Sidewalk Solutions

Tom Peters and Robert H. Waterman introduced us to modern Customer Service with their breakthrough book “In Search of Excellence” over 25 years ago. Many great companies have gone on to adopt the World-Class CS culture with great success.  I have visited many companies who created their own brand of World-Class Customer Service and I’ve listed a few of them at the end of this article.

World-Class Customer Service is not for any particular sector or industry – it’s for every organisation whether Government, Charity, Public or Privately owned. So don’t let anyone tell you that World-Class Customer Service is not possible in any business or organisation – including Government! So what is it that these and other companies have and most others do not?

It is called World-Class Customer Service – or making sure your customer is delighted, excited, grateful, astonished enough that they will come back for more! I challenge anyone who has been treated courteously, promptly, graciously, sympathetically and made to feel valued – not to remember or enjoy that experience!

Great Customer Service – is more fun, try working for someone who believes in excellence – in going way beyond expectations – now go and work for someone else – know what I mean? A Great Service organisation is more challenging, there is more energy around the place and people are naturally happier and more knowledgeable about their work. Fewer mistakes are made in companies that strive for excellence therefore the cost of non-conformance is much less.

If it is not extraordinary service then it’s not World-Class Customer Service! The sort of Customer Service that I am talking about gives IBM its longevity as being the gentle and intelligent giant of the Technology Sector, or Ritz-Carlton Hotels their ability to remain in a guest’s memory 10 years after a one-night stopover! It gave Nordstrom its passion for ensuring that you are 100% delighted with your purchase and if not they will give you your money back and no questions asked, or Granite Rock, a Quarry company who say “Yes we will” before you even ask the question!

As I travel around Airports, Government Departments, Supermarkets, Shops and any organisation that serves us, I am constantly disappointed in the deterioration and level of Customer Service. Whilst some companies strive to exceed customers’ expectations – most do not. My memories are dimming of visits to Woolworth’s where the experience was always worse than you expected! If Woolworth’s Management had enrolled their key staff in the Ritz-Carlton Leadership Training Centre they would not have gone bust. You see, customers become loyal to organisations that provide them with a great customer service experience and reward them with more purchases and return visits.

Note the difference between

Nostalgia

“Woolworth’s was where I bought my first LP“

and

Excellence

When I stayed at the Ritz Carlton the porter arranged to forward my extra luggage to my next hotel with one phone call and no fuss and the room service was so good I didn’t want to leave the room

- I can’t wait to return!

In this article I am interested in the excellence of customer service; businesses like Woolworth’s simply didn’t get it and look what happened to them!

The reason that great companies spend so much of their efforts on achieving World-Class Customer Service is simple – it improves their profits and their employee’s experience. It also enhances their reputation – and you can almost taste the “feel good factor” of employees who work there. Striving for World-Class Customer Service is so worthwhile I guarantee you that you will spend all your time achieving what others say is impossible.

Hard to choose my favourite Customer Service story, let’s try this one from Sewell Village Cadillac in Dallas, Texas:

The local Hospital Matron had booked her car in for a service – she declined the use of a replacement car which all customers are offered at Sewell’s – she asked that her car be brought to her at the hospital when it was ready and in any case no later than 11am as she had an important meeting to go to. Unfortunately the agent had typed a noon delivery on the Customer Service System at Sewell’s – when the Matron called them at 11.10am to ask where her car was – the agent immediately realised his mistake. The General Manager of Sewell’s hearing what happened and knowing that the car was in fact ready, drove the car himself over to the Hospital, followed by the agent in another car. Arriving at the Hospital, they apologised to the Matron and informed her that there would be no charge for the service performed that day. They escorted her to her car and saw her drive off to her appointment. As she drove away, the Matron noticed that a large bunch of flowers and a box of her favourite chocolates had been placed on the passenger seat together with a note and two tickets to the Opera.

The meeting the Matron was going to was actually an interview on the largest Dallas Radio station to talk about the new Hospital Wing that had just opened. At the beginning of the interview and live on air, the Matron told the listeners the story about her car experience that morning. Sewell’s were inundated with phone calls and enquiries for new cars and car maintenance requests for months after this event. This story took place some 15 years ago – Sewell’s continue to push the boundaries of World-Class Customer Service – the people who work there will do anything they can to keep their customers happy – every day.

IBM told me once that (as a key supplier) they felt that I cared more about their products than they did. Do you have any idea how much faith customers will put in you if you care and perform great deeds on their behalf. World-Class Customer Service is so important that we should teach it to every student in school. Not understanding the significance that World-Class Customer Service can have to our economic well-being is unacceptable. Just think how much better our life experiences would be if a new generation of employees understood the true meaning and value of World-Class Customer Service – and executed them every day. The new generation would be better-trained, happier at work, more competitive and productive than any past generation. Most of all they would be better equipped personally to be successful in the future.

You see, World-Class Customer Service relies on the skills and personality of the individual; it prospers when people make decisions for themselves and for the customer – without referring upwards. It is at its best when the lowest grade employee serves you with great service, the sort of service that goes beyond expectations – one that customers remember and can’t wait to tell others about.

If you are in the minority and work in a company or organisation that has wonderful customer service, then send me details or a case study and I will carry your story on this Blog. If you are one of the millions who are fed up with the poor Customer Service you encounter every day, join me in fighting for World-Class Customer Service to become part of our daily experience instead of something that we seldom witness. Maybe we could organise a Great Customer Service Day – imagine all the smiles and astonished customers!

Let us fight for Great Customer Service – in our Health Services, Police Service, Local Authority, Petrol Stations, Corner Shops, Airports, Train Stations, Supermarkets and Hospitals.

Stand up for World-Class Customer Service:

Become a beacon of hope and confidence in what you and your organisation do

Train employees in all sectors and levels to take responsibility for Great Customer Service

Everyone has to have authority to do what it takes to provide a Great Service

Let employees follow their instincts – I bet their right!

Do something new for your customer – astonish and delight them – every day

Trust your employees – they do care if you train them and get out of their way

Finally, Customer Service is not for the faint-hearted, as it requires you to give up control and train and encourage front line people to use their own judgement every day. Striving to exceed your customer’s requirements is good business and makes you and the customer feel good and we could all do with a bit of that!

World-Class Customer Service is good for business and profitability, it improves the individual, it encourages customers to return again and again, it helps increase profit, lowers costs, improves products and services – it makes things better and better still.

Send me your case studies and I will publish them here.

Alex

References;

South West Airlines

http://www.southwest.com/about_swa/?ref=abtsw_fgn

The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company

http://corporate.ritzcarlton.com/en/About/Default.htm

Charles Schwab

http://www.schwab.com/public/schwab/home/why?cmsid=P-985960&lvl1=home&lvl2=why

Nordstrom

http://about.nordstrom.com/aboutus/companyhist/companyhist.asp?origin=aboutus

Longo Toyota

http://www.longotoyota.com/MiscPage_3

Granite Rock

http://www.graniterock.com/

Sewell Village Cadillac in Dallas

http://www.sewellvillagecadillac.com/AboutNewsEventsDetail.aspx?NewsID=7