Case of the progressive zip line

We recently had an opportunity to go zip-lining in Tennessee. For those of you who don't know what that is, it's flying through the trees while suspended from a metal cable on a pulley. It's fast and crazy and not for the faint-hearted. The company that we used, C.L.I.M.B.works, was impressive. Not only were their guides professional and very safety oriented, they were knowledgeable about their surroundings. The company itself, is very "green" and eco-friendly.

In addition to all of this (as well as an amazing 2 1/2 hour adventure through the trees), was a small detail in their preparation area. While the excited zip-liners are getting harnessed and helmeted, they notice two tablet computers bolted to the wall. Those tablets are dedicated to Facebook and the adventurers are encouraged to log in before (and after) their trip to share with their friends where they are and what they are doing. In addition, they are asked to "like" CLIMBworks.

This is an amazingly low-cost way to market their product world-wide. Facebook with its hundreds of million subscribers has access to a market wider than any mailing or even tv or radio could reach. The only cost the marketer incurs is the cost of the internet connection and the initial purchase of two tablet computers. In addition, it keeps up the "green" image of the company by advertising on a medium that isn't destroying thousands of trees to generate mailings and brochures. Kudos to CLIMBworks for being in touch with an appropriate use of social networks.

Case of the sour cream

A few months back, we dined at a local Mexican food restaurant.  The food was average and the ambiance was adequate.  All in all, it was an enjoyable meal.....until we got the bill.  One member of our party ordered a single glass of milk with the meal and was charged $2.89 (almost the price of a half gallon of milk!!) and another had asked for an extra dollop of sour cream with their fajitas and was charged $0.75. 




All of this seemed to be a little pricey for what we had gotten so we questioned the server who shrugged her shoulders and answered, "I don't set the prices." (Mistake number one)  At that point we asked to speak to the manager.  He came over and when we explained our concerns, he started to give us a long-winded diatribe about how everything was so expensive and that cost had to be paid by someone. 

We explained that milk was not even listed on the menu so there was no way to know the price before ordering and also that there was no mention of an extra charge for additional sour cream (note that even McDonalds now displays signs that notify their customers of extra charges for extra condiments).  Like his server, he shrugged his shoulders and basically told us oh well.  In fact he said, "It's only 75 cents!"  That was the final straw.  We left Jalapenos in Glen Rock, NJ never to return.

There were three things that could have saved this transaction.  One, prices for everything, including extra fees for extra condiments should be listed in the menu.  At that point customers can make an informed decision and the responsibility is on them.

Two, the server should have apologized for the "misunderstanding" and offered to get the manager instead of showing complete indifference and blaming someone else.  This lack of empathy only serves to enrage customers and make them more difficult for managers to deal with.  Most times, a well-trained server can handle problems right at the table without further involvement of higher-ups. 

Thirdly, the manager should have offered to at least remove the charge for sour cream while explaining that is a usual charge but he would waive it "this time".  It is a mortal sin to tell a customer "It's only....." because the customer then assumes that if it's "only" then the establishment wouldn't mind doing without that "small amount" in the interest of good customer relations.  A manager should never claim that an amount is "only" because if it is a legitimate charge, it should be defensible.  If it a nuisance charge ("only 75 cents"), then it isn't defensible and it shouldn't be charged separately in the first place.  If the restaurant really needs to cover the high cost of sour cream (and this is the only time we've been charged like this in all the restaurants we've eaten at across the country) then it should be added into the price of the menu item.  This makes it a smaller increase and it avoids making the restaurant looking like it's trying to "nickel and dime" it's customer.

Ambiance?

It is important to remember that your customers judge your business by more than just the service that they see, they also will judge on how it makes them feel.  They will get feelings from a variety of things, the way the business looks, the way it feels, and even the way it sounds.  All of these things combine to create an ambiance, a feeling, for your customers.

There are a variety of services that will use scientific studies on which color combinations will evoke certain emotions.  There are even studies that show that certain scents also promote feelings.  For example, we owned a video store that used to use the scent of buttered popcorn and we found that add-on popcorn sales increased after starting this program.  Of all of these factors, the easiest to control and yet the most misunderstood, is the background music.

Background music is supposed to be exactly that, BACKGROUND.  It is supposed to set a tone to add to customer satisfaction.  In a quiet, elegant boutique, it should be something along the lines of classical or perhaps New Age music.  It should be barely audible and not at all interfere with conversation.  In more casual settings, big box stores, it could be more popular music.  Again, however, the key is the volume level.  In NO case should music overwhelm customers.  It should be appropriate to the average age of the customer and it should never be so loud that the customer has to raise their voice to converse.  This is especially true in restaurants where conversation is frequently the point of patronizing your business.

Make sure that your associates understand that the background music is supposed to be for the customer and not to entertain them.  It should be appropriate to the customer and not the staff and it should be set at a level that is conducive to conversation between your customers and your staff.  It should not interfere by being too loud.  This is a common problem in many business establishments.  It makes your customers uneasy and wanting to leave quickly and many times they don't even know why.  They just know your business makes them feel uneasy.

The disgruntled customer

We were in the doctor's office today and overheard an elderly woman complaining about a new deli that she had recently gone to.  She was predicting that it would "go down the tubes" and soon.  She was telling this to anyone and everyone who would listen.  The reason.....the potato salad.  Apparently she purchased some potato salad and according to this woman, the potatoes were raw.  When she brought this to the attention of the staff at the deli, they were unimpressed and did nothing.  Her response during her story-telling was...."and that's bad business."

Whether the potatoes were raw or not is really not the question here.  The point is that the customer thought they were raw and perceived that the business made no attempt to correct her problem.  There was apparently no offer to replace it with different potato salad or anything else that was comparable.  This is a critical error on the part of the deli because this woman is telling and retelling her story of dissatisfaction everywhere.  I can assure you, if she had actually mentioned the name of the deli that we would be less likely to try it out.  All of this negative press can destroy a business as quickly as positive word-of-mouth can build a business.

It is essential for a business to not only empower, but expect, all associates to make customers happy.  This includes replacing products that are not satisfactory or offering some sort of compensation for their dissatisfaction.  Failing to do this, businesses will suffer from "bad press" such as the type offered by this woman in a crowded waiting room.

Case of the public employee

It is well-known that the Northeast is being inundated with snow this winter.  One day, when recycling was scheduled, we had an overnight snow storm.  The snow was over, the roads were clear, and our recycling was at the curb by 9 am.  There had been a phone call from the town telling us of the snow removal efforts but no mention was made of canceling the recycling pick up.  At 3:30, all the paper on our block was still left on the curb.

A phone call to the recycling office found out that recycling had indeed been canceled and the recycling center was closed for the day.  Being annoyed that we had not been told, we called the DPW Superintendent.  The reason that we were given for not picking up the recycling was, "We had other things to do."  His basic message of "too bad" was delivered gruffly and abruptly.  There was no attempt to solve the problem or even show empathy.  The next phone call we made was to his boss who promised that the DPW Superintendent would be "dealt with."  From the tone of the conversation, we guessed that wouldn't be a good conversation for the Superintendent.

What would have made this better?

1) Admitting mistakes.  The Superintendent should've admitted the oversight in not letting us know that recycling was canceled when the snow removal phone call was made.  It was an error that the boro manager's admitted to and apologized for.

2) Show empathy.  The Superintendent should've listened and empathized.  Certainly saying that he had "better things to do" was not showing any concern for the inconvenience.  In fact, it showed that he could care less what the results of his decisions were.

3) Attempt a solution.  The fact of the matter is that a recycling truck passed the house less than 5 minutes before the phone call to the Superintendent.  Obviously, the department was on the road and it would have been no trouble to have them stop and pick up one can of paper to be recycled.

Case of the user-friendly hotel

Many hotels are offering lower rates for pre-paid, internet booked reservations.  We used one and booked for a vacation weekend in Atlanta.  Due to a variety of reasons, we found ourselves unable to get down on the original flight on Friday night.  After changing our flight at the airport, we made the call to the hotel.  The woman at the hotel was calm and professional, a refreshing change after a harried attempt to catch our flight.  When we explained that we weren't coming in on Friday night, she looked up the reservation and apologized that since it was a pre-paid rate, there was no possibility for a refund, but....

That but represents the difference between good customer service and normal customer service.  The woman at the hotel told us that we would not be able to receive a refund, but she would check us into a room as we were on the phone so that no matter what time we arrived, we wouldn't have to waste any time at the front desk.  All we would have to do is stop by and pick up our keys and head up to our room.  This alleviated any stress about losing the room or having to deal with another hassle, our room and our beds were waiting for us.

This is an example of great customer service.  The hotel already was paid for the room so they weren't losing any money by checking us in, but it gave us peace of mind.  It didn't save us a great deal of time, but it was one less hassle in a stressful day and the woman recognized that and helped us out.  Everyone involved won here.  We were made to feel valued and as a result, we stay in the same hotel every time we travel to Atlanta.  This is a fine example of an associate paying attention to the customer and finding out how to fill a need whether it was real or perceived.

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Answering the phone

When a customer calls a business, it creates an impression.  Many times it's a first impression, and in some cases, could be the last.  For this reason, it is very important that businesses create an effective way to handle customer call-ins.  Very large companies have started using the automated attendants that follow a path (push this, push that) called an algorithm which directs a caller to the person most able to help them with their question or issue.

A small or mid-sized business usually can't afford such a system, but they can develop algorithms for their callers.  In order to do this, they must determine the usual questions or issues that prompt phone calls.  Then they match the people who are most likely to deal with these issues.  Lastly, they develop a script for the operator or person most likely to answer the phone.  This script will help the operator direct the call to the right person the first time.  It will also guarantee that the phone is answered professionally and the same way each time.  It is one way a company can distinguish itself as "a cut above".

Case of the flannel shirt

A friend of mine has always worked as a computer consultant.  He' used to be self-employed and now he's in management at a major brokerage house.  Software development has been his passion ever since he discovered computing and he's been very good at it which makes him in high demand.  All this is background to emphasize that he has always had the financial means to do whatever suits him.  He also prefers to wear flannel shirts and jeans on Saturdays while he's around the house.

One weekend we went to a higher end electronic store because he wanted to purchase a stereo system.  We walked in, him with enough money in his pocket to assemble any system in the store, and started to look around.  After 15 minutes in a store that was empty save for 3 salesmen, he decided that since no one was interested enough to greet him, that this store didn't need his business.  We left and purchased an expensive sound system somewhere else.  (In addition, when he later custom built his multi-million dollar house, the first store was not considered for the electronics in the new house).  While we were driving to the next store, we agreed that the salesmen in the first store had judged him to not be worth their time due to his attire.  He obviously wouldn't have the means to purchase anything from them.  They all lost a significant sale and some return business.

What they could have done better:

1) Never assume your customer's ability (or desire) to pay based on their current attire or appearance.  In retail, you really cannot afford to judge a book by it's cover.  Not only could that jeopardize your current sale, it may potentially ruin any future business.

2) Always treat every customer with respect and as a potential new client.  Even if they aren't, they have friends and co-workers who may be.  If they are treated well, all those people will hear about it and if they are "shunned" everyone in their world will hear about it.

3) A friendly, courteous greeting and helpful service should be given to everyone.

Case of the helpful Credit Card Company

Many times trying to deal with a credit card company is like trying to pull teeth. In order to get satisfaction, you're made to jump through hoop after hoop. Today, we found an error on our bill. We purchased something on a promotional plan that allowed us to defer interest, but our bill showed over $30 in interest charged last month. A quick e-mail to the company, who replied in minutes; some exchange of information to clarify the purchase; and problem solved. We gained $30 in interest credited back to our account and they gained a life-time customer.

Good customer service is about handling a problem quickly and efficiently. It is about admitting mistakes and correcting them without a hassle. While the company could have used $30 because what company can't, they wisely chose to correct the problem at the cost of $30 but at a gain of a customer who will continue to shop with them for a long time. Sometimes you have to take the long view. Is being "right" in this instance worth the cost of a customer's future purchases?

Where to start

Customer service is determined by the very first point of contact (or lack thereof).  Every time a customer walks in, calls, e-mails, or somehow comes in contact with your business, customer service begins.  That is why it is critical that every business develop a protocol on how to deal with EVERY contact from a customer or potential customer.  For example, the Greater New Jersey Conference of the United Methodist Church provides a "contact us" link on their website for a parishioner to contact the bishop.  I sent a message, using this link, last July and have not yet received any acknowledgment.  What do you think that does to my opinion of the Bishop of local United Methodist Church?

An organization that is truly interested in providing good customer service makes sure that every contact is acknowledged immediately.  The phone does not ring more than 4 times without being interested, a customer walking in the store is greeted with a hello immediately, someone e-mailing your business could even receive an automated response acknowledging receipt of the e-mail and promising a reply in 24-48 hours.  All of this let's your customer know that their business is important and you want to keep it.  Anything less is an opportunity to let your customer go to another business that appreciates them more.

What is customer service?

You hear of companies crowing about their "excellent" or "superior" customer service.  If you are to believe all the press, every store and service provider in the country satisfies all customer needs every time.  Those of us who live in the real world know different.  So the question becomes, what is good customer service?  What is the golden ring that all these companies are striving for?

When customer service is effective, it makes the customer feel valued and important.  It's what makes a customer drive past competitors to use their "favorite" gas station, restaurant, car wash, men's store, etc.  The customers that are most valuable to a retailer are those who respond to customer service.  Customers gained through pricing policies show no loyalty and will move on to the next retailer who offers a "better deal", however, those that appreciate quality customer service will stay despite a cheaper price offered by the store next door.   They are the ones that smart companies work to get and keep.  Customer service is what enables them to do so.

The key is identify what good customer service is.  Mainly it's positive attitude and a genuine willingness to help.  It's in the details.  It's what makes a great company.

Case of the understaffed bank

We bank with a large but usually friendly and very convenient bank.  There is a branch very close to our house and several a small distance past that.  Our closest branch has very poor service which is why we usually choose to go past it to one of the other more helpful branches.  This particular Friday afternoon, we were in a hurry so we went into the closest branch merely to deposit a single check.  Not a complicated transaction by any means.

When we walked into the branch, we found one teller and one person waiting in line before us.  On the platform was one woman (who turns out to be the Assistant Branch Manager), working on a computer studiously ignoring the growing line in her lobby.  After a minute or two, it becomes apparent to those of us in line that the person at the counter is involved in a lengthy debate with the one teller behind the counter.  At this point we went to the woman and asked if she could help us with our transactions.  With a grimace and a heavy sigh she pushes herself away from the desk and walks behind the counter, all the way across the bank, into a room where she asks someone to come out and help us.

Two women come out and walk leisurely across the bank behind the counter, chatting as they go, and join the other woman who has now re-seated herself at her desk.  They take their desks and also studiously ignore the growing and impatient line.  Finally a teller comes out and quickly takes care of the line and sends us on our way.  This earned a phone call to the bank's regional manager who made it clear in our conversation that this was not acceptable behavior and since she was already on the road, she would stop by that branch and discuss it with the Assistant Manager.  It didn't sound like a good Friday afternoon there.

What could be done to make it better?

1)  The Assistant Manager could have acknowledged us in line and if she was too busy to help us personally state that and say, "but I'll get someone to help you right away."

2)  The other women walking across the line could have acknowledged the line and quickly taken care of the transactions and been on their way.

Customers will continue to give the benefit of the doubt and wait if they've at least been acknowledged.  This tells them that someone is aware of them waiting and is doing something to expedite their assistance.  In a field such as banking where services and pricing are very similar and readily available, customer service is going to be a key distinguishing factor and it is vital for them to make it a priority.

Case of the unprofessional manager

A visit to a local fast food store turned ugly when a manager decided to berate their employee while they were working on the front line.  We asked for an extra packet of ketchup and quickly received a single packet from the young lady working on our order.  This was not an unreasonable request and we only ended up with a total of two packets of ketchup.  Not a lot of ketchup in the whole scheme of things.

The next thing we know, the manager is yelling across the line in Spanish.  Not standing next to the associate and quietly talking in her ear, not taking her off the line and discussing it with her in private, but yelling at her in front of a restaurant full of people.  The manager was talking in Spanish, obviously counting on the fact that her customers didn't speak Spanish because she told the associate that she was supposed to charge us $.10 for the extra packet and the next time that she didn't do that, the associate would lose her job.  Can you imagine anything more uncomfortable for the customer or associate?  Even if we didn't understand Spanish, it was clear that the associate was being berated.  It was the manager, in this case, that should worry about future employment.

What could make this better?

1) If the manger was truly worried about losing the dime, she should have taken the associate off the line and spoken to her in private. It is extremely unprofessional to correct a subordinate in the view of customers or other associates.

2) Customers should never be made to feel uncomfortable due to a language barrier.  In primarily English-speaking areas, ONLY English should be spoken in view of the customer.  To use Spanish in this situation merely enhanced the poor image of the manager because it had the potential to make customers feel alienated or "talked about" since they didn't understand what was being said.

This situation could potentially lose customers due to an unprofessional manger who wasn't even addressing the customer.

Case of the overbooked doctor

Customer service and doctor's offices are not usually something that people mention in the same sentence, however, it needs to be.  Although many times, we go to doctors because they are "in plan", there are still choices.  We can choose to go to the doctor that respects his patients' time by keeping to their scheduled appointment.  While it is understandable that occasional emergencies occur, that should be the exception and not the norm.  It's also understandable that doctors need to schedule tightly because insurance pays less and less and they have to deal with cancellations, it's not understandable that their patients are expected to wait an hour or two past their appointment time.

Recently we drove into New York City to see a "specialist".  We called before we started the one hour drive to find out whether the doctor was on time or not.  We were told that he was.  We arrived at our scheduled appointment time and was not taken into the office until over an hour later.  We later found out that the doctor's staff was scheduling up to six patients for the same appointment time.  This was inexcusable and has caused us to find another "specialist" closer to home.

What could make it better?

1) The doctor's staff could recognize the fact that no one can legitimately expect to see more than one person at a time.  Even if they want to account for cancellations and no-shows, six per appointment is unrealistic and only guarantees failure.  They should evaluate how many patients the doctor DOES average in a day and how much time he DOES average with each patient and schedule accordingly.  This is simple mathematics and can be gleaned from historical records kept.  It will make patients happier because they are seen on time and the doctor happier because they will not always be playing beat the clock.

2) The doctor's staff could be honest about whether or not the doctor is running on time when patients call in.  If they want to be even more proactive, they could call patients and let them know when a doctor starts to fall more than 30 minutes behind.  They could verify the patient is coming and give them a revised arrival time to reduce waiting and stress.

This type of unintentional arrogance is common in the medical field.  It's a result of falling compensation and growing demand.  Neither of these is an excuse for poor customer service.  In fact, good customer service and appropriate scheduling will result in more patients, more referrals, and happier doctors.

The case of the missing check in

A recent trip to a time-share resort provided an example of poor customer service.  It was a case of neglect and lack of awareness.  The resort is in a small town and this is off-season.  Our arrival was on the eve of a holiday and so we called at 5:30 pm knowing that we would be late and wanting to make arrangements with them to pick up our key and get directions on how to complete our check-in.  Despite having posted hours of  9 am to 11 pm and a check-in time of 4 pm, there was no answer on the phone.  In addition, there was no mention of closing early for the holidays on their phone message.  Concerned about being able to get in after a 5 hour drive, we called a couple of more times, each time leaving a phone number where we can be reached.

Once we arrived, we did find the front desk closed, but a note on the door directed us where to find a key.  The cottage turned out to be lovely and the stay relaxing.  After two days in our cottage, we got a phone call in the middle of our lunch asking one of us to come to the front desk to check in.  When we got to the front desk, there was no mention of closing early or the phone messages that we left as we were driving to the resort.  In fact, the young woman at the front desk asked for a cell phone number that she could use to contact us, despite us leaving it in the phone message previously.  It showed that she either didn't listen to the phone messages or she didn't care.  In neither case did she acknowledge the issue.

Although this is not a major problem, it shows how a lackadaisical approach to customer service can affect customers.  This lack of attention to detail will affect how we will choose which of the resorts in the area to use next time.  It will also cause us to mention it to friends and family and it will cause them to think twice when making a choice of places to stay.  While it wasn't horrible, perhaps there are better places that value their customers more.  If we find one, then this resort has lost a customer that could have easily been kept from seeking out other accomodations.

How could this have been better?

1) Attach a paging system to your voice mail.  This will alert the manager that there is a phone message so they could have called us back right away and told us they were closed and let us know where to find a key.  That would have made our trip less stressful and made us feel more valued.  It also would have taken the manager less than a minute to deal with.  If a paging system wasn't available, forward the phone to a business cell phone that the manager could carry.

2) Once the damage was done, the front desk clerk should have acknowledged the difficulties relating to the check in.  She should have apologized at the very least and done something to make it better.  Instead of making us walk across the parking lot to have her ask us 5 questions including the license plate on the car sitting outside her window, she could have made a phone call to ask the questions and obtained signatures by walking over to the cottage herself.  Instead she was found playing on the internet when we walked in.

There is no need for financial compensation here because there was no cost to the customer, however, good customer service would have required an apology at the very least.

Welcome to a new blog

This blog is designed to look a real-life customer service issues.  The writer is a veteran of retail having owned two small retail stores and worked in management at a large "big box" retailer.  In addition, I work part-time as a consultant to small businesses in helping them improve their businesses.  A big proponent of the E-Myth as written by Michael Gerber, I help business owners get more out of their businesses than long hours and low pay.

A key component to any business, big or small, retail or service, is customer service.  ALL businesses provide customer service, the question is merely how well they provide it.  Every time an associate interacts with a customer, whether on the internet, the phone, or in person, that is customer service.  Successful businesses realize that they need to provide excellent customer service in order to become "best in class" for their product.

If you think through the businesses you like to deal with, there are those with whom you've developed a personal relationship, where you feel like Norm on Cheers every time you walk into the business.  You're willing to go there even though it may cost a little more because you like it there.  THAT is customer service.  As we go on, this blog will present real interactions and provide alternative scenarios and ask for reader input.  Hopefully we will all learn something and improve our daily experiences at the businesses we visit.