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Posts Tagged ‘customer service’
Monday, July 13th, 2009
The author Scott McKain makes a strong case for Organization Distinction. He states that too many organizations have lost customers trying to meet their competition conditions rather than making their own. McKain explains that organizations can succeed by focusing on four cornerstones, Clarity, Creativity, Communication, and Customer.
 The author’s fist cornerstone discussion and one he insists must be first, is Clarity. How can you sell anything unless you know what it is? This concept certainly made me think about my own situation. What is it that makes the organization different than the rest of the pack? I quickly realized that I couldn’t state in “High Concept” what our company really does. High Concept is a short, less than five words, statement of who an organization, a team, or a person is.
The second cornerstone is Creativity. Thank you, Scott McKain for taking me out of the box called “Out of the Box.” I agree the term has become so convoluted that it is confusing. Creativity cannot grow without roots, the knowing why and what we are creating. My manager certainly doesn’t want a song when he needs a story. The author gives a series of steps that are well worth considering and applying to your situation.
At first the third cornerstone, Communication, the process of telling the organization’s story, seemed a bit hokey. Why an organization is created seemed quite obvious to me, the organization wants to sell or promote its product or service. However, the author is saying because your competitor has the same product, you need to tell why you are different. This difference is solely because of your story and includes all of the reasons you chose that particular product or service to support. Secondly, you need to let everyone know what it is that makes you unique. Finally, McKain tells us you can’t sell what you don’t know. I found this was exceptionally beneficial for me. It is well worth the effort to write the story down before you try to sell the world about your passion.
Finally the last corner stone is the customer. Here the author hit the nail on the head. One of my pet peeves is trying to purchase an item only to have the salesperson tell me that I want something else. Just as he stated, I seldom go back to that business. Certainly, customers may not know about or understand new products, but they do know what they are looking for and what they will spend their money on. Taking time to learn the wants of your customer is not only an important way to develop truly impressive distinction, it is critical if you are to succeed.
While reading industry books, I often make write comments in the margin. In this book, “Good Point” far exceeded the “I’ll think about this” or “Missed” notations. This book compelled me to consider what it is that makes me distinctive. What makes my organization distinctive? How I can become distinctive? I highly recommend this book to any organization trying to survive in these turbulent times, and to take up the author’s charge; Don’t be simply value-added; Be Distinctive.
Tags: communication, customer service, fighting corporate competition, how to address competition, standing above competition
Posted in communication, corporate strategy, organizational development | No Comments »
Wednesday, May 13th, 2009
The differences between “good” and “absolutely great” are often surprisingly small. Little things do matter!
 Let me share a couple examples which I often use to illustrate this point. Think about two restaurants in which you have recently dined; one was a “good” experience, and the other was an “absolutely great” experience. Now identify the specific differences between the two experiences which contributed to your final opinions about the two restaurants. While perhaps similar in price, format and menu, why would you describe one restaurant as good, and the other as memorably great? I predict the differences you’ve identified between the two restaurants, while perhaps numerous, were not “monumental issues” when looked upon as individual items. In most cases the opposite is true; the differences are usually a small number of “little things” in a couple of key areas that were important to you.
Now take a minute to reflect on the predicted results and ultimate success of those same two restaurants. Which restaurant are you most likely to go back to? Refer to friends? Which do you predict will be in business longer? Little things do matter.
Here is one more example involving Tiger Woods and the game of golf. Clearly, Tiger is one of the greatest golfers to ever play the game. Yet, when you compare his scores to those of other great golfers, the differences in their average golf scores are again, surprisingly small. In the 2001 season, Tiger averaged 67.79 strokes per round of golf. Phil Mickelson achieved the second best score in the PGA with an average score of 69.25. Imagine, less than a stroke and a half difference between the two scores, averaged over 18 holes in each round for an entire season. The difference in their overall average performance amounts to about .08 per hole for the season… an incredibly small difference.
While the difference in performance is small, look at what that small difference means in terms of financial rewards for the two golfers. Tiger Woods earned a whopping 9.2 million dollars that year from the game of golf, not including endorsements. Phil Mickelson earned 4.8 million dollars or slightly more than half of what Tiger earned, even though their performance varied by less than two strokes per round when averaged over the entire season. The differences between good and absolutely great are often surprisingly small. Little things do matter!
So what strategic management lessons can we learn from these examples?
- Learn something new every day.
It is extremely important for all managers to continually improve their management skills and techniques. Little things do matter. Even small improvements in a limited number of critical areas, such as your coaching skills or strategic thinking abilities, can yield dramatic differences in your performance and expected outcomes, now and in the future.
- Analyze and plan before you act. Be proactive, not reactive.
Don’t simply react to people or situations out of what I call your “default mode” range of behaviors. While reacting with “what comes naturally” will be right occasionally, your results will be less than ideal in a majority of the situations. I’m confident you will be more effective, more often, if you plan, think and choose responses which are appropriate to the situation at hand.
Imagine Tiger Woods pulling a golf club out of his bag on the 7th hole, not because it’s the right club for the situation, but because it’s his preferred or his “default mode” club. In all likelihood, his performance would be considerably less than optimal. Professional golfers don’t just pull any club out of their bag without first diagnosing the situation. They analyze each hole for its unique characteristics, including distance, obstacles and wind speed. Only after they’ve done their analysis do they select the best club for that specific situation. Great managers do the same thing. Picking the right “club” matters.
- Learn to use all the “clubs” in your bag consistently well.
Great golfers are able to use all of the clubs in their bag and they use them consistently well, every time. Good managers, like good golfers, have a tendency to over-rely on their “clubs” of choice, the ones they are most comfortable with because they have used those most often. When a situation arises, they react without stopping to diagnose the situation fully and then selecting the right tool or “club” for the job.
Great golfers know which club to use and they can use all of their clubs…very well, almost every time. Great managers, like great golfers, have developed their abilities so that they are proficient with all of the “clubs” in their bag, not just their preferred or “default mode” behaviors. This takes us back to learning lesson number one; learn something new every day about the “clubs” in your bag and how to use them better.
You have a full bag of “clubs” from which to choose. Next time you find yourself in a critical situation, take time to assess the situation and think it through, choose the right tool for the situation and use it well. Remember, small differences in behavior can yield huge differences in performance. Why not practice a new “club” today?
Tags: customer service, golf, manager, Strategic Management
Posted in customer service | 1 Comment »
Wednesday, November 12th, 2008
I love seeing great customer care live and in person. It gives me hope, as a consumer, that companies are being proactive to promote better customer relations.
Several days ago, I was able to see a great effort by a sales associate as she dealt with a very difficult customer. I was in my wireless carrier’s store picking up a couple of phone accessories. As I was completing my purchase, a lady entered the store and shouted she would like to speak to the store manager now. Apparently the store manager was at lunch so a young sales associate walked over to woman and asked if she could help. The customer was visibly angry. She shouted “you guys are liars” and stated her bill was wrong again.
Because the customer kept shouting, employees and customers alike were focused on the situation. The sales associate was doing everything possible to keep the woman from exploding even more. Unfortunately, this customer was in no mood to be told to calm down. I watched the sales associate closely. She was poised. She listened and spoke to the customer in a soft and kind tone. She apologized for the problems, asked for clarity about the customer’s frustrations, and offered her personal assistance to solve the problem as best she could. I was very impressed that she was prepared for this kind of extreme customer situation.
 After several minutes of this customer yelling, causing a scene, and embarrassing herself, the situation finally ended in a positive way. The sales associate never took the yelling and nastiness personal. Instead, she realized this customer needed special attention and took it upon herself to quickly respond. Steve Yastrow the author of the book We – The Ideal Customer Relationship says that “a policy designed to ensure that all customers get consistent service ensures that personalization will be blunted.”
Good thing the sales associate recognized this customer was different and therefore required deviation from “consistent service” for their customers. The sales associate explained the contract and the billing process clearly to her customer and asked the customer a very important question. Did I resolve all of your concerns? It was gratifying to see the sales associate take a “we are in this together” approach. She consistently communicated to the angry woman; I am your partner in this problem, so let’s work on it together.
Rigidity and inflexibility usually mean an end to customer satisfaction. When businesses are inflexible with their customers, you can bet that conflict will arise, customers will become frustrated, and ultimately will take their business elsewhere.
To learn more about customer service training initiatives, please contact us or leave a comment below.
Tags: customer service, dealing with a difficult customer, difficult customers, resolving customer concerns
Posted in character, customer service, emotional intelligence, problem solving | 2 Comments »
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