Service and Caring

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Generally

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I wonder why we still send people through queues? In a day and age where time is so short, no one likes to stand in line, wait on hold or talk with people who can't solve their problem. So, why do we insist on forcing customers to a home page, to an operator or customer service desk when the specialist they need is elsewhere...and now easily accessible?

We used to send people through a funnel to count them, space them, slow them down and to ensure that everyone eventually ended up in the right place. We had to generalize because there wasn't an effective and efficient way of anticipating special needs and directing traffic. The by product of the degeneralization process was well trained but often unhappy customers. Now, mobile phones, computers and PDA's let us do all of the measuring and channeling in a fraction of the time, which makes people happy. They've also raised the expectation bar significantly...peer to peer is fast becoming the norm...direct interaction with exactly the right person, right away is the standard.

So, why do I still have an office number when your chances are better to reach me via mobile phone? Why have an admin who answers the phone when voice mail accomplishes the same result? How often does an admin offer to transfer you to voice mail? Why do we send everyone to the home page, when separate landing pages (or micro home pages) make more sense? Why route all incoming calls to the hotel operator, when virtually every specialist could have their own number?

If someone needs a concierge, list their names and numbers on the website to make it easy to find just the right one (show if they're on duty). Need a sales person or the GM? Put it on the website. Want to book a meeting? Don't go the home page...go to www.yourhotelsales.com to see a list of the people that can give you an answer.

I realize there are instances when you can't know in advance what someone is looking for...so a generalist steps in to direct traffic. But, probably 8-9 times out of 10, we can be smarter than that...if we set-up the most anticipated one on one connections and spread the word how to get there.

Interested in learning how to do 100 push ups? Don't go to any old fitness website, go to hundredpushups.com

Interested in learning how to ride a unicycle? Go here.

Send people directly where they want to go...getting there is not always half the fun.

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What's Care Worth?

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A lot. That's common sense. But, caring is hard to measure and doesn't always pay off right away. That's why it's often overlooked, underfunded and underutilized as a marketing tactic. Instead companies hang on to things like rebates...a scheme with the opposite effect of building a relationship, which is what caring does.

In general, everything you do as a marketer falls into two categories...activities which build audiences of loyal raving fans....like care. And, activities which go for the quick, one time strike with little or no regard for future interaction or repeat patronage...like rebates. Care is more expensive up front, requires far more creativity and is harder to plan and execute. But, it always pays. A rebate strategy is cheaper, looks nicer on the surface and takes a lot less work. But, it relies almost purely on chance and carries a significant risk of annoying the audience in the process.

Rebate strategies place a low value on a customer's time, requiring them to prospect and "work" for value...easy for the company, hard for the customer. Those lucky to make it though are rewarded. Care is completely transparent and leaves no doubt that the company carries the workload to make things easy and better for the customer.

Companies employing rebate strategies often look at the short-term opportunities and forget about the long-term damage...the lasting negative image of the annoyance factor. Caring companies see the value of doing something meaningful and endure up-front long hours and expense to create a life long asset.

My last post, the photo of the Try Our Specials sign, demonstrates a subtle rebate tactic. It's easier to put up a sign that you can buy pre-made, that you never need to worry about changing and to make people walk in to find out what you're up to than to create a program and presentation that shows how much work you put into it. On the other hand, I've seen restaurant chalk boards and server menu  elaborations which left me wondering "how did they do that?" But, it never left me wondering why.

People place a value on care, more these days with free time so short and the annoyance factor so high.  They want companies to care enough not to make them fill out a form, not to stand in line, not to keep them on hold, not to have to enter their account number three times for one transaction, not to make them wait six weeks for a discount.

If you care, they'll be your friend, and they'll even pay you more.

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Style Points

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They count in college football. They count in the Olympics. They count in politics. They also count when selling products and services. Style points matter for anything that's intended to be out of the ordinary...and they have tremendous value. Who's coffee has more style points...Starbucks or McDonalds? Which notebook computer has more...Macbook Air or Inspiron? Which car...Mini Cooper or Monte Carlo? Which greeting card...hand drawn with crayons or Hallmark?

Some style costs a lot...physical design, technical advances, comfort, etc. Some doesn't...a smile, music, eye contact and saying thank you. Interestingly, when we think about improving style, we often focus on the more expensive,  physical part. We work on making it look, taste or feel better...making it work faster...making nicer looking packaging. It's a shame we don't put equal time into the intangibles, the delivery and the relationship.

Style points separate you. They move you away from average, from sameness...and in the process make price less of an issue. It's not a matter of cheap or expensive, it's a matter of caring how people feel and showing it through careful design and delivery. Style points give you something real to brag about, and they give  your audience  a story to tell.

Most of the airlines don't get any style points...Southwest is an exception. Same planes, same airspace, same weather problems. But, more smiles and lightheartedness.

Most car dealerships get negative style points...Carmax seems to defy the odds. Same cars, but a different sales approach and a different system.

One of the smartest things you can do to improve your chances against the competition is to add style to what you're doing. Yes, look at the what...the physical elements. But, don't get bogged down there. Spend more time on the how...the delivery and the relationship...how you're answering the phone, the words in your thank you letters, how you handle complaints or unusual requests, etc.

How you do something is more important than what you do...and more and more, it's what people pay for. Style matters...a lot.



Packaging Means A Lot...

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Ask Apple. The package looks modern, neat and clean. The wrapping is meticulous. The messaging is clever, simple and easy to understand. The quality of the plastic and paper is better than most. And, the little extra protective coverings that fit each piece perfectly drive the point home...they want you to know they care.

Beyond the fact that the content works pretty darn well, the fact that it's hard for most of us to throw the box away means a lot.

Do your guests and customers want to keep the box?...box of turn down chocolates, gift card box, key packet, pen, etc?

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How to Reach Out and Join a Conversation

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One of the many benefits of internet technology is the ability to see and join conversations...to interact with people who have a demonstrated interest in what you're doing, and to show them that you care. This is especially important to people who have a passion for making themselves and their companies better...those humble enough to know that customers are often smarter about what's right and wrong with their business. Here are four keys to joining the social community...

Tune in- be good at sniffing and snooping to see what's being said, typed, photographed or in some way digitally memorialized. There are a host of companies who will do this on your behalf. Google Alerts is a good first step if you're constrained by budget, boss or both. And, if you have an iPhone, try the Exposure app. It has an option to search for photo's uploaded to Flickr which are near your current position (requires 3g iPhone gps). I stood in the lobby of a hotel today and showed the concierge a photo that had been taken of her giving a prospective guest a tour...scary isn't it.

Reach Out and Ask- Once you've sniffed out something interesting, a rant or rave, make contact and ask for permission to join. Don't leave drive by comments , initiate rebuttal or make sarcastic remarks. Do politely engage and ask if you can help.

Meaningful, genuine dialog-  No form letters or canned responses allowed. Be personal, polite, apologetic (if applicable) and provide whatever information or action is requested. If you don't have the answer, find someone who does. Offer to follow-up. But, don't pester people.

No Control- Don't do anything that gives the impression you want to control the outcome of your exchange. If you do, you lose trust and probably a customer, ten, or maybe a thousand. Remember, you're on a stage, and it's not yours.

Today, I experienced a perfect example of how to reach out and join a conversation. It follows on the heels of my rant earlier this week about a less than stellar experience with the Wilife call center.

It turns out the customer service folks at Logitech (they own Wilife) do a nice job of keeping their ear to the ground for stories like mine. Yesterday, I received an email from Jon Mitchell, Director of Worldwide Customer Support for Logitech. The note was personal, genuinely written, asked for additional details of my encounter and included an offer to follow up by phone. We spoke today, where he and Brad, a call center manager, listened to my story, apologized, told me what happened, offered some recourse and most importantly did not ask me to write a follow-up to my original post. Bravo...nice recovery.

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Try Back Later

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Supportgirl

These words should be banned from use in every company...by penalty of immediate dismissal, or worse.

Imagine you call the toll free number listed on a company website to purchase a product. The first time you try, you are routed to someone's voice mail. The second time, you reach a seemingly stoned and definitely confused tech support guy who doesn't know "why all these calls are being routed to him" and to "try back later". This happened today when I called Wilife (Logitech)...an organization expected to have their act together.

I can't imagine this was the first time a call was routed to the wrong person. I can't imagine any of the sales or tech people at Wilife are trained to tell someone to call back. However, I can imagine that answering the telephone  is not a top priority there...we know it isn't at most places. Because...it's seen as necessary, a process, a cost...instead of  what it really is...an opportunity to make a friend, and make a sale.

You can make remarkable products and services. But, as long as incoming callers are treated like trolls, what's the point?

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People Don't Want to Stop at a Front Desk Upon Arrival

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...they're just conditioned to.

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People don't go to a desk when showing up at a friend's house. They don't go to a desk when going to nice B&B or small inn. For some reason, as hotels grew larger, (and needed to find some staff efficiencies), we made people "check-in" at a desk. It's far easier to have people stand in line and come to us than to create a dynamic system to welcome guests  and escort them to their room, the bar or restaurant. It's easier to get people to conform to an operation that saves money, than to figure out a new way to give them what they want in an efficient way. It doesn't need to be formal, scripted or overdone...it just needs to be genuine.

For the past six months, I've been involved in the overhaul and recreation of a new welcome for a mid-size property with 100 years of front desk history behind it. Some said it couldn't be done...they were wrong. Still work to be done, but the first impressions have been beyond favorable.

Don't get bogged down in improving old systems just because they seemed to have worked. Instead, begin with the experience every guest should have and build your operation around that.

Nickels and Dimes

Airlines are broken...we all get that. Lots of reasons why...understand that too, although not as clearly. I don't think you move closer to solving the problems by drawing attention to something that is considered an inherently negative part of air travel...moving baggage. Charging for something that was previously "free" is dangerous, especially when that part of your service is already under heavy fire. Imagine paying a little extra for the that gracious TSA screening or for use of the on board lavatory. Moves like this are acts of desperation, and have nothing to do with improving the traveler experience. Things are definitely going to get worse before they improve, at least on the service front. Better have a sense of humor, like the attendant on my latest Southwest flight which welcomed us to Hawaii instead of Little Rock because of the delay in  our arrival...you had to be there.

Not incidentally, yesterday I noticed two rather large pieces of luggage arrived at the Capital Hotel via Federal Express. Interesting that a different sort of transportation company stands to gain from this latest airline action.

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So, United has their problems, but they're not bad enough to risk a change.

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Saw this quote in an exchange on Church of the Customer. It's a pretty sad state when it comes down to this. But, many companies plan to operate in exactly this place...good enough and safe. Works well when there is little or no viable choice and no one else is doing anything extraordinary. Problem is...both of those dynamics always, always shift. It's not a matter of if, it's a matter of when.

Once the airline gets bad enough, even the  most inconvenient of options will be better than enduring their good enough strategy. Even at $5 per gallon, driving might be a better play. 

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I Had A Boss Who Often Said...

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It's important to be a business person first, and a hotelier second. This SWA story at Church of the Customer reminds me why I thought he was such an idiot. Of course, we all know the truth...service comes first, no matter what business you're in...something he obviously cold never comprehend.

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Hostess and PBX Operator jobs should be replaced

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with positions designed to care, build relationships and to do something remarkable...not to hand-out menus and answer the phone.

Consider these are the first and last people your guests encounter. Consider they (and other front liners like them) have more face time with your customers than anyone else. So, why do we spend the least amount of time hiring and training them, why do we spend so little time cultivating them and why do we worry about an additional 25 cents per hour? Most importantly though, why do we teach them to function first and to care second? I guess we don't understand or don't want to believe that it's at this function-oriented, front-line level that we have the greatest opportunity to surprise people. This is where customers least expect someone to know the answer or take care of problems, let alone create any magic. This is also the place that gets remembered the most...the first and last impression. All in all, it's your sweet spot, the place where you can hit it the farthest, and the longest.

Answering the phone efficiently doesn't improve occupancy. Smiles and intelligence do. Greeters handing out menus while placing callers on hold doesn't increase the average check. Recognizing and engaging repeat clientèle do.

Caring always wins out over speed, systems and programs. Having someone at post is meaningless if there's no smile, hello, thank you or thoughtfulness attached. 

Job descriptions are incomplete if they don't include:

  • smile
  • hello
  • recognize
  • care
  • build relationships
  • pick-up clues and hand-off
  • thank you
  • do something remarkable

Replace function with care at all costs.

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If You Approached Every New Customer With The Hope They Might Become a Friend...

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  • You would take the time to learn things about them, treat them like individuals and show that you care
  • You would ask permission to keep in touch, and only with relevant information
  • You would personally ask for their feedback...and you would do something with their ideas
  • You would make sure everyone in  your organization understood the importance of making them feel special, and you would train everyone how to do it

And, after you made a new friend, you wouldn't do anything to lose their trust, knowing that would lead to the death of your organization.

Now apply all of the above to your employees...they're more important than your customer.

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Experience Isn't That Important

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What's the first thing most people look for in an applicant? Experience. What's the bulk of the content on a resume? Experience. Considering how fast the world is changing, how mediocre doesn't cut it, how radically marketing concepts are changing, how function is being replaced by meaningful experience, etc., it's likely that the  "most experienced"  candidate may no longer the best selection...especially if the majority of that learning took place over the last six years...times have been so good that you could basically sleepwalk your way to success.  If you've built your organization to be remarkable and have committed to building long lasting relationships with both customers and employees, you'll probably spend too much time deprogramming someone if you focus on the experience side of their resume. Contrarily, dig into much more challenging territory like personality, communications and the ability to think...find out if  people who are willing to learn, show passion for something, can demonstrate the ability to adapt, and are interested in doing some "open field running" vs. bringing the play book from their last job.

Your only chance for long-term success is to build a team of passionate, hair on fire, values oriented players..who can admit defeat, adapt, think their way through problems and push the edge at every turn. Anything less will result in a futile endeavor.

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Personal Notes

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One of the most powerful things you can do to show someone you care is to write them a personal note. Not a form letter with their name dropped in, but an honest to goodness personalized message...relevant, friendly and timely communication.

Doing this takes extra time, attention and thought. But, in our fast paced, electronic world, that's exactly what makes it so special.

Doing this in a small inn is normal. Doing this in a large hotel is completely unexpected and a really nice way to say both "hello" and "thank you". I urge you to give it a try.

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Following Instructions

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I've been going to the same dry cleaner for quite some time. They should know I don't like starch in my shirts.  On my ticket, there's a box that I've always checked "no". My shirts have always come back with no starch, just as instructed. Yesterday, I forgot to check the box. I'll give you one guess what happened...my shirts were loaded with starch.

Yes, the cleaner was right. Yes, it was my fault for being in a hurry and not checking the box. But, my loyalty isn't based on who's right. It's based on which company pays attention (to me)...one who demonstrates that I actually matter to them.

They could have phoned, sent a quick e-mail or attached a personal note, "Mr. Chaffin, we noticed you didn't check a box today. Based on your service history, we went with no starch. Let us know if that's not what you prefer." That would have taken a few extra minutes, cost a few pennies, and maybe felt a little risky. But, it would have proven that they actually take the time to listen...and to learn. That's remarkable.

Blindly following directions is the safe thing to do. But, it isn't going to get people to become raving fans. Safe is average.

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How Well Do You Read Clues?

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Second only to personal and meaningful relationships, this will make or break you...especially in the service business.

Clues spark conversation, they get things started...they allow things to progress to a higher, more meaningful level. Without them, we're relegated to surface talk...simple "hello's", "good bye's" and "did you have a nice trip?" Armed with information like personal hobbies, favorite foods, where they've traveled from, or how their favorite sports team fared, you can head in a different direction...you can tell stories and most importantly, you can do the unexpected. Remarkable possibilities abound.

Imagine an arriving guest is an avid fisherman, a golfer or wine connoisseur. What unexpected treat might await them in their room? Imagine someone who just experienced two four-hour flight delays and lost luggage...would you ask if they had a nice trip? 

Everyone offers clues. Some are simple...you can read it in tone, body language and facial expressions (if you have children, you have practice). Others require some digging. Thanks to technology, that's gotten easier too.

How do you find info? Try these for starters...

  • Previous interaction...learn as you go...take lots of notes...find a way to gather tidbits, then stuff them into a computer
  • Gatekeeper's...talk to assistants...they almost always want things to go splendidly for their boss
  • Google...there's a reason it's a verb
  • Company website...lots of info in the About Us section

Gathering clues isn't always easy. Knowing what to do with them is even harder. Go surprise someone today.

The Power of Caring

A couple of short stories...

A young boy recently lost his iPod while staying at the Capital Hotel...left it in the room on the bed when he and his mom went out for the evening. They returned to find it missing. Everyone looked everywhere for that iPod...no luck. The company thing to do was to take a report, impersonally apologize, suggest using the in-room safe, deny any accountability and wish them good luck. The human thing to do was to care...and that's what the staff did...called to apologize, promptly sent the boy a new iPod (no questions asked) and threw in an iTunes gift card for good measure. Later, the mom called amazed the hotel would do such a thing...the boy penned a thank you note that would make any parent proud. The power of this story will live a long time...for both sides. No need to ask if it was worth the $350.

A gentleman recently  came to the front desk of this same hotel looking for a tie. Seems he had forgotten his and had a an important dinner to attend in two hours. Unfortunately, the men's clothing store, located in the lobby, was already closed. A "company" hotel would apologize, say how bad they feel and offer directions to the nearest mall. A caring hotel staff (like this one) would call the men's store owner, who would immediately come down and open the shop, provide fashion guidance and make sure the man had the perfect tie...and a lifetime customer service memory.

Personal care is the most powerful tool in your box. And, it happens to be the one used the least often. Imagine the opportunities.

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Staying Ahead

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is easier now than ever before. Technology has made it not only possible, but relatively easy to know a great deal about your guests. I've pointed out before that Google alerts and simple internet searches give you an excellent advantage to surprise people. But, imagine my state of shock when I experienced just that while buying a car at Shortline Automotive last week.  I flew to Denver and walked in to the dealership for the first time to pick-up the vehicle after making the deal over the phone and internet. I had never met Rob (I think he's the GM). But he seemed to know a great deal about me. And, instead of the usual "how's the weather" conversation, he asked me things about my profession, why I chose a hospitality career, etc. We talked about service and how it set businesses apart from one another. He really seemed interested...and he really seemed to care. He did all this without making me feel like he'd hired a PI to make sure my credit was okay.

I don't remember much about the transaction or the long drive to Pagosa Springs. But, I do remember how engaging Rob and Kent were, and thinking...at a car dealership?

Imagine

Ritztaxix

The power of service is getting stronger every day. We've outdone ourselves with 400 thread counts, HD TV's, marble and brass. There's not much left to offer to exceed anyone's expectations. Enter service...the wild card that sets everyone apart. Not surprisingly, the service story prevails in five star hotels...like the Chicago Ritz. But, imagine how much more impact it can have in a property with far fewer physical bells and whistles. Imagine how unexpected a five-star service experience might be for your guests. Imagine how they might rave about their stay and how much they would want to return...at any price. Imagine how happy your boss might be...

Photo courtesy of USA Today

Problem Centers

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United Airlines calls it a Customer Service Center...most companies have one...a place, as the name implies, where you can expect really good care. And, the reason most people stop here is because they have a problem...like me on this day, an issue in getting from one place to another. That means we're not usually in the best of spirits. Advantage...United...in a perfect position...they know just about everyone that comes by is looking for attention, wants to feel special and has a problem. You know they're not knocking on the door to give you an award. Knowing this...you do the following:

  • You put your very best, service fanatics at this station.
  • You teach them how to apologize and show people they care.
  • You give them an open checkbook.
  • You empower them to not only make people happy, but mandate that at all costs they build a lifelong relationship with every person they speak with.
  • Knowing your advantage to really surprise someone and blow them away when they're upset, you tell your staff they must find a way to say "yes"...and to only call their boss if they can't come up with a reasonable way to do that.
  • And, no matter how much money you spend, and the hoops you need to jump through to "make things happen", you know it's much more effective and less expensive to turn things around with an existing customer than going out to find new ones.
  • You know it's okay to act a little crazy because your boss and your company stand behind you.

You know all this...BUT...you don't do it. And, today United didn't do it. They acted like robots, didn't apologize, didn't solve the problem, didn't make me happy and didn't seize the opportunity to create a raving fan.. And, during my two hour wait, I didn't get the impression they did it for anyone else either. And, they wonder why they're in trouble.

Of course, it's far easier to just get by and hope that a competitor doesn't come along who does this better than you. But, the service business isn't easy and it's getting tougher all the time. At some point, the choice will be clear...become remarkable or die.