Your actions speak louder than words
It
seems there is a serious disconnect between advertising messages and reality
when it comes to the way customers are treated. In their ads, companies love to
tout how much they love their customers, implying that they really do care
about them. The reality however, is often radically different. Their employees
are often not trained in the ever-important art of making customers feel loved.
I was
recently in a line of over 20 customers at an airport car rental facility where
there were only three agents on duty, and two of them were talking on the
telephone. Customers were especially irritated by the fact that there were
about twelve computers where no agents were working. Like most travelers, I was
in a hurry to get on the road and get to my first meeting of the day. I didn’t
appreciate being ignored and neither did the guy behind me. After grumbling to
me about the serious lack of service, he shouted, “Does anyone work here?” The
other customers were shocked at his brazenness, but a spontaneous round of
applause broke out, telling the agents that their customers were not happy. I’m
not going to say which rental car company it was but I will say that no one was
“trying harder” to make customers happy.
In
another recent experience, due to a change in our Customer Service Management
(CRM) software, my company was forced to swap out some of our cell phones
because they wouldn’t interface with the new software. After a short discussion
with a store representative who was not empowered to make customers happy, we
ended up on the phone with one of their reps who made it clear that they were
not going to waive the rather expensive buyout of our phones….period! We tried
to stay with this company and reminded the representative that we had been a
loyal customer for more than 23 years and just needed to make a few equipment
changes. The answer was unequivocal. No!
From
there, we went to one of their competitors and met with Tawana, a wonderful young
lady who listened to our needs and meticulously switched over our entire
company account and set up each and every phone. It took several hours, but
when we left, every new device worked perfectly. Wow, was that refreshing!
In his
most recent book, Collapse of Distinction, my good friend, Scott McKain, an
outstanding speaker, trainer and author, states, "If you cannot find it within yourself to become
emotional, committed, engaged, and yes, fervent about differentiation, then you
had better be prepared to take your place among that vast throng of the
mediocre who are judged by their customers solely on the basis of price. It is
the singularly worst place to be in all of business. If you aren't willing to
create distinction for yourself in your profession--and for your organization
in the marketplace--then prepare to take your seat in the back, with the
substantial swarm of the similar, where tedium reigns supreme." I recently
heard Scott speak at the Society for Marketing Professional Services (SMPS) conference
and, as usual, he thrilled the audience and left them inspired to be even
better than they already are. After several months, I still hear attendees
quoting him.
I
especially enjoyed a story that Scott shared about an experience that musician
Dave Carroll had with United Airlines. In his video, “United Breaks Guitars,”
Carroll openly protests the poor customer service experience he and his band
had on a United flight. For people who don’t have the ability to create great videos
like this, there are company web sites and public sites such as Yelp.com where
customers, both happy and unhappy, can voice their opinions.
In the
hotel industry, the clear leader in outstanding customer service is The
Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company. It is common knowledge throughout the industry that
their customer service is stellar and that the reason for their well-deserved
reputation is the training of their employees. Their motto, “Ladies and
Gentlemen serving Ladies and Gentlemen,” sets the tone for the empowerment
given each and every employee, allowing them to do anything required to make
customers happy. In his book, “The New Gold Standard,” Joseph A. Michelli
describes the leadership principles of this great company. We can all learn
from the example set by this market leader.
As a
branding, marketing communications and public relations firm, we are often
contacted by companies or communities requesting a “new brand.” From
experience, we know that what they usually mean is that they want a new logo. In
my opinion, your brand and your reputation are one and the same. If you treat
customers well, meet or exceed their expectations and show them some
appreciation, your brand will be strong. If not, you will have a serious
problem that a new logo or slogan cannot change.
I could
go on and on, sharing countless customer service experiences, both good and
bad, but I’d like to hear from you. Feel free to share your experiences and
stories about how you deliver outstanding service, allowing others to learn and
improve. Thank you.
Have a
great week,
Jim
Walton
CEO
Brand Acceleration is a full-service marketing communications, brand
management and public relations firm operating from Indianapolis, Indiana and
Charlotte, North Carolina. The agency’s focus is on economic development,
architecture, engineering and construction (AEC).
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