the receiving end of bad customer service? When you get good customer service, how does it impact your perceptions of the company? Would you recommend that company to your friends?

• Share Training & Tips. Frontline customer contact employees typically receive the most customer relations training. As such, they’re in a great position to share their experience and expertise with other employees who only work with internal customers. Solicit staff willing to develop and share what they have learned about what works and what doesn’t work in dealing with customers. (Peer training also helps bridge departmental silos.)

These are just a sample of BEST practices you can use to build mutual respect and appreciation among all employees who serve customers – both internal and external. I invite you to share what works in your organization.

by Sybil F. Stershic, Quality Service Marketing

Sybil is the author of Taking Care of the People Who Matter Most and a marketing and organizational advisor who specializes in employee-customer care. Her professional passion is internal marketing - taking care of employees so they can take care of customers. She can be reached at [email protected].

Imaginative Service: Awakening Invisible Servers

It happened in the Atlanta airport—one of the busiest on the planet.  I was sitting in the Delta gate area waiting to board my flight.  A slightly stooped Asian woman with a droid-like expression and robotic movement was making her way through the waiting areas cleaning up trash left by passengers.  She would have been one of those invisible and taken-for-granted maintenance people who serve in airports, hospitals, and office buildings except for an unexpected occurrence.

A young man more than half her age got up from his seat, walked over to her and warmly thanked her for work.  Then he put a five dollar bill in her hand and said, “This is my tip for what you do that helps all of us.”  She lit up gate area with her Steinway smile as she thanked him.  As if awakened from a long nap, her gait was now faster, her expression focused and her manner livelier.  What can you do to awaken the undervalued and unappreciated who serve you every day?

Imaginative Service: Everyday Service Grace

“Thank you for being my customers,” the shop owner said to a group of prospects who seemed to be loitering in his small mall-based store.  The uniqueness of his statement was that it was directed at three teenagers each with very loud dispositions, extremely baggy pants, and earphones hooked to their IPods.  Out of earshot of the owner, one young man remarked to his buddies, “Man, we gotta buy something!”  As they left the check-out counter, the proprietor shot point blank one final blast of benevolence: “Please visit me again.”

Grace is typically used in a religious setting —it means “unmerited favor or love.”  Applied to customer service it is generosity expressed in an unlikely context.  It is an assertion, not a response; an attitude, not a tactic.  We get a glimpse when we witness a “random act of kindness.”  Only service grace is not random it is perpetual.  It causes customers to act their best.  Like some chemical mixture, when compassion meets caustic all acidity disappears.  It tames hostility, enriches ordinary, and adds “a story to tell” to “I got my money’s worth.”  Are you delivering service grace to your customers?

Imaginative Service: Looking Good Versus Acting Smart

Few things are more foolish than a teenager with a used car—especially when it comes to investing in vehicle maintenance.  I’d spent weeks trying to get a date with a popular high school cheerleader.  She finally agreed to go to the movies.  The ritual in most small towns was to gather at the local hamburger joint right after the movie.  She and I were parked in front of the teenager watering hole—along with all the really cool people--when it came time to take her home.  My car would not start.  I was totally mortified. 

 The cheerleader was less than impressed--especially, when a friend had to take her home so I could deal with getting a wrecker.  It was our last date!  The next day the mechanic diagnosed my car problem—I’d skipped two oil changes and spent the maintenance money on flashy hub caps.   

 Customer service can be a lot like a foolish teenager.  We want to spend our funds on the really cool, new stuff and not on preventive repairs.  Showing off might get you noticed but service maintenance gets you home.  What are you doing to take proper care of your service delivery processes?  Are you opting for the latest gizmo when preserving and updating what you have might be much wiser?