Values to ponder – culture to die for!

What are the core values of Zappos?
1. Deliver WOW Through Service
2. Embrace and Drive Change
3. Create Fun and a Little Weirdness
4. Be Adventurous, Creative and Open-Minded
5. Pursue Growth and Learning
6. Build Open and Honest Relationships With Communication
7. Build a Positive Team and Family Spirit
8. Do More with Less
9. Be Passionate and Determined
10. Be Humble

for more: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/10323197

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People and Patterns!

It has been a rather intriguing few days!
Just spoke to a politician who bemoaned the fact that a colleague of his couldn’t talk about anything except himself. I have been in his company many times in the past – he spoke exclusively about ….himself!
Seeing, not solving the problem is the challenge as always.

I heard a very disturbing story about a building company who threatened to “kill” a friend of a friend. Why? My colleague had complained to him that weeds was coming through the newly laid tarmacadam after two weeks – a very legitimate complaint obviously. True story.
“Extreme customer service” should put this guy out of business.

I have lost count this week of how many times I have received poor customer service. Alot of companies still don’t appear to realise that you need to work harder to retain clients.

And finally, I was saddened by the passing of Gerry Ryan the Irish braodcaster. Over the years I have the honour of been interviewed by him a number of times. I can say unreservedly he was the best interviewer I have ever had – his understanding and interest in the area of motivation/personal excellence was immense. What was even more remarkable for me was on one slot my twenty five min interview was preceded by a discussion about submarine rolls! Gerry Ryan RIP

One final question to ponder – are we better at honouring the dead than we are at celebrating the living?

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From the brilliant to the ridiculous!

To gain that competitive edge you need to be able to make customers experience memorable for all the right reasons of course.

Last week, I keynoted at an event in New York in the Hotel Jumeriah. When I was booking in, the customer service attendant presented me with a hot towel – just the pick me up after a long transatlantic flight.
Different – definitely; memorable and clearly a great promotional tool for the hotel! (I have blogged and tweeted about what could be described as a great example at how to exceptionalise a moment of truth with your customer.)

Have you spent time thinking about how you could exceptionalise your service?

Clearly the following case study is an example of a company who clearly haven’t even grasped what customer service means!

Just recently my father who still runs a small shop and petrol station asked me to follow up on difficulties he was having with some key deliveries.

In summary, he had been waiting on a significant credit to his account for some months now.

The customer service attendant conceded a refund was the appropriate outcome but didn’t have the power to effect change.

Her direct line manager accepted my father’s account should have been credited, but she hadn’t the power to make the necessary corrective action either! She had referred the account with recommendation up the line. That was August 2009 – two weeks ago my Dad’s account was suspended, the credit still hadn’t been sorted out!

On his instruction, I contacted the company again.

The manager was out on holidays so no one could try to fix the problem in the short term as they had no power. One new customer service attendant had no record of the ongoing communication that was happening between us and this organisation!

Also there was no interaction between accounts and customer service so regardless of what discussions were taking place with customer service, accounts wouldn’t change their position on overdue amounts.

And finally from the bizarre to the ridiculous! On my last call after another frustrating encounter, I hung up the line and decided to call my Dad. When I lifted the receiver, I noticed that the line was still live to this company. It turns out the attendant had failed to disconnect the line! I listened to a long conversation in which, I was branded as a liar as the girl had no email record of past conversations, she wondered who would speak to me the following day as I was demanding action, and she mused whether or not she was suitable for customer service to her colleagues!

So what was happening in this organisation?

Customer service reps and managers with no power to make any type of decision at source – a recipe for PR disaster. ( To put it in context we are talking about an amount of a few hundred euros – very little compared to the brand damage incurred.)
A policy of hoping the problem will go away.
No deadlines on action.
No transparency on accountability.
Bottom line – probably the worse example of poor customer service that I have ever experienced.

It made me realise that to assume that everybody still grasps the need for exceptional customer service in challenging times is a major oversight.
This organisation needed more than a motivational speaker!

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Customer Service review 2009

“Never Assume because it makes an ass of u and me,” some advice given to me as I started my working life over two decades ago.
Well in the context of customer service standards in 2009, as experienced in my own life, the advice was never more relevant.
I assumed that companies would be aiming at exceeding customer expectations at each contact point with the customer – that their focus would be on truly wowing the customers in a bid to retain and attract their scarce resources. I thought that organisations would truly welcome complaints as a unique opportunity to strengthen the relationship with the client.
In the main, I assumed wrong!
The car business may be in crisis but it hasn’t stopped them from forgetting to ring back customers who are looking for information, or indeed quoting prices that appeared to get an audience in more opulent times!
The hotel industry is also suffering – one particular five star guaranteed that my next experience would be much better if I contacted him ( the manager) after I checked in! He was obviously making a few too many assumptions.

I passionately believe that companies should look at customer service as a potential competitive advantage, a unique selling point in a very “me too” market. Remember the ground breaking research compiled by Amar Bhide and his team at Columbia University which showed that 88% of the breakthrough companies in the US were the result of exceptional execution of an ordinary idea. Why not exceptionalize your service and see what happens to your bottom line?
In the context of exceptional service, I must highlight a recent experience with Traveller Insurance and more specifically their Claims Representative Angela Hanrahan.
Unfortunately, a feew days earlier,I managed to enter and remain in a flood with my car! The bottom line was the engine and car was a write off. Not the ideal Christmas present, but at the end of the day it is only a car.
As a person that has never made an insurance claim in my life; I have to admit I was a little concerned about what may happen.

From my very first phonecall to throughout the negotiations with the assessor, to receiving the claims cheque; I can say I experienced exceptional customer service. What were the elements- 1. a compassionate ear 2. ongoing communication and never MIA – whenever Angela promised to ring me back, she did so on time every time. Whenever she promised a resolution to whatever issue, again the resolution happened on time every time.

Overall as I articulated to the lady in question, she was a fantastic ambassador for the company. She delivered what I expect from every interface with any organisation – the challenge is can the other companies now raise their bar? Can we call 2010 the year of exceptional customer service?

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Communication – the critical skill

“Effective employee communication is a leading indicator of financial performance and a driver of employee engagement. Companies that are highly effective communicators had 47% higher total returns to shareholders over the last five years compared with firms that are the least effective communicators.”
Ref: 2009/2010 Communication ROI study.

http://www.watsonwyatt.com/commroi/

No major shocks in these survey results – communication is one of the key skills in life and business. A skill that should be getting more focus within the education system which continues to fail both industry and society by focusing on grades.
Interpersonal and Intrapersonal intelligences are the two most highly paid intelligences in the world. Those high on these intelligences have the necessary life toolbox to excel in life and be able to transcend the inevitable personal challenges that will arrive on their doorstep.

Time for some real vision on this subject.

Find out why so many have recruited him as a keynote speaker in Europe, Asia and the US.

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