Concierge Shuttle Service

“Now, don’t worry. Every afternoon, sometime between two and seven, we will have a thunderstorm. If you are in one of the parks, just find shelter, but don’t leave. It will pass over quickly. Most people don’t know this and they will leave.” That is what Todd Affricano, our shuttle driver, told us, his passengers, on a recent trip from Orlando International Airport to our hotels.

He proceeded to give each of us tips for where we were staying or for what we were planning on doing. “Here is the map for Universal Studio” he told three passengers. “Get there early. And start out at the back of the park. People are like sheep. They start to their right and go to each attraction in order. You will save hours by starting at the back.”

He told a young couple with a child “If you need anything from the drugstore, it is right across the street from your hotel.”

Every guest in his shuttle was given an “inside tip” that was personalized, relevant and interesting. Throughout the drive, Todd filled us with valuable information that all of us on the shuttle bus could use. As a result, a few things happened. First, the ride from the airport just flew by. Secondly, everybody on the shuttle felt special. Thirdly, Todd distinguished himself. In all the times I have taken that shuttle, NOBODY ever did what he did.

I know that sometimes, when it is time to tip, I feel resentful. Often the driver will go round and round the airport making sure he gets every last customer (this can add an hour onto our trip) or the driving is so erratic everyone is scared for their lives. But, on this trip, we all couldn’t wait to tip Todd. I saw every passenger pull out more money to compensate him than usual. Todd was the world’s best concierge and he had “earned” every cent (and more).

How do you give “concierge service” to your customers? Do you provide your customers with “inside information” that they cannot get anywhere else? Do you personalize their experience?

If not, you need to start today.

"Do I look like someone who is here to help you?" United O’Hare counter staff disappoints

Mike was waiting for his flight from Chicago to Detroit. It had been a long day for him. He had been working in Minneapolis earlier in the day and this was his last leg home.

He noticed on the board that his gate had been changed from 30 to 28. Knowing that there are sometimes mistakes he walked up to a uniformed United gate person who was standing at the counter. “Hi, is the flight to Detroit now leaving from 28?” “Do I look like someone who is here to help you?” she barked. “Er, well, yes, you are at the counter in uniform.” he replied. “This counter is closed.” was the last thing she said to him.

Mike walked over to another uniformed gate person to ask the same question. Her reply was “Just look at the board.” and she was done talking to him, too.

Mike was astounded that he would be treated so badly. He vowed to never fly United again. I can’t blame him. There is no excuse for the treatment he received. “Do I look like someone who is here to help you?” May be one of the most outrageous statements I have ever heard from a customer service person.

I know that the gate personnel are not richly compensated, but with attitudes like the ones Mike encountered, I think that they need to find new work — somewhere far away from customers.

Guest Post from The Amazing Service Guy Kevin Stirtz

Six Steps to More Loyal Customers

We all know it’s important to have loyal customers. But do you know how important it is? A study by Bain & Company suggests that a 5% increase in customer loyalty can improve profitability by anywhere from 25% to 95%. It shows us there are big opportunities available for owners and managers who are willing to do what it takes to increase customer loyalty.
The good news is, it’s not hard. And you can do it with the people and resources you have right now. It takes time, effort and patience to make it successful. But you can make a huge impact on your business.

Here’s what you need to do:
1. Ask your customers what they want.
This is different than what they expect. What customers expect is usually less (often a lot less) than what they want. But you need to know what they want.
What do they want in general? What are they trying to accomplish (or avoid)? Why did they choose you instead of your competition? What are their priorities and preferences?
Keep in mind different customers focus on different aspects of what your business does and how you do it. But if you speak with enough, you should see patterns and trends. You should develop some profiles of what various customers want.
Also look for how your customers want to be served. This will vary a lot and is harder to discover. Most people focus on what they want because it’s easier to talk about. But people like to be treated well. We all have different definitions of what being treated well means. You need to learn what it means to your customers.

2. Tell your customers what to expect.
Some companies try to be all things to all customers. They do too much and none of it well. Every company has a unique set of resources that gives it a competitive advantage. these are your company’s strengths. Learn what they are. Use them to determine what your company can do better than anyone else in your market.
Once you know what your company does best, compare that list with what your customers want. These two lists should overlap. (If they don’t, you have a problem!) Where they overlap is what your company should focus on. These are the things you need to do for your customers: the combination of what they want most and what you do best.

From this list you need to develop your message. You might call it a brand promise. You might call it your Customer Service Standards. What you call it is not as important as what you do with it. Use it to tell your story. It tells people why they should do business with you. and it helps them know what to expect when they do business with you.

Then make sure your customers, employees and management all understand your message. Do everything you can to share your message with these three groups. Post it in your store, on your web site, on your business cards, in your ads and anywhere else your employees, management and customers will see it. Get it noticed!

3. Create easy ways for your customers to offer feedback.
This is where many companies stumble. They focus so much on getting new orders and delivering the product or service, they forget what happens afterward. The only way you can consistently get better at what you do is with a steady flow of honest and direct feedback.
Find many ways for your customers to let you know what they think. Brainstorm with your employees. Make it a contest. Copy other businesses. Ask your customers. Do a Google search! Try different communication channels and keep trying until you find a bunch that deliver the amount of feedback you need (which is a lot).

Make sure this step is done by your employees. Don’t rely on outsiders (consultants, survey companies, etc.) to do this for you. They are your customers and you need to communicate with them directly. You’ll learn more from them this way and you’ll develop closer ties with your customers. You’ll also get another benefit. Customers love it when a company pays attention to them after the sale. They feel important because you’re asking them what they think.
Finally, make sure your customers know how they can contact you. Publish and promote the many ways customers can connect with you. Encourage them to reach out to you often.
4. Listen to what your customers say.
Many companies talk about customer feedback. Some do it well. Most don’t. Because they don’t work vary hard to hear what customers are saying about them. They might hear the obvious, like complaints and “thank yous” but nothing else. If you want to increase customer loyalty, you need to do better. You need to make a special effort to find out what customers are saying about your company, your products and your service.

This includes more than the feedback mechanisms you create (Step 3). It includes the many other ways people communicate about your company. The Internet is full of people’s comments about their customer experiences. Make sure you are mining this resource on a regular basis.
When you build trusting relationships with your customers and you open the lines of communication. You position your customers as partners. They can help you learn how to do a better job. But you need to communicate with them to make this happen. You need a steady flow of quality customer feedback.

Are you doing what you said you would? If not, what’s missing? Are they getting what they want? Is the message you’re sending the right one? If you have developed a brand promise, is it really what your customers want? And since things change, you need to stay abreast of changes in what your customers want.

Look for the Amazing Service Gap. This is the difference between what you promise your customers and what you’re actually delivering. Their feedback is how you know what your gap is. So listen for ideas on how to do better. Find ways to close the gap.

In addition to listening to your customers, you need to gather and store what they tell you. Most companies have plenty of contact with customers. But they never keep track of what their customers say. And if they do keep track, it’s often hard to access because it’s in a file drawer somewhere or buried in a database that nobody knows how to use.

Make sure the feedback you gather is stored in a way that people can get to. In fact, you should publish it. Make it available to everyone in your company. The more people who see it the more ideas you can generate to use it (Step 5). By having a lot of people look at it and talk about it, you’ll be able to see your customers more clearly.

Conduct regular and frequent meetings to talk about the feedback and draw conclusions about what it means. Look for trends and patterns. Also, look for what’s not there. Are there things you think are issues or concerns but that do not appear in any customer feedback? If so, what does that tell you? If it’s not important to your customers, should it be important to your company?

5. Act on what your customers tell you.
Information is no good if ignored. Beyond listening to your customers and considering what they say, you have to use it. This doesn’t mean you act on everything. Remember, Step 2, you can’t do everything everyone wants. So you need to pick and choose what feedback to act on. Focus on what will help your company do what you do best. Choose ideas that will help you close the gap (Step 4).

You might find feedback that takes your company in a different direction. Your brand promise (Step 2) might be missing the mark. Maybe you have a changing customer base or a changing market. If your feedback suggests this you need to consider how it affects your business. Then either act on it or make an informed decision to not act on it.

The bottom line in Step 5 is to do something with your customer feedback. It’s a gift from your customers so treat it as such. Make sure your thank every customer every time they offer feedback. And, let customers know what you do with the feedback. If they know it gets used they’re more likely to keep offering it. Help them get involved and stay involved as your partners.

6. Repeat.
Like the shampoo bottle says, “lather, rinse, repeat”. But in this case you should be repeating forever. This is a never ending process of learning, sharing, and working together.
Managing your company is no different than practicing a sport or hobby. The more you do something, the better you get. And since people and situations change constantly, this process needs to keep repeating so you don’t miss these changes. Keep cycling through again and again.

You’ll get better at knowing what your customers want and at giving it to them. Your customers will see you are truly focused on helping them get what they want. They’ll have little incentive to go elsewhere.

You’ll never please every customer every time. But if you follow these steps you’re much more likely to please most of them most of the time. That will keep your customers coming back again and again.

Kevin Stirtz is the Amazing Service Guy, a speaker and trainer who helps organizations of all kinds deliver Amazing Customer Service. His recent book: "More Loyal Customers" has won 5 star reviews at Amazon.com. You can find more at his website: http://AmazingServiceGuy.com

An open letter of apology to Nordstrom counter staff

Hi,
I am writing to you to apologize for my rude behavior yesterday. My girlfriend and I were looking for makeup, came up to your counter and interrupted the conversation that the three of you were having with one another. Yes, my mother raised me better than that. She did tell me it was disrespectful to interrupt a conversation. But, you know me, I just had to find out about the eye shadow your company sells.

Now, I am sure your conversation must have been important because you were so engrossed that you never even saw us standing there. Maybe you were talking about how Michigan, our state, has been so badly hurt by the recession—perhaps more than any other state in the nation. Or, maybe you were commenting on how Nordstrom, usually very busy, was essentially empty of customers that day. Maybe you were chatting about how if business didn’t pick up, you might all lose your jobs. Whatever it was, we could clearly see your conversation was way more important than us.


The nice thing is, that although we interrupted you, once one of you pointed to the makeup we asked about, you went right back to your conversation.

Here is my promise to you: I will never, ever, ever, bother you again. You can count on it.

Best wishes
Laurie

What is adequate compensation for being stuck for hours on the tarmac?

It seems that more and more passengers on planes are being stuck for hours on the tarmac without, food, water or working bathrooms. I asked Linked In members to answer the question: “What is adequate compensation for being stuck for hours on the tarmac?” The following are some of the answers:

“Honestly I don't think there can be any perfect compensation. You can't replace time.... and time is essentially what all of the passengers lost. Time spent with children, parents, grandparents, clients, bosses... take your pick. None of which can be gotten back. What is more bothersome is that lack of true compensation is only intensified by an airline, regulating authority, and any other number of persons who weren't willing to go beyond "the book" and come up with a solution to the problem.

How do you compensate for 5 hours? Starting with an apology and responsibility would be a good start.....” B. Smith

“I would want 2 complimentary First Class tickets with open ended dates to whatever location I choose. And free drinks whilst on the tarmac.” S. Andrade

“Free travel for life on that airline, should I ever wish to use it again (highly unlikely). At least $1,000 per hour for each and every passenger, plus extra compensation for any business lost as a result, plus a harassment fee of $10,000 per person.” F. Feather

“The thing to realize about compensation (or free blankets or free scotch or anything else) is this: There isn't some great pot of money lying around at an airline that they can use for stuff like this.

If an airline had to compensate passengers there would be only one way they could fund it: By raising fares - And that would impact you and me.

What I would much prefer would be a clear mechanism whereby passengers could buy insurance options which are presented 'in their face' at the time of ticket purchase that would cover them for the duration of their itinerary. The insurance would provide compensation due to delay or would get you on another carrier (if available) if you're delayed more than X hours or whatever.” G. Glave
“At a minimum: a free round-trip ticket and a handwritten letter of apology from the CEO.” J. Chernin

"Ultimately the people need to be shown that the problem is being fixed so it does not happen so often. I read the blog of the leadership of FAA, DOT. There were tons of people complaining about similar incidents that did not make it into the news media. The airline industry is entirely too cavalier about the inconveniences for their customers.

I accept that when there is a snow storm, or earthquake, or other severe emergency, it is not unreasonable that people might be stuck in a transportation facility for many hours without access to working toilets, food, medical services etc. and some people die in such conditions. Children are much more vulnerable to this semi-torture than adults. The transportation service should pick up their medical support for several years, in case of complications.

However, there have been several recent incidents where a plane was diverted from primary city due to thunderstorm, landed at an airport where the weather was fine, the toilets were fine, the security was fine, there was no logical reason why the passengers could not have had access to food, comfort, toilets, phones, etc. except that the personnel running the facility were brain dead on what could be done outside their normal routine, overworked, did not want to phone their supervisors at 3 am for guidance. Then next morning, when higher authority showed up for all relevant agencies ... airlines, airport, security ... it was a massive buck passing operation, no one was in charge, no one was responsible, the only stuff they had to do was obey some laws prohibiting plane crews from flying when they so tired from being awake & working for over 24 hours, so they had to be replaced, but there was no law to protect the customers, so tough luck, they get to continue to their destination arriving 24 hours after departure, on a plane whose toilets still not working, because while there is some law that a plane is supposed to have toilets working, that law does not get enforced.

There needs to be like a 911 for the news media, to inform them where there are planes, etc. that have been where how long, so that the news media can then descend on the homes & offices of the relevant airlines and other folks in charge, to ask how come. I would like to see people who are at ticket counter of airline X, or going to buy tickets at airline X, being asked by news media people what they think about airline X causing passengers to be stuck on runway for so many hours, and does that mean they might switch to airline Y?

There needs to be a 911 for this kind of situation to government authorities, after the passengers have had to wait more than some reasonable time interval, where the CEOs and other top managers of the transportation facilities involved are taken by police to a jail where there is no working toilet, no food, nothing to drink, not even water, no access to medicines, no comfortable place to sit, provided with phones & informed that they get to stay in that jail until
(a) their customers have got quality relief and compensation
(b) they (the CEOs etc.) have been in the jail for 2-3 times the time duration their customers were without working toilet, food, etc.
(c) when they get out, they go straight to hearing with a judge, where they need to give satisfactory explanation how this happened & what they have done to prevent it happening ever again.” A. Mcintyre


“If you compensate the 'victims', and such conclusion and characterization ought to be validated, you stand to repeat the issue and create more victims. If you penalize the root of the problem, the people whose chain of decision making leads to these situations, and I am not pointing to anyone here as I have no basis to do so, then you may give those folks the right incentive to go out of their way to deplane that next batch of victims. A win-win situation for all.” H. Benamar

What do you think is adequate compensation? Write and share your opinion!

Customers like to be remembered

Last week I was working in Orlando. I was staying at the Disney Contemporary Resort. Of course I am aware that Disney prides itself on superior customer service, so my expectations were pretty high. Even with those high expectations I still found myself amazed by a specific event.

After my class was finished I walked up to the reservation counter for the California Grill. Apparently it is a very popular restaurant so reservations are not easy to get. I was dining by myself so I thought I would check to see if I could eat later. A lovely woman behind the desk greeted me and told me that there should be no problem. It was a short unremarkable encounter and I walked away.

Later that night, after changing into more comfortable clothes, I decided to try and eat at the California Grill. I had no problem getting in (even though the place was packed.)

I was enjoying my meal at the sushi bar (the food was amazing,) when the woman who greeted me walked up to me and said “Wow, I am so glad you decided to come back.”

This blew me away. As I said, we had an unremarkable conversation, it lasted only seconds and I wasn’t even wearing the same clothes. But Ashley Call, the restaurants Guest Service Manager remembered me. And by the simple act of remembering me and telling me she was glad I came back she transformed my evening.

I felt important. I felt valued. I felt appreciated. She took a good evening and made it great. I eat at a lot of good restaurants, but I would go out of my way to go back to this one because of Call and her staff.

Call told me her goal was to make sure every guest leaves happy.

What do you do to make sure every customer leaves happy? How do you make your customer feel important, valued and appreciated?

Try doing something today to transform your customer’s experience.

You Lost My Sale Today

Yes you did. You probably don't care. At least that is how it appeared to me. I came into your store. Oh, I bet you don't think of it as YOUR store. I imagine you just think of it as the place you work. Which is probably part of the problem. But, I think of it as your store. And you ignored me. I walked in looking confused but interested. You were talking to your friend. I know you saw me. You just thought your friend and your friend's boyfriend were more interesting. You looked at me without acknowledging me or greeting me. You never stopped talking to your friend for a minute.

So, I walked out. The fact that I walked out without buying anything didn't seem to bother you one bit. Well, why should it? It's not YOUR store after all is it?

But wait, you get a paycheck right? Who do you think funds that check? Yes, it is me. And all the other people who buy things from your store. If you keep ignoring customers, the "owners" of the store won't be able to afford you. And in these tough economic times, that time may be sooner than you imagine.
So, please, the next time a customer enters your store greet them. Ask how you can be of assistance. Treat that customer as if your job depended on it...because it does.

The Power of a Handwritten Note

There is something special that happens when someone takes the time to put pen to paper and leave a thank you for your kindness or business. I was recently a guest at Crowne Plaza in Philadelphia and I left a tip for the housekeeper. (Note: I really am a good hotel guest, I don't leave a mess and my towels are always hung up.) Even though I always leave a tip for the housekeeper something different happened. This time I got a note back from her. I was delighted.

By simply putting writing that note she created the begining of a relationship with me. Do you think I made sure I left another tip the next day? You betcha. I would guarantee that this woman receieves more tips than her counterparts.

But, unless you are in a similar position you might wonder how this might help you and your business. In March I blogged about a Dentist who used handwritten notes to help his business.

No matter what business you are in, your customer will notice when you take the time to write them a note. It doesn't matter if it is on the bottom of the invoice you send, a postcard, a thank you note or a letter. Just take the few extra seconds it takes to write a note.

We have become adept at using technology to communicate in a variety of ways. Twitter, Facebook, E-mails, IM's, text messages allow us to instantly communicate to our friends and our customers. That's great. Instant communication can keep our customers in the loop. But for making a real impact on our customer nothing can beat a handwritten note.

Write someone a note today. See what happens.

How to Greet Your Customer-Attitude is Everything!

In a comment on a recent post Mr Q stated "The standardized greeting is a nice idea, one from which many businesses could learn. The other element, of course, is HOW the greeting is delivered... is it forced or insincere? If so, the WHAT will be completely lost in the HOW. So, as with all good managers, the mayor and/or city council must pay attention in an ongoing fashion to both the message and the delivery."

It was such a great comment I decided to write more about it. MrQ is absolutely correct. The HOW the greeting is delivered is absolutely essential. The following is from my soon to be published book "The Greet Your Customer Manual"

The most important element of your greeting is your attitude. No matter how hard you try to fool people, a negative attitude will be apparent. You give it away through your facial expressions, body language and vocal tone. Sometimes you reveal a negative attitude through what you doan't say or do.

A good attitude is one that is appropriate for your position of business. Clearly a funeral director needs to project a more somber attitude then a balloon store clerk. But both should be connected to their customers and concerned with their needs. Yes even the balloon clerk.

For most businesses, a good attitude means that youa re positive and upbeat, but in a genuine way. A phony cheery greeting has never once been mistaken for a good attitude. You can't successfully paste an insincere smile on your face in order to mask your true feelings. ou need to smile warmly and show enthusiasm for your customers.

So check your attitude. How would you feel if you were greeted in a similar fashion to the way you are greeting your customers?

Greeting Your Customer for Cities-Boardman Does it Right!

Chet Phillips, Boardman Oregon's new mayor understands the importance of a great greeting.

In an article in the East Oregonian, Erin Mills reports about Phillips first city council meeting. At this meeting Phillips announced his "Welcome to Boardman" campaign. He has asked all business owners to greet every new customer with "Welcome to Boardman."

Having the entire city greet visitors with this very welcoming greeting will have many benefits for both the city and for the merchants. First of all it is a great way to brand the city. After a few experiences hearing "Welcome to Boardman" visitors will think "WOW! That is different!" and they will tell friends and family about how welcome they felt. The best form of advertising is always going to be word of mouth. I can imagine Boardman getting known from this simple step.

The other benefit is that it will encourage all businesses to offer a warm greeting. Too often businesses can forget this important step. We get busy or distracted and forget to just say
"Hi" or "thanks for coming in" or any other greeting that shows that you are grateful to have this customer choose you.

In my soon to be published book "The Greet Your Customer Manual" I talk about how to greet your customers in a way that makes them feel like valued guests. I am so glad that the Mayor see how important a greeting can be for businesses and cities.

Why not start greeting your customers so that they feel like they are important to you. Tell me ways that you greet your customers!

Customer Service=Convenience

It has been my believe that what customers really want is EASY. Make it easy for them to do business with you and you will have a customer for life. Even in tough economic times most people still value convenience over price. 

It is amazing how many people make it hard for their customers to do business with them. Everything from making finding their phone number on their website into an Easter Egg hunt (tip: have your phone number as the footer on every page or at least have a clear "contact us" navigation button) to responding to emails and phone messages quickly (tip: 24 hours is TOO long these days. People want to hear back the same day if at all possible)

People need/want to have what they want quickly. Anything you put in their way ends up costing you the customer. We all have way too many choices where to do business. Easy to do business with will end up winning.

Yes, even "free" services need to be convenient. An article in the Star Community Newspaper talks about Shelley Holley, who has taken over the roll of library director at the Frisco Public Library. Holley's goal is to make her library relevant and convenient. She hopes to create a central area where where patrons can "...do things that sometimes now you have to go to several different areas of the library to do." Holley said.

What can you do to make it EASY for your customer to do business with you?

Look at these areas, as your customer might:

Phone systems. Have a friend or relative (who doesn't know the secret routes) to try and call your business. We sometimes haven't tried our own system since it was put in. If they they have to go through more than two sets of prompts you are NOT easy.

Email. Again, have someone outside attempt to contact you by email. How long did it take to get their mail responded to?

Parking. Is it easy to get into and out of your building. Sometimes you can control the parking but you can get innovative. Holiday Market has valet parking during holiday peak hours.

Returns. Yes, people can take advantage of liberal return policies. But I know people who ONLY shop at stores that allow returns easily. If you feel the need to have policies to protect you than make sure that they are clearly marked EVERYWHERE (Ie. on the sales slip, on your website, at the cashier etc. It doesn't hurt to have the salesperson say it out loud.

These are just a few of the ways you need to make your business easy. Now, let's hear from you.

What have you done to make your business easy? Or, what have others done that have made it hard for you to do business with them.

A prize to the best response!

A Holiday Greeting That Worked

OK. I know that the holidays are coming. It isn't a suprise. I know who I am giving to and what I am giving. So why do I wait until the last minute? Well that is probably unanswerable. However, it is clear that I am NOT the only one waiting to the last minute to order for their loved ones. So, as a business servicing these late-comers how do you greet them in a way that is personal and fun?

I think Harry and David succeeded in greeting me in a appropriate and fun way. An automated message came on and said "Thanks for calling Harry and David, we make your holidays easy." At the end of the automated message he said "relax." It wasn't so much a command as an invitation. Then the warm welcoming voice of the sales representative came on "Happy holidays How may I help you?"

Having just laughed at the request to "relax" which was the last thing on my mind I was pleased to hear her voice offering help. In minutes I was off the phone having sent my gifts. You know what? I am more relaxed!

Think of ways you can greet your customers in a way that acknowledges their situation and feels personal even if it is an automated message.

Stop Telling Us it's Our Policy!

Unbelievable. In this dire economy companies are still telling customers "Sorry, I can't do that, it's our policy." Can you really afford to push your customers away because of some stupid misguided policy? Really?

Last Saturday I went to a local dim sum restaurant to celebrate my friend Mary's birthday. There were 10 of us dining and we ordered A LOT of food. One of the guests asked for low sodium soy sauce. He was told "Sorry, that is only for people who are eating sushi." We were stunned. "Really?" he asked. "We can't have low sodium soy sauce if we don't order sushi?" "Right" our waitress said. We did the only sane thing we could do and ordered sushi we DIDN'T want so that we could have the low sodium soy sauce.

So, we got what we wanted. But did the restaurant get what they wanted? If their only concern was preservation of a condiment, then yes they did. But if their goal was pleasing their customer and making loyal customers, no they did not.

I know for a fact that most of us will choose the other dim sum restaurant that doesn't have this crazy rule next time we want dim sum.

Before you start feeling superior, check yourself. Have you or your employees, ever uttered the words " Sorry, that is not our policy" for ANY reason? If you, or they have, then you are as guilty as the restaurant. I am sure you think you have a more substantial reason for saying this. But, it still has the same effect on your customer's opinion of you.

Stop telling your customers that you have a policy that thwarts their desires. Make your policy "Customer Satisfaction" Try it today!

Putting Great Customer Service First

In a recent article in The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Joe Guy Collier writes about the changes that AFC Enterprises new CEO, Cheryl Bachelder is making to Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen. Bachelder said "We would like for our service, our guest experience to be as sharp as our food."

This kind of forward thinking is exactly what we all need to focus on in these tough economic times. Instead of letting the economic downturn get her down she said "We've had to be more focused, but I actually think that's been a blessing. We're going to get the fundamentals of our business moving the right way."

Popeye's has a system for immediate customer feedback that tracks hospitality as one of ten attributes. This feedback provides the managers the information they need to continuously improve.

Are you focusing on improving your customer's experience, or are you just slashing prices in hopes of winning your share of your customer's hearts and pocketbooks?

Focus on providing your customers what they want and need and you can win them over.

How Hard is it to Smile and Say Hello?

I just went to my city hall to pay my taxes. The woman behind the counter looked at me as I waited for her to finish with the gentleman in front of me. Although she looked directly at me, she did not in any way acknowledge me. No smile, no "hi," no "I will be right with you." Not even a nod.

How did this make me feel? VERY uncomfortable. VERY unimportant. VERY invisible. The strange thing is that she did look at me. How hard would it have been to add some sort of human contact to make me feel welcome? Literally she might have had to make the slight physical effort to raise the corners of her lips into a smile. Or move the muscles in her neck to nod. But seriously not much effort at all.

So why didn't she do it? My guess is that no one, not her bosses or her customers ever bothered to let her know the impact of her inaction. Probably no one taught her how to be kind and welcoming. In fact no one ever spent anytime helping her understand the importance of greeting her customer.

Just because she is a civil servant doesn't mean that we residents aren't her customers. And ALL customers (no matter what you call them: clients, patrons, patients, guest, buyer, member, or enrollee) deserve your warm greeting.

Start paying attention to how you are treated. As you become more aware of how you are treated it will be easier to judge how well you are doing with greeting your customer. And if you are a manager, start training your employees on what a good greeting looks and sounds like. Then reward them whtn they do it correctly.

Customers may not tell you how they feel...but they will tell their friends. Make sure they are telling good stories about you.

What Restaurant Service Can Teach Us About Word of Mouth Referrals

Recently my family dined at a new restaurant in our neighborhood. We were greeted by the hostess and we asked for a table for four. There were three of us there and my husband was parking the car. She informed us she wouldn't seat us until all of our party arrived. I laughed as I looked at the empty restaurant and said "You are joking, right?" She informed me that she was serious. I said "No, really you WON'T seat us until my husband finishes parking? REALLY?" She then said the absolute worst words ever spoken "Yes, I am sorry it is our policy".

Luckily a waitress offered to seat us before I went into a lecture about customer service, and how customers needs need to supercede policies.

I once spoke to the VP of food and beverage at the Ritz. When I asked him his philosophy of customer care he said " I treat people as if they were valued guests in my home." With that in mind, I can't imagine that the restaurant or the hostess would tell their guests to wait until everyone got there before letting them into thier home.

How many times has this hostess aliented her customers with her rigid attitude? How many people have communicated this treatment to their friends?

For quite awhile I have been writing about the importance of exceptional customer service. This has been especially true because of the internet. More and more we look to the web to tell us about others experience with a business. You probably have googled either a business, product or person to learn more about them.

Before the internet word of mouth referrals were pretty limited. If you messed up maybe that person would tell his or her friends, but the damage would be limited. But now one well written post could literally ruin the reputation of you, your product or service.

In a recent article in the NY Times Joe Drapes writes:

"While chef worship is in vogue, members of the next generation at the front of the house seem satisfied to practice their craft anonymously and perhaps more subtly. Their livelihoods, after all, depend on it in an era where the story of a bad dining experience can be posted on the Internet within minutes.

“I cannot afford to lose a single customer,” said Mr. Grieco, who opened Insieme more than five months ago and, with Mr. Canora, has owned Hearth in the East Village for nearly four years.

“It used to be that if something went wrong, you might lose a circle of family or friends. Now, half our reservations come from the Internet, and a negative experience on a blog can affect thousands of potential customers.”
Where first impressions mean much and can be spread instantly, there is a thriving market for hosts adept at managing image as well as business."

However it seems that some people have not yet gotten the message. How about you? Do you really understand the power of word of mouth? Have you googled yourself recently to see what people are saying about you?

Start (or keep)providing the kind of service that gets people talking about you in a positive way.

What Business are You In?

Really Easy Phone System

So you say that your phone system really makes it easier for your customers? It is time to come clean. Most likely your phone system is only for your convenience not your customers. What is my proof? I just came across Get Human. They have a a list of 500 companies that they grade on the ease of their phone systems, the phone number to reach them and they also tell you what you need to press to speak to a human.

As they describe themselves on their website;"The gethuman project is a consumer movement to improve the quality of phone support in the US. This free website is run by volunteers and is powered by over one million consumers who demand high quality phone support from the companies that they use."

Do you really think that you can afford to ignore one million consumers.

Here are some tips, from my article Getting Out of the Phone Loop, to make your phone system more consumer friendly:

Make it easy to contact your company
Have your phone number clearly displayed on everything: all printed and electronic media, receipts, your email signature line, on magnets, notepads and anything else your customers may keep. List your phone information in online directories, yellow pages, etc.

Some other things that make contacting your company easy are a toll free number to make it affordable for your customers to contact you at any time, if you use phone words, include both the spelling and the numeric equivalent.

Make it easy to talk to a human
Don’t make your customers search for a method to talk to a living, breathing person. If you have an automated phone system, it can be extremely frustrating and impossible to get in touch with a human being. Consider reducing the number of prompts in your system. One set of prompts is the limit for most people’s patience and goodwill. If you absolutely, positively must have more than one set of prompts, make sure to offer your customers the option of speaking to an operator in the first and subsequent series of prompts.

Make it easy for your customer to reach the person they need
Have employees take ownership of every call. If they can answer a question without transferring, have them go ahead and answer. If the caller needs to talk to someone else in the company, have the person who has answered the call tell the customer that they are going to be transferred, making sure they have given the caller the correct number in the event the caller gets disconnected or “lost” in the system. If at all possible, try to get a system that allows your employees to stay on the phone with the customer until the transfer is made.

As in any other business situation, have the employee introduce the caller to the person they are being transferred to. The employee should provide a brief recap of the customer’s needs and or questions before politely saying goodbye to the customer.

Make it easy to be on hold
30 seconds doesn’t sound so bad, does it? Phone time is different than regular time. When you are waiting for someone to help you, 30 seconds can seem like an eternity. If your people have to place a caller on hold, make sure that they check back every 30 seconds to update the customer and/or give them the option of being called back. Don’t ask the customer to call back, instead offer to call them back. Calling back your customer is a way of acknowledging that you know their time is important and you appreciate their patience.

If you utilize music for the on hold time, make sure that it is consistent with the image of your business. A better idea is to play information tapes that tell your customer about your business or give them some ideas to improve their life or business.

Make it easy to have a voice mail returned
If a customer leaves a voice mail message, they expect to get a call back quickly. Have your employees change their voice mail message each day. If they need to be out of the office, or if they are unable to return messages that day, their message should not only indicate that, but should also have the number or extension of a person who could be contacted immediately.

Sometimes (often) we are unaware of just how difficult and frustrating it can be to talk to a human at our own business. If you think you have an easy system, try it out yourself. Have friends and family members try it. Ask your employees to give it a try. Have them tell you what the easiest part of their experience was, as well as which parts were frustrating. Then fix the problems immediately. Make it as easy as possible for your customers to do business with you.

If you would like a copy of the article "Getting Out of the Phone Loop" email me at lauriebrown@thedifference.net.