Comments

Since I started work in 1969 – as a front liner of course - my opinion has not changed. Front line staff are not valued anywhere near enough in most organisations. This is despite patronising platitudes from senior management such as; ‘Our staff are our most valuable asset’

In my opinion that is usually not the way staff are treated in reality when we take apart, in some detail, the ACTIONS of managers compared to their WORDS. As Andrew Carnegie said 'As I grow older I pay less attention to what men say. I just watch what they do.'

I argue almost every single front liner is ‘over managed’ Processes that are always invented by managers usually mean front line staff have to jump through completely unnecessary hoops and I believe many management jobs could easily be wiped out overnight if we give front line staff more freedom to make decisions.

I get a real buzz when I see staff ALLOWED to use their initiative and work for the customer rather than having to disappear and ask permission of someone more 'senior' (but often less 'in touch' with customers) In reality, the front liner usually knows the right answer. If it is frustrating for me as a customer just imagine how it feels for the member of staff and how demoralising it is.

Posted by Trevor Gay at June 8, 2007 11:38 AM

Hot button subject for me, Val. Bravo Trevor. Recognizing that my response is gender specific, I'll spare the details, of which there are many.

Victoria's Secret 1
The Gap/Body 1.5
Wolfords 10

Posted by kate at June 8, 2007 4:07 PM

Local bakery, 10. Local coffee shop, 10. Both owner-operated.
Chain hardware store: 1 (if you can find an associate).

Posted by Mike L at June 8, 2007 4:43 PM

Ditto to what Mr. Gay wrote.

However, we have a very good economy, why should an execellent worker want to work such a miserable job? Low pay, standing on your feet all day, s%^+ on by upper managment, abused and lied to by customers etc.

Posted by Billy Oblivion at June 8, 2007 4:59 PM

Thanks Kate and Billy - it's an absolute no brainer for me - treat staff like adults and they will act like adults. Treat them like children and don't be surprised if they act like kids.

I forgot my scores:

10 - My local barber (it doesn’t take her long)
8 - Virgin Trains
Minus 10 - Any organisation that doesn’t let their front liners be adults

Posted by Trevor Gay at June 8, 2007 5:18 PM

I love this topic -- especially after today’s experience!!!

Today, I visited Office Depot to purchase a fountain pen as a graduation gift. I asked a sales person for directions to their display of fountain pens. She pointed me in the direction. I found the display case, locked without a sales person nearby. I peered into the case, spotted a couple interesting pens and went looking for a sales person. I found the first lady talking with another sales person. I asked for assistance. The other sales person called for assistance. The first person he called was on break. He asked another, who did not appear within several minutes. I left the store wondering why neither of the two individuals I spoke with, including the first sales person, who gave me directions knowing the display case was locked, hadn’t offer to help me.

This evening, I visited our neighborhood Staples. I wasn’t at the display case more the 2 seconds when a young man offered to assist me. Wow! They had only one fountain pen; a nice one ideal for a graduation gift. He so wowed me that I shared my Office Depot story with him and thanked him for his excellent customer service.

Add office products to the list of businesses where relationships matter more than products.

Staples - 10 (glad to shop there again)
Office Depot – 0 (not worth my time & money)

Posted by Peter McKay at June 8, 2007 9:27 PM

I think this is everyones pet topic.

Its about customers, the staff at the front line look after the paying customers (they bring real cash in) then the senior staff should look after the internal customers (The staff if they are 'happening' then the customers will part with their cash readily... simple).

So if this is the scenario (from my viewpoint) anything out from the coal face better bend over backwards to provide the staff with whatever it takes to be brilliant, exceptional and wow... anything less is an absolute travesty.

My scores
2 - my local apple store
4 - most other apple stores!
10 - Cirque do Soleil the experience is brilliant! (and a million other superlatives!!!!)

On the service thing, I HATE when I am asked "Can I help you" or "Are you right?"

I only want help if I am in trouble and usually I am not in trouble... and does the question about right mean that I started off wrong???

Posted by Steve Gray at June 8, 2007 11:57 PM

I agree Steve - Another thing that intrigues me about customer care:

Those staff behind the counter who look me in the eye and say ‘Next please’ as I stand in an orderly queue anyway … I can work it out without being told .. honest … I really can!!

I guess I really must get out more :-)

Posted by Trevor Gay at June 9, 2007 4:38 AM

Too true Trevor... I trained a group once to develop a whole bunch of alternative options they could use in customer service situations and they were astounded at how many options they came up with... they then picked the rock solid ones, made small laminated cards to put next to the cash registers to remind them, and to rotate through them.

It was good value, the cards have long disappeared when a new manager decided to clean up around the place (yeah that was bright) but many of the older staff still use a huge chunk of options when chatting to prospects and customers.

The 'new' manager is still stuck with "Can I help you?" and wonders why the others get far more sales!

Posted by Steve Gray at June 9, 2007 7:05 AM

At many stores customer service is now an oxymoron in the class of military intelligence.

My wife, a former ad executive, and I collect a customer disaster stories, I use them for my IT consulting business.

My recent favorite is the Italian Restaurant that absolutely would not put the meatballs on the side - the cook just couldn't see why a customer would want that (as if it mattered why).

Posted by Cary King at June 9, 2007 9:58 AM

Thanks again for your insight Steve and Cary I also collect good and bad stories of customer care. It seems to me some companies ‘get it’ about good customer care and some don’t.

*I know about the need to balance books
*I know about the need for policies
*I know about the need to have strategies
*I know about governance
*I know about risk management
*I know about legal things

I also know about good customer care and poor customer care and something about people at the front line (having been one for many years) Good organisations for customer care exhibit the following:

*Flexibility in their rules
*Power for front line staff to resolve problems for customers on the spot and without having to ask managers
*Front line staff using their discretion
*Front line staff and Managers having empathy with customers
*Viewing customers as 'friends' not an 'inconvenience'

Poor organisations for customer care display the opposites of the list above. To me it is very simple but I may be missing something

Posted by Trevor Gay at June 9, 2007 12:32 PM

So is it cultural? and why do people start with customer service as the starting point job... pick some 16 Yr old and put them at the front. often barely trained... got to give Macca's a plug here their training seems very good. yet KFC... oh boy!

Posted by Steve Gray at June 9, 2007 5:38 PM

Trevor said it all...

I'd like to rate my recent shopping experiences at a 7.5

Too high, maybe?

Now my long and tedious point of view (I'm joking about the tedious part):

Customer service is an equation of expectations vs. perceived performance, and both of them are marinated in the subjectivity of every person involved.

Shopping processes involve three things:
1. The "tangible" thing you went to buy in the first place
2. The necessary transactions and operations - getting to the store, taking it from the shelf, paying, et al...
3. And the surrounding experiences and emotions.

It is well known that people go to Wal-Mart to BUY things, but not to SHOP. They are focused on being the best option for the tangibles you buy based on price. Most Wal-Mart shoppers already know this, they expect it, and it is the main reason why they go there.

Is "buying" at Wal-Mart a negative, emotionless experience? Of course not! Because plenty of people feel happy to get a good deal, and that's a great emotion to have.

Now, let's say you find a digital camera at Wal-Mart for $150. If you go to some other store (an electronics store, or a camera shop perhaps) most likely you'll find a very similar camera for a few bucks more. HOWEVER, you expect a better shopping experience for that additional cash you will be paying: less crowded stores, shorter lines at the register, better selection, knowledgeable salespersons, hassle-free returns (ha!) and also the FEELING and POSITIVE EMOTION of being able to buy something at a higher price at a nicer place because YOU CAN... or maybe you'll just browse those ultra-expensive HDTVs to feel like a rich and important big spender, or maybe you want to be able to talk about the latest gadgets at work.... it's about EMOTIONS.

BUT if something or, most likely, SOMEONE spoils the shopping experience, we are most likely to feel shortchanged, because we know that we were willing to pay extra for it, not for the item itself.

Posted by G Salcido at June 9, 2007 5:42 PM

Steve and Gabriel– I think it is cultural and that culture has to be initially created from the top. I actually think the term ‘customer service’ underplays the importance of the relationship between staff and customers. ‘Customer service’ is a lightweight expression. We should be inventing something new in 2007 because customers are in charge at last and the excellent organisations know the relationship between their brilliant front line staff and the customer is where the added value is. It really excites me to think of a fully empowered front liner engaging with a smile a fully informed customer – WOW - that is something to aim for!

Posted by Trevor Gay at June 9, 2007 6:16 PM

hello,
Not only do most chians not pay enough to attract quality people(above 22).
But most use online applications that have the stupidist personality test involved . that turn the application process from just filling out and dropping off a appilcation . Too an hour and a half of answering stupid questions . All to probably not get a 7$ an hour job.

I have taken online personality tests that took 3 minutes and i found quite accurate .

It's really hard to find good workers. who can afford to work for what these companies are willing to pay .

Posted by Ken O at June 9, 2007 9:29 PM

I don't work in retail per se anymore, but what Trevor described hits the nail on the head and could definitely be applied to my job. I work in a call center and I would say every employee that I work with is 'over managed' and overstressed about their job. The supervisors (if they can be called that) make it even worse and actually contribute to the problem. I would say that awful customer service is the result of awful managers/supervisors every time. They're so concerned about you following some arcane rules that actually satsfying customers is far from their minds.

I worked in a restaurant for awhile and I had a manager that would remind/reprimand employees for calling customers 'customers' -- he prefer 'guests,' which I hated at first until I realized he is right. If you make someone feel valued for patronizing you, they will act better and appreciate your service. I would go into the restaurant after working at the call center that day and actually felt happier.

Posted by Andrew at June 9, 2007 10:18 PM

Or is it because we quickly promote our best associates to management and leadership roles?

We do it all the time in the multi-family business. We see a high-flying leasing consultant/customer service gurus' and we promote them to Assistant Managers.' It's usually as a "reward" for providing stellar customer service and generating results.

I disagree with the comments about 'over-managed' and overstressed as I see those as self-inflicted states of mind. Laying blame on supervisors and managers is a cop out. A comment like that is to suggest that every employee provides sub-par service. The survey suggested 21% of people cited sub-par service which means 79% of people had an alternative opinion.
Every job has its fair share of stress, it really comes down to the individual and their ability to manage their time and attention on the things that matter most; the customer.

Posted by Mike Brewer at June 10, 2007 6:31 AM

I don't work in retail and never have.
I think people (not the sales people, the customers) are too grouchy. The customers are just over stressed.
I don't have problems in stores.
The service is fine - I can't remember the last time I had a bad experience.

Posted by pete stafford at June 10, 2007 1:58 PM

lets stop calling them associates for a start!

Ok let me rephrase that - too much emphasis is put on useless platitudes like that to try to help staff to feel valued.

There is only one way to make staff feel valued - Value them!

I recently came across an story from a friend of mine who talked of snr management demanding that the "new culture" is to be rolled out by the end of the qtr. I do wonder if the problem is, that by definition, the type of animal that makes it to the top in most orgs (political, very task/achievment focussed) is simply not the type that can ever be customer focussed or understand a culture - they simply cannot feel it.

Posted by PaulH at June 11, 2007 2:21 AM

4 quick-ish points.

Customer service vs. customer experience! People need to understand the difference between service (i.e. how you are treated when you interact with a salesperson) and experience (store layout, ambience, facilities, attitude - the whole 9 yards).

Training! Where are young folks expected to learn how to be good salespeople, especially when it such an under-valued job? Rather than lots of supervision, they need good role models they can watch and learn from - but how many stores have identified people as mentors and reward them accordingly?

Buyers (1)! I have the utmost sympathy with store people when "buyers" are simply handling the product to get a feel for it and are looking for feedback from a salesperson when they fully intend to but the item from an internet site. It's part of the job but it's demoralising.

Buyers (2)! I agree there's no excuse for rudeness or off-handedness etc but some buyers are just plain, downright rude and frankly deserve "bad service." Over the years, I've had a few examples of bad or shoddy service but you know what I've found in 99% of cases? If I treat the salesperson like an intelligent adult, the encounter is usually a good one.

Posted by Mark JF at June 11, 2007 3:06 AM

So its about mentoring and coaching the front line staff to be providers of wow experiences for guests. This way a culture of excellence is not imposed but presented/taught to them, by providing exceptional coaching and mentoring a difference to the experience/service could be instigated.

Doable... Feasible... So what's stopping this from being the norm?

Posted by Steve Gray at June 11, 2007 6:52 AM

My wife and I were visiting a friend in Ann Arbor and had the opportunity to eat at Zingerman’s Deli. We ordered a few sandwiches and then proceed to eat outside at one of their pick nick tables. I casually asked my wife how the sandwich was, and her response was “good, but the bread is kinda hard (from toasting)”. As my wife is telling me this, a young Zingerman’s worker was changing an out door trash canister just a short bit away from where we were sitting. The employee overhead heard my wife’s statement, stopped what he was doing, and walked over to my wife and politely asked her if he could bring her another sandwich. Both my wife and I couldn’t believe the employee would care to this extent. My wife told him “thanks, its o.k., you don’t have to do that”, not wanting to burden the employee. Well… the employee goes inside and within a few minutes he brings her out a new, fresh sandwich and apologies that the bread was over toasted! Not just customer service, but customer delightment! +10

Posted by Keith at June 11, 2007 11:52 AM

Service means to serve. Managers should first go to the dictionary. You can train animals but you develop people. It seems that in business today, no one wants to "sweat" the details. Training it seems comes down to how to run a register instead of how to work with the customer as well as each other. How many times have we heard "have a nice day?", how many times did it feel authentic? Service is a management issue. Ritz Carlton says service is ladies and gentlemen serving ladies and gentlemen.

Service is a discipline and it takes standards and a daily set of disciplines to provide the right feel in any place of business. You know when you are being served vs. being waited on. In most cases I believe the staff needs to be taught how to serve, because they really don't know.

It is time for upper management to take their business seriously. Think about all sales lost due to inept service. How many pens has Office Depot not sold??

Posted by Jack at June 11, 2007 12:02 PM

What’s really interesting is how you can get two different experiences in the same store but different employees. One store that I shop at, way too often, has two people that generally wait on you. The first is friendly, helpful, and even knows my order before I can even speak. (a.k.a. Starbucks). The other person never smiles, is never welcoming, and basicly seems like you are annoying her by even being a customer. The interesting point is that the first one’s behavior is not rewarded and the second is never penalized. So the customer experience never changes. Just Tollerated..

Posted by RTodd at June 11, 2007 12:36 PM

I agree with the comments of RTodd, Trevor and others above. Your experience can depend on the individual you are dealing with as much as the organization they work for. My best and worst experiences came from companies that are notorious for giving you the opposite experience.

My best was when I was travelling from San Francisco to New York about 10 years ago. I arrived at the airport and found the lines at American Airlines a mile long and filled with unhappy travellers. The counter workers didn't look much better and even my line for the AAdvantage premium flyers was long, which was very unusual. I prepared myself for either a cancelled flight, long delays or worse.

When I finally got to the counter I smiled - nothing else to do - gave the counter person my ID and ticket and asked what all the fuss was. Apparently, weather somewhere was causing major headaches and everything was either cancelled or delayed - UGH!

As I accepted the inevitable the woman behind the counter paused for a minute and then said, "Mr. Hayden I've just re-booked you on another flight, on another airline, which leaves in 30 minutes. I hope you don't mind, but the only seat we could find is a bulkhead."

That she re-booked me right there, on the spot, on the next flight made me ecstatic. The fact the bulkhead I was so unfortunately assigned to was in row 1 of a 3 class airplane made me a loyal American flyer for life. The experience was a 10.

The worst was when I was with a group of my college house mates shopping for groceries late one night at a Wegmans. The store was virtually empty and the lone cashier was having a rather public spat with their supervisor. As our groceries were unceremoniously whipped through the scanner and dumped into bags we didn't say a word - I think we were too stunned by the scene. After we paid and had the receipt literally thrown at us, one of my mates said, "what, not even a 'have a nice day'?" The reply for the cashier was terse: "It's on the receipt," and we walked out. The experience was about a 1.

Front liners make all the difference.

Posted by Andrew Hayden at June 11, 2007 1:26 PM

keith,
thanks for your story. Zingerman's Deli is one of the case studies in Bo Burlingham's book, "Small Giants." bo is also a Cool Friend here at tompeters.com.

Posted by Erik Hansen at June 11, 2007 1:26 PM

Speaking of Zingermans: go to their website www.zingtrain.com and go to the free samples section. Here you can download many of their training materials. They train and hire for service and experience. I've never been to a Zingermans, but can't wait till I'm in the area to experience it.
Also, Trader Joes has always been great...and I know they are picky in their hiring and have high expectations of their people.

Posted by Todd at June 11, 2007 1:35 PM

Great posts. I like most everyone else, have had both experiences in the same store (Starbucks included). One of my best recently was last Friday at a local chain store called Shop-Ko.

Our teenager was outside with her cell phone and placed it on the trunk of my car while she was doing something else. A bit later I left to run an errand and when we got to where we were going we realized she had left the phone on the trunk. Enough said. We've not found the phone and since we had heard that Track phones were a good product we opted to go and purchase one of those whose features are as good as the one she lost.

Enter Shop-Ko

It is the only place to go in our small farm town unless I jump on the highway and go over to the Twin Cities (a half hour drive) so I tried Shop-Ko first and was really impressed with the level of service from this young man. I was complimenting him to my husband and it turned out he had helped him the night before with a different purchase and he was just as helpful with him.

His name is Lee and he works in the electronics department in River Falls, WI and he is deeply appreciated for his care, and knowledge. He went above and beyond my expectations. I've shopped at name brand outlets before like Circuit City, or Best Buy where they specialize in electonics and not gotten this kind of service. Good Job!!!

On a related note, I read the book Growing A Business by Paul Hawkin years ago, mid 80's and watched the PBS series that was made in Californina by the same name. Making the employee as important as the customer was a key point and I don't think that has changed any over the years. Each company that Paul profiled did a stand up job in both areas. Acknowledge your employees, respect them, find a way to make it their company too. A way to invest them so that when the company wins, they win. See Paul's book. It is as true today as it was then and Tom echos's it in everything of his I have read so far.

In my younger days I worked as a checker, and as a receptionist and what you give to people is what you will get back. I am still in a service oriented field and even when someone is irate and stressed, giving back more of the same is not helpful to anyone. Take just one second and put yourself in their shoes, whether it is the irate customer or the over managaged Associate. It can defuse the situation. What would you want if it were you? Chances are they are irate or short tempered because they have not felt heard or respected. Maybe dad's Alzheimers is worse and all they can think about is going and checking on him and mom and trying to figure out how they can get help for mom. You never know what's going on in those shoes . . .

Make eye contact, breath from your heart and ask yourself what would help in that situation and then go with your hunch.

Again, great post!

Posted by Nellie Moore at June 11, 2007 3:04 PM

Ugh!!! Hate it when I make spelling errors Paul Hawken , not Paul Hawkin. See his books here http://www.paulhawken.com/paulhawken_frameset.html

Posted by Nellie Moore at June 11, 2007 3:14 PM

I, like several of your readers, had both a good and bad experience today. Where I differ is the location. I experienced absolute indifference when shopping for sunglasses at The Sports Authority today. While I tried to determine which pair best met my needs I felt that every question grated against the very soul of the sales associate. I’m always amazed at: A) how little disregard floor associates have for customers, and B) how little they know about the products that they carry. I’m not asking them to split an atom. I simply want to know some of the salient features that differentiate the different sunglasses that I was considering.

On the flip side I ordered a hockey helmet today from Hockey Monkey. The first associate I spoke with admittedly had very little knowledge about the helmet I was interested in, or any helmets for that matter. She was kind enough to give me a non-toll free number to call to ask an expert. The expert did provide detailed information that I used to purchase the helmet. However, why the first associate could not transfer me defies logic based on contemporary telecommunication capabilities.

The Sports Authority 0
Hockey Monkey 6

Posted by Gary Davis at June 11, 2007 7:59 PM

After many years, needed to buy a vacuum cleaner. And I wanted a good one. The first visit, we had to keep asking questions to the sales person to figure out what was what. As we're leaving he says "Tomorrow we have 10% off everything". So the next day we came in before the sales people showed up and got a technician instead. He knew his inventory inside and out and showed us the differences between the different models. Even went into the back room, got a screwdriver and took them apart to illustrate certain features. We bought two.

Posted by Bruce Fryer at June 11, 2007 10:43 PM

Many years while ago studying photography, the local photo shop put on a new 'associate' she was a bright young thing, eager to please.

The boss came to visit from one of their other stores and said to her... "Day one is you get to check out where things are, and I want you to take a long lunch so you can have a fresh head... Then start day two by picking up every camera we have, clean them, dust the shelves then put them back, when that is done go back to the first one and figure out the basics of it, then to the next one and so on... JUST the basics..

Then go to the book section and look up any and all of the questions you have about their basic features... then any techno details ask the other sales associates... later on you can figure out the higher end functions of all of the gear."

By day three she had a solid knowledge of the gear they sold. That knowledge served her well for the next five years... a new employee joined the team on her fourth year and she did the same with him... Yes develop the staff, not train them...

Posted by Steve Gray at June 11, 2007 11:13 PM

I often find service -- even the basics, ie. a pleasant smile or a kind word -- quite lacking. When I do receive good service, it's such a refreshing change that I'm surprised.

Associates often forget that their job is "customer service." I agree that experiences can vary from employee to employee. My favorite grocery store has two cashiers that I always seek out even if their line is longer because I know I'll get excellent service. There are also several cashiers that I deliberately avoid.

Lands End is another of my favorite retailers because I have always had helpful customer service people who are willing to go a little further to be sure I get exactly what I'm looking for even when I'm not quite sure what that is.

Lands End = 10
Local grocery store = 10 for good help, 4 for bad =7 total

Posted by Nancy at June 12, 2007 12:08 AM

So again, it's about flexibility of approach. Each associate needs to understand that each customer can be VERY different and how to handle, work with those differences so they can reach a good connection level with each one. Then greater clarity of communication can take place.

What makes me happy does not make the next person happy...

I changed banks because of these kinds of differences that the bank manager could not or did not want to see but just kept trying to justify... arrgh! So I left and took my money with me...

Posted by Steve Gray at June 12, 2007 12:39 AM

Paul H - 'There is only one way to make staff feel valued - Value them!'

Brilliant - sorry I've been out a couple of days and missed that comment - says it all Paul thanks!

Posted by Trevor Gay at June 12, 2007 3:03 AM

In the small community I live in most small businesses Id give very low rankings to. They do not seem to care for the customer at all, they only seem to be in business for themselves, meaning, they work limited hours, that are obviously just for them since they are never open when the customer would like to be there.

mom and pop coffee shop: 4
Starbucks after they opened: 9
local hardware store: 5 (never open)
Target after they came in: 10!
Walmart, even after they opened a big beautiful store: 4

Posted by Mike at June 12, 2007 8:40 AM

A word about Apple here: fantastic product (it's really a lifestyle choice rather than a computer or mp3 player etc.), fantastic marketing ... but go into any Apple store, and while the store employees are friendly enough, I have noticed that they are not the most efficient, knowledgeable or even at times, helpful. Apple store employees all gladly tell you that they are not paid on commission, but it does make me wonder then: would it not be better if Apple did pay people commission, to motivate them to make a sale (and therefore brush up on knowledge)? Often I've gone in to an Apple store knowing far more about the software available than the store employee - this should definitely not be the case, particularly with a relatively high-end product like Apple.

As I say, they are friendly there, but often I want extra knowledge and/or efficiency as well, especially when it comes to technology. Does anyone else agree with me? Or is the consensus that a non-commission package is a good thing for Apple employees?

I should add that I think the free in-store lectures are a brilliant idea, definitely keep you in the nice-looking stores longer and tend to contrast with the slight dearth of knowledge you see in store employees.

Posted by Daniel M. Harrison at June 12, 2007 5:34 PM

Daniel, I went to our apple store to get some software, I got the response of... look it up on the net...

HELLO! I want to buy it,so I started again.. "So tell me, what do you have in the way of a contact database type program, I hear there is one called Act..." No never heard of it...

I asked about another program... yep we can get that, paid for it and had to wait two days for shipping. "We will call you when it comes in" no they didn't, I rang after a WEEK! "No its not here yet" I dropped in about ten minutes after the courier had been there that afternoon... "No not here... I'll check on the computer... hmm its says its here? ergh.. here it is Oh that came in a while back..."

I grabbed it and left very disgruntled.

I have been a Mac guy for a very long time, and over all the years of buying, upgrading etc I have only ever spent about $3500 with them, the rest I have bought elsewhere (have been known to drive an hour and a half to get what I want, with good service.)

I hate sending people to the local store... Thankfully there is another store opened up, they have a lot of PC's and so on so its a new thing. I went to see what they had, and a salesman had a couple bailed up telling them all the ins and outs of the Mac.. waste of time... they were sold on the looks of the thing, he really talked well past the sale!!!! ten minutes later he was still going!!! ARRGH.

Service please... someone, ANYONE!

Posted by Steve Gray at June 12, 2007 6:12 PM

Steve,

Thanks for chiming in. This has somewhat been my experience with Mac people ... what gets me now is that they are advertising these "Mac Geniuses". Great idea, but you absolutely HAVE to carry through with it (i.e. pay top dollar for extremely smart computer geniuses).

I tried talking to one the other week (they are at the Apple store) about a program I couldn't get to run, and after 30 mins of going through the obvious, I got the response: "Try re-loading your operating system." !!! What a drastic action for ONE fairly minor piece of software ...

I want to emphasize though that a lot of what they are doing I think is great, it's just the retail side that doesn't seem to gel with the brand. I love my Mac, iPod etc., it's just I don't get why they don't hire consistent with the brand message.

Posted by Daniel M. Harrison at June 12, 2007 9:03 PM

Question: is it possible to always, 100% and without single exception hire the right kind of people who will always, 100% and without single exception in every possible situation behave consistent with the brand message?

I think the answer is, "No - we're asking the impossible."

This is probably going to attract the wrath of all you perfectionists, and I know if you aim for 100% and fall just short you still end up pretty good whereas if you aim for 99% etc etc... However, I think it suffices that an organisation gets the big things right, it does the small touches that matter consistently and is right on 99.something % of occasions.

If an organisation offers me poor service regularly or too often, I'll swap. (Which is why I loathe Virgin and Sir Richard Branson whereas Trevor's experience is that he loves 'em.) But I'll forgive the occasional problem if the usual experience is top class.

Posted by Mark JF at June 13, 2007 5:24 AM

Hmm, interesting. Customer service in the UK is pretty appalling most of the time and I think it's because staff are bored, underpaid, poorly trained, clearly not valued (I wonder how many times they have heard the HR BS about "People are our greatest asset"?)and probably cannot see any 'carrot' in being better at their job, including a career path. Many companies set the bar pretty low in terms of front-line behaviour and that includes their floor managers.

I think it's partly cultural too in that in the UK serving other people is redolent of the class system writ large and so service is something at the bottom of the pile and a job to be ashamed about, not something to do with class and style. But then most large companies won't allow their front-line staff the latitude to do that anyway so back we go again to the bored, badly trained people because anyone with a spark has left and gone into advertising.

When I shop in an electrical goods outlet, I am reliant on the staff to know their product and to be able to guide me through to what is the best purchase for me. But if I go into a Comet or Dixons at the week-end, the whole branch seems to be full of Saturday staff who - guess what? - aren't well trained and my guess is have no interest in retail as a future career. So the service is friendly but useless.

I went on to the Zingtrain site and tried to get freebies but guess what? You have to complete an online form with your personal details including which state you live in. It's a mandatory field and I don't live in the US so I can't fill in the state so I can't download the freebies. Neither can I email the company to tell them because, er....you have to complete a form with your contact details and that includes a state...you get the picture.

Posted by Allison at June 13, 2007 8:50 AM

Hi Mark - Really interesting about Virgin and the experiences of different customers. You must have been unlucky.

I’ve travelled on Virgin trains in the last two and a half years an estimated 250 individual train journeys (125 returns). My average journey distance I would estimate being about 110 miles and the average journey time around 2 hours. In that time I have had only 2 late arrivals that I can remember. Mostly trains have been on time - often early arriving at destination. The staff I have always found to be really friendly and helpful. The comfort is much better than any other train provider I have used. Virgin trains have power points to enable folks to use laptops – these are not provided by other train providers in my experience. Whenever I travel by providers other than Virgin I never feel as confident of timeliness or reliability and the staff are generally not as customer friendly as the Virgin staff.

As you say Mark we must speak as we find and I am really sorry you have had bad experiences from Virgin – have you written to Sir Richard?

Posted by Trevor Gay at June 13, 2007 9:58 AM

Well said Allison. I was assassinated by words when I said recently on my Blog that front liners know all the answers. I said the best way to improve customer service is to give front liners more power and remove unnecessary layers of management above them that seem to have no purpose other than to make life more difficult for front liners and, as a consequence, customers. Anyone would have thought I was suggesting anarchy.

You are so right about front liners not being valued – and for me the insincere platitudes (‘our staff are our greatest asset’ et al) are becoming tiresome in my opinion. When I see an annual report that states on page one – ‘we are proud to say we have no reserved car parking spaces’ then I will believe front line staff are valued. Till then I share your view of the attitude to front liners in the UK. Thank God there is the occasional oasis of brilliance but until we truly give the power to the front liners we will continue to see something simple made complicated.

Posted by Trevor Gay at June 13, 2007 10:40 AM

Trevor - yes, I wrote to Sir Richard and he couldn't even be bothered to send a reply. Instead, I got a letter from one of his people saying that "Richard was aware of my complaint and asked me to personally investigate" etc etc. This person then bounced my letter back to the part of Virgin Group who had dealt badly with my initial complaint and they just repeated what the bad line that had prompted me to write to Sir Richard in the first place. No-one from Sir Richard's office ever followed it up. Hence my experience is that Virgin are lousy and Sir Richard personally has absolutley no commitment to customer service whatsoever. In my view, Virgin and Sir Richard stink.

Posted by Mark JF at June 13, 2007 12:34 PM

Tom;

Avoid the franchises (I was in EAT in London today) stood by whilst they told a customer they couldn't take the cheese out of the muffin!!!!!

Four grown men standing around serving me and not serving her, she walked away dissapointed and my coffee sempt bitter there after.

Stay cool

Patrick

Posted by patrick at June 13, 2007 1:06 PM

Hi Mark – In the light of that story I am not surprised about how you feel – It’s appalling and I would feel the same as you. I am sure if Sir Richard personally knew your story he would be horrified. I’m currently reading his new book and it is pretty obvious that he is passionate about how customers experience Virgin. I am sure he is genuine about that. The problem just may be there are too many of the wrong types of manager between him and the customer if that sort of thing happens. Why don’t you ring the Virgin HQ and ask to speak to him? And if the PA says he is too busy tell the PA you don’t accept that. Sir Richard needs to hear stories like that direct - not through layers of managers and process. As Sir Winston Churchill famously said – ‘Never give up never give up never give up.’

I agree with you anyone who promotes customer service and alleges they are in touch with customers simply have to walk the talk – otherwise they lose all credibility. Nothing less than leading by personal example is acceptable sometimes. Not answering letters or emails is plain bad manners and the height of rudeness.

Posted by Trevor Gay at June 13, 2007 1:07 PM

I love all these comments about service! It seems that there is a lot of passion on this topic.

I have experienced one heck of a travel week. I will spare you the details, but let's just say, I spent more time in airports and airplanes than I spent working! All I will say is that none of the airlines that I traveled on get high marks this week. The experience, attitudes and service were all at the bottom! And the hotels weren't far behind them on a service level.

Valarie

Posted by Val Willis at June 14, 2007 1:18 PM

Great work, keep it up.....

http://www.myhomebizguide.com

Posted by Jaison at June 22, 2007 3:42 AM