Comments

You won't get even and your blood pressure will stay up. Why focus on the bad stuff when there is so much great stuff out there?

Posted by Helen at June 6, 2006 8:27 AM

On Helen's point... >Why focus on the bad stuff when there is so much great stuff out there?

My view? We need to learn and fix 'what's wrong' rather than simply focus on what's right.

This leads me to the point I came to make...

>newfound colleagues at the Direct Selling Association.

Can we therefore expect an 'MLMRe-imagined' transformation of that business? ;-)

Posted by gulliver at June 6, 2006 9:11 AM

I am looking forward to reading about what went wrong. A good Tom rant can teach more about customer service and business in general than a couple of classes in grad school.

Posted by Henry at June 6, 2006 9:12 AM

There are many philosophies (e.g. Victor Frankl's logotherapy) that point out you can't control what people say or do to you but you have absolute control over how you respond. I always try to think of the Toltec's 4 rules: be impeccable with your word; don't take anything personally; don't make assumptions; and always do your best.

I fall down sometimes (oftentimes?) but like many of the other people on this planet, I'm only human. Allegedly...!

Posted by Mark JF at June 6, 2006 9:22 AM

If our response is "turn the other cheek, suck it up and move on" nothing will change. This resort, supposedly in the hospitality industry, will never get the message.

Some just don't care. Good to note for future travel plans.

Posted by Kate at June 6, 2006 9:27 AM

Okay, enough with the lectures--what about the real point of this post: THE PROBLEM IS NEVER THE PROBLEM. THE RESPONSE TO THE PROBLEM ENDS UP BEING THE REAL PROBLEM.

Hey, I was blowing off steam among friends (here at tp.com). I'm hardly going to sully myself by peevishly ranting about this hotel--on the other hand I sure as hell won't recommend it. (My super-sophisticated, savvy travel agent is, I will say, as dismayed/smoked/pissed off by the behavior as I was; she's a "power player" in the travel booking world--and was repeatedly lied to.) AGAIN I UNDERSCORE: THE UNDERLYING PROBLEM WAS QUITE INSIGNIFICANT!!!!!!!!!!!

Posted by tom peters at June 6, 2006 12:18 PM

Tom, just wanted to tell you that I think "stating the obvious--over and over again" is a fantastic mission statement. From business to politics to everything else, I can't think of anything this world needs more. Long live obviuosness!

Posted by John Ounpuu at June 6, 2006 12:22 PM

Kate, long response required--but just arrived in Mexico City and not up to it. While it's not a recipe for the ages the fact is that I was pissed off (often peevishly) full time about customer service in the mid-80s. I was childish! And: After constant screaming, I actually made a dent of some size--worldwide. I was repeatedly called the "king of customer service" my major media--and helped the "service thing" become the Big Next Step after the Demming Quality Thing. So in that case I was a bully who never flinched, let alone turned the other cheek. It's mostly a selfish, crappy strategy--but it's also responsible for a lot of positive change. I do firmly believe that 99.999% of innovation comes from pissed off people who "won't take it-accept it anymore." (The other 0.001% comes from Focus Groups.)

Posted by tom peters at June 6, 2006 12:31 PM

Pursuit of WOW, Pursuit of WOW, Pursuit of WOW. If I/we/they aren't pursuing it, then the pursuit will be away from us and what we're about - and trying to get them to buy! (Plus it's good to know that a high-end place can be just as arrogant in thinking they can get away with dismal customer service as a low-end place, like Mal*Mart.) If no one is passionate at the top, then the customer contact points will always show it. Keep preaching it, Tom!

Posted by Earl at June 6, 2006 12:58 PM

If it’s any consolation I finally got an apology after over 5 weeks ‘off line’ due to problems with my UK Internet provider Wanadoo (now taken over by Orange). Wanadoo finally admitted it was there problem all the way along and I had a really apologetic phone call from someone in Head Office who sounded like he really cared.

I even got some financial compensation from them … … BUT IT WAS ALREADY TOO LATE.

By then I had already dumped them …

The whole saga of ‘pathetic customer care’ just got me down and disillusioned. It had a good side though because I am currently writing about abysmal customer care – because, sad to say, I see more bad than good stuff at the moment … The title of my Article is ‘LIES, DAMNED LIES AND CUSTOMER SERVICE’ ..let me know if you want a copy.

My message is – maybe you cannot change it but that doesn’t mean you have to accept it, shrugging your shoulders and saying ‘that’s just the way it is.’

Bad customer care is simply not good enough and I will NEVER give up telling them it is crap if it is crap.

Posted by Trevor Gay at June 6, 2006 1:04 PM

Tom, you are generally generous about good service I think an occasional negative rant is ok - especially when there is an unfortunate series of events - shows a process rather than an individual is the problem. I recently posted something about CompUSA. My daughter's laptop warranty ran out on the day I was flying back from Europe. I took it in the day after and offered to show them my passport/ticket as reason I could not have brought it before expiry date. The store manager fought for me - he sent me an email trail to his bosses and three different levels turned it down. Since the process seemed rigid I called it out on my blog and have appealed the CEO ...

Posted by vinnie mirchandani at June 6, 2006 3:32 PM

Tom, I wholeheartedly agree. I'm right now in an airport in India waiting for my flight to my next destination after a few hours. One of baggages is lost, probably another passenger mistook it as his own (and left his actual one)due to similatrity in appearance. I'm not pissed off since the response is not a problem in this case. The airline (although the National flag career and govt. owned) has shown attention and is making all efforts to track it down...

Posted by Mohit Bhushan at June 7, 2006 2:37 AM

For starters, Mohit, a simple, unadorned (authentic!) "I'm sorry" actually goes a long way--even if the person saying it is personally unable to do a lot to help.

Posted by tom peters at June 7, 2006 7:13 AM

Tom, thanks for your response. It gives me fuel for a new day. Having grown up/worked in the Deming Quality world yes, as a matter of fact, I do value the customer and appreciate the same respect when I happen to be the customer.

We press on. Enjoy your stay in Mexico City.

Posted by Kate at June 7, 2006 8:32 AM

ENERGY - their is a Mother Nature Father Time imperative to make right that which isn't - sometimes it takes a bit of time - but the payoff in service and quality received can be 10 fold. Actually kind of a Christian deal too.

Posted by Sean at June 7, 2006 8:34 AM

To Tom's main point--the response IS the problem--things usually (ALWAYS!) go wrong. People will put up with/forgive a lot of crap, to the degree there's a GENUINE effort to correct the problem and(/OR!) a REAL apology. In fact, I believe that in almost every long-term project there is a problem; and the handling of that problem sets in stone how good/great/lousy we are in our client's mind--perhaps more soundly than all our other work for them. Our REAL intent matters and is laid bare like at no other time when we are correcting a problem.

Posted by Norm Marquardson at June 7, 2006 10:57 AM

This ties in nicely with Fred Reichheld's "Ultimate Question." If I have a problem with a business, and they handle it well, I'm likelier to recommend them to others than I would a business that I haven't (yet!) had problems with.

Posted by Paula at June 7, 2006 5:06 PM

Thanks for that thought Norm. The word that comes to my mind is authenticity.

If the response to the problem is authentic (especially in rough situations) trust will build.

Posted by Paul Davidson at June 7, 2006 10:34 PM

I worked in my early years in restaurants and hotels and got my degree in this field. Superstars are born serving people and learning how to make individuals feel like superstars.

The hotel business is so easy to screw up and takes so much hard work to get right. But to paraphrase a line from Frank, if you can make it in hospitality, you can make it anywhere.

Posted by Tom at June 7, 2006 10:44 PM

Tom, funny thing. I was a part-time waiter for 10 years, paying my way through school. I was talking to a UAL operations exec recently; she'd been a waitress. We agreed that no one should be promoted to senior management unless they've been a waiter or waitress. While that' doubtless impractical, the spirit of the idea is not.

Posted by tom peters at June 8, 2006 12:18 AM

Interesting theme emerging here ... I too spent over 12 years working as a part time barman in earlier life to make enough money to feed the family. In talks I now deliver I still use the analogy that when a regular customer in your pub looks you in the eye and says “This pint is crap’ (excuse English emphasis) you don’t refer the matter to a sub committee or to your customer service department, develop an option appraisal, consult your policies and procedures – work through a flowchart and then get back to the customer. No …you have to deal with it on your feet – looking directly in the eye of your customer. There simply is no better training.

Posted by Trevor Gay at June 8, 2006 4:42 AM

VERY interesting theme emerging here. I paid my way through my bachelor's degree waiting tables and my master's tending bar. Some of the lasting lessons: sometimes it takes elbow grease; find out what they want and give it to them; when you learn what they like give them more. They, the customer, will appreciate you, pay you, tip you well and refer you to others in the right kind of way.

Posted by Kate at June 8, 2006 8:05 AM

Pardon my David Letterman inspired "Brush With Greatness" bit to frame this post ...

I had the distinct 'honor' to be on the receiving end of a telephone rant of Tom Peters early in my business life (April 1985) after one of his few, very few I'm sure, home-cooked meals was disrupted by an automated telemarketing device promoting a carpet shampoo service (demo) by a local Electrolux salesperson.

soft tabs viagra Although I was in my Chicago office (conducting after-hours interviewing) at 8:30 p.m.; I was treated to a tirade that still gives me goosebumps and raises the hair on the back of my neck! When asked if I knew who I was speaking to, I replied in the affirmative and asked for his home phone number so I could investigate the nature of his complaint and follow up with him. I was surprised that he gave it to me; but more surprised by the responses I received from Electrolux brass up the chain of command. sample viagra free

Their collective view was alarmingly dismissive of the action-potential found in "the pen is mightier than the sword" belief I had. Overwhelmingly, I was told not to pay any mind to someone who tells the world that changing with the times is the only way to survive while reaming a company for embracing the technology to do just that.

Having grown up in an Electrolux home (my father sold them for 37 years to supplement his income as a firefighter) and learned that sales is a people business - regardless of product or service - I was conflicted by the paradox of the business realm. More importantly, though, I was completely turned off by the collective "up yours" mentality communicated by Electrolux's field leadership.

I've always wondered how that supper-interrupting phone call impacted TP. Let's face it, if you're motivated enough to search out the corporate office phone number to immediately voice your displeasure ... it was beyond annoying.

generic viagra without prescription in australia Twenty-one years later and I'm still wondering.

By the way, I remember apologizing to Mr. Peters for his supper being disrupted first, then promised to investigate his problem. Unfortunately, I was never able to speak directly to him again to close the file. To me, it's still open ...

Posted by Tom LeClair at June 13, 2006 12:06 PM