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Road time.
Hours spent traveling from one customer to the next.
Time to and from the appointment, the errand, the visit.
Use and savor this time.
Podcasts.
Resonating message.
One specific phrase.
“Build Something That Will Be Missed.”
New Focus.
New Purpose.
Build.
Build again.
Keep building.
What will they miss?
(Image Courtesy of http://thehealthyfoodie.com)
While eating at a restaurant while traveling, an interesting customer service interaction unfolded that I could not ignore. As the three people at the adjacent table received their food, I noticed one of them make a face and explain to the staff that something was in the salad. Something that should not be in a salad.
The plate was removed, and the other two people shared their food until a replacement meal arrived. You couldn’t help but notice a pretty thorough examination of the second salad. It was declared clean, and the meal continued.
I gave my salad a close look when it arrived as well.
Although the meal continued, you could not help but notice how this interaction somehow tainted what would normally be a pleasant lunch. Whatever topics that would have filled their time together, had been replaced by a salad and service.
The bill arrived. Redness appeared on faces and necks. Conversation intensity increased.
I could only guess that the salad remained on the bill, and no gesture was made to make up for the prior issue. One of them pulled out their credit card and placed it down with the bill.
I got up and walked over.
“Sorry to bother you, but customer service is an interest of mine, talk to you for a minute?”
They agreed, but were still a little stunned/agitated by the whole lunch interaction. I explained that I witnessed and was aware of what had transpired.
“What is really upsetting is not that the salad remained on the bill, it was the indifferent attitude of the staff. We explained what happened, and instead of apologizing, they simply said ‘ok’ and took the salad away.”
I encouraged them to speak up. Talk to the manager or someone to explain what happened. Typically, a business only hears from 4 percent of their dissatisfied customers. That means for every 100 times you drop the ball, only 4 people will tell you.
Never assume that the absence of complaints equates to satisfaction.
That doesn’t mean your customers are not telling someone. Despite not talking to you, those same dissatisfied customers will tell 8 to 10 other people about their interaction, and some will tell up to 20. With social media, now they can tell hundreds or thousands of people.
They spoke up. I watched a manager come over to talk to them, and a new bill arrived. Their tone, and demeanor changed. They smiled, and prepared to leave.
“We told them that we needed to talk about the bill and the lunch experience, now that we had been coached on customer service.”
We laughed and shook hands as they left.
Things will go wrong with your customers. You will make a mistake, or fail especially when things are hectic or busy. How you treat you customers when you make that mistake can makes all the difference.
Apologize.
Acknowledge.
Keep in mind, there may be others coaching your customers to make you better as well.
(Image Courtesy of http://www.angiesroost.com)
A friend recently reached out to make sure we were okay. Nothing specific happened, just a little time passed since we last connected.
“Are we okay?”
“Yes. Why, do you think something is wrong?”
“No, just sometimes when time passes our connections get a little rusty.”
Rusty Connections. As time passes things don’t move with the same fluidity. There can be resistance or breakdown. Sometimes, things just stop working.
Our relationships and our connections with others can get rusty. They may have become stiff and lack the flexibility they once had. The passage of time may have caused them to stop working the same way they did years ago.
There is good news. With effort, many of these Rusty Connections can move again. That effort may take the form of a phone call, a text or email, or even a letter (see below). But remember, a rusty hinge doesn’t return to its original state. Time has passed, and it will move again but in a slightly different way. Perhaps with a little more effort.
(I have a good friend who is single-handedly attempting to bring back the written correspondence approach, and I applaud and am participating in this effort. Why not give it a try?)
I am always looking for new customer service stories. Good or bad, I love to hear how we are all treated by companies and organizations. These experiences help us learn to provide good customer service to our customers either internal or external.
A few years back, a family member gave me a digital thermometer. It is one of those seemingly practical gifts that turns out to be something you use everyday. It has become essential to our cooking.
But there was a problem. We melted/lost the little plastic cover to the battery compartment. For months we had a piece of tape covering the spot, and the battery would fall out of place, requiring repositioning the battery over and over again.
The other day, as I was wrestling with the device, I noticed there was an address and phone number listed on the side.
I called.
Rachel answered the phone. She was nice and listened to my tale of the missing cover.
“I can send you another one right away. Which color is it? Red? Yes we just need your address.”
I thanked her and immediately got an email confirmation that the little red cover was on its way.
Yesterday I went to the mailbox and retrieved a small brown envelope. After a quick tear of the top, the contents slid into my hand.
It was not the cover that made my day.
What a simple act. What an amazing way to demonstrate to a customer that the call, the part, or the issue was not a burden.
Thank you Rachel for setting a standard for all of us.
(Image Courtesy of http://www.comedybunker.co.uk)
I got together with some friends I met during a regional leadership program to serve a local non-profit a few months ago. The day was spent mostly covering ourselves (and some of the walls) with paint, and catching up with each other.
While painting one particularly difficult area, we had four of us cramped in a small stairwell. Having resigned to have paint all over, my new quest became just to simply not step in the tray filled with paint.
The small space was a great time to talk, laugh, and catch up. Somehow we got on the topic of servicing our cars. I started to share a story.
Oh, you should go where we go. The same guy has been servicing our cars for over a decade.
Ok, but why should I go there?
No, you don’t get it. This is service like I have never experienced. I can call and get my cars right in. He always calls when the car is ready, and if there is going to be a delay. The price is always good, and if there is a way to save a little, he makes good recommendations as well.
There was a pause.
Is it Dan?
Yes, yes it is.
I figure it had to be. I have been going to him as well and feel the same way. Amazing service.
About seven years ago, I was having a conversation with a friend. We started talking about our cars. The conversation moved to service. I started to share my story.
We have been going to this one place for about three years now. They really take care of our cars, but there is this one guy who really seems to take an interest in making sure our cars are well cared for and safe.
Is it Dan?
This was the first time it happened. Seven years later it is still happening. People from different cities and different circles, all ask the same question: Is it Dan?
Every time I teach a class on customer service, I tell this story. Many ask me where Dan is, and if he really exists.
The story is true, he does exist. Maybe I changed his name, but that is not what matters. Something else matters. Are we providing a level of service that is memorable in our roles, our jobs, and our lives?
Are we providing service that is memorable enough that when someone tells someone else about it (and they will tell others), they cannot help but ask one question:
Is it [insert your name here]?
(Image Courtesy of Angryjogger.com)
Coaching someone is an interesting adventure. You are trying to help someone develop themselves, establish and accomplish their goals, and encourage them when the journey becomes difficult. A typical coaching session includes checking in and checking up on any progress since the last session.
Progress can be slow.
Progress can be hard.
Progress is about making a repeated effort, over and over again.
Having someone else check in with you can be helpful.
Having someone else check in with you can be frustrating.
Sometimes there is great progress. Sometimes progress is slow. Sometimes obstacles get in the way. When checking in, you can sense when progress has been slow by the tension during the meeting. There is a quiet hesitation as you begin to ask questions.
When frustration builds, answers sort of blurt out.
“I will be there someday…”
Those words told a story. A story of frustration at how steep the journey had become. A story where each subsequent step was harder than the last. A story that felt endless when trying to envision the top of those stairs when standing at the bottom.
Those words told another story. A story with a little hope. A story that needed to rest between steps. A story that needed to remember to occasionally look back, and see that each step was one step closer to the top. A story that despite the hardship, still believed that “I will be there someday.”
Where has your journey become steep? Where has the progress slowed or stopped?
Maybe today is a good day to remind yourself to take that next step, and remember that YOU will be there someday.
Carl Weber Consulting 