Want To Know How To Truly Disappoint A Loyal Customer?

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Even though it was near closing time on a Sunday evening, my request at the drive-thru was simple enough.  All I needed was two fried chicken salads, one without cheese, both with honey mustard dressing.  I also needed a large sweet tea, no ice please.

After a long day of redecorating at home, my wife and I looked forward to satisfying our hunger with a meal that has become somewhat of a guilty pleasure during the diet we are currently on.  We quickly headed home, eagerly anticipating a well deserved meal as a reward for our redecorating heroics.

Image Courtesy of James Williams at www.flickr.com/photos

I had placed this order countless times at our local +Zaxby's.  Each time the order was "spot-on".  So much so, that long ago I reached a point where checking the take-out bag before driving away seemed unnecessary.  I had reached the point of faithful expectation; assuming my needs would be fully met and my stomach completely satisfied.  This was indeed the blissful height of #CustomerService and #CustomerSatisfaction. Upon arriving home, our little bubble of confidence was about to be burst.

To our dismay, the salads received were not up to the restaurant's usual standard. They were not well prepared.  The amount of chicken placed on each was less than usual.  It was obvious cheese had been placed on both salads, with a hurried attempt to remove it from one to match our order.  To top if off, we were given ranch dressing instead of honey mustard.  I am not a ranch dressing fan.

Since the restaurant's closing hour was reached during our drive home, returning the salads was not a viable option.  We set forth to salvage them by adding some chicken from the fridge and scraping up the small amount of honey mustard dressing we had on hand.

Image Courtesy of Hector Alejandro at www.flickr.com/photos

We concluded that our disappointing experience was attributed to placing an order at the drive-thru 5 to 10 minuted before the restaurant's closing time.  Apparently in a rush to close down operations for the night, our salads did not receive the degree of care during preparation we had become accustomed to.  As a loyal Zaxby's customer, we were disappointed.

The confidence we have in the restaurant's ability to consistently deliver and fully meet our expectation, regardless of the business hour, has slipped.  While this recent experience has taken away a bit of the luster, the customer goodwill Zaxby's built with us over the course of time will keep us going back for now.  I guess it's again time to double check our orders at the drive-thru window.

Who knew that key customer service reminders for my next blog post would emerge from a salad bowl?

Image Courtesy of Jeroen van Oostrom at FreeDigitalPhotos.net

First, remember that "goodwill deposits" are made with customers each time service fully meets or exceeds expectations.  These deposits provide a safety net that can catch businesses when operations occasionally fail to deliver;  however, deposits of customer goodwill can be depleted if customer focus becomes bankrupt.

Image Courtesy of Danilo Rizzuti at FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Second, regardless of its track record, no operation is bulletproof when it comes to the negative impacts resulting from disappointed customers. Consistency in quality of product and service delivery is critical to business success.  "Consistently consistent and incrementally improving" is the operating state all customer-centric enterprises should seek to attain.

Thanks for reading.  I would love to hear your food inspired customer service story.

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These 3 C's Help Us Through A Painful Personal Loss

Hello everyone.  This is a picture of Clifford, a beautiful West Highland Terrier.  He came to our family in 2000 when my son was 5 years old.

Sadly, we recently lost Clifford as the effects of aging and various ongoing illnesses took their toll. He was a member of our family for 14 years and will be dearly missed. As with the loss of any family member, we are coming to terms with the loss, believing that he is now in a "much better place."

So why all the sad background about our dog on a blog whose core subject is customer service?  The answer lies in the quality of individuals that cared for Clifford; both during his lifespan, as well as during the final hours when we made the painful decision to let him go.

Each of these individuals and their businesses helped us by practicing 3 key C's. These C's are interwoven and have universal application where the goal is to deliver exceptional customer experiences.

THE 3 C's:  COMPASSIONATE CUSTOMER CARE

For the majority of his life, Clifford's veterinarian needs were handled by the doctors and staff at  +Deshon Animal Hospital.

Dr. Jamal Toler and his staff's love for animals was always evident from our perspective.  It was manifest not only in the way they treated each pet, but also by their "Customer" focus. They ensured our needs and concerns, as the paying customer, were addressed.

The Deshon team understood owners seek assurance their pet will be treated with the same level of care they would receive at home.  Each of their interactions with Clifford gave us that assurance.  Furthermore, the Doctor and staff would contact us proactively to discuss Clifford's health and provide their perspective on treatment options. Even when we had questions or doubts about recommended courses of action, we always felt our position as the customer was being respected and took precedent over other considerations.

On his last day, Clifford grew increasingly weak and exhibited other symptoms that indicated his physical condition was quickly deteriorating.  We rushed him to +VCA Dekalb-Gwinnett Animal Emergency Hospital with hopes he could be treated and fully recover.

During our late night Sunday visit, Dr. Beverly Hughes and her assistant Stephanie Payne exhibited the utmost in customer (and patient) "Compassion".  The genuine empathy they exhibited for our situation, as well as their knowledge and counsel, were critical as we navigated through one of the most emotional periods of our lives.

Within the span of 90 minutes, the manner in which they handled all aspects of our customer experience left an impression that will last a lifetime.   While I hope no one we know has to endure what we did that night, if a reference is ever needed for an emergency animal hospital, our recommendation will be automatic.

Those who professionally cared for Clifford are primarily motivated and driven by their love of animals.  Our providers understand the "Care" they extend must encompass a strong relationship with the ultimate customer. They love what they do, ensuring they also care for the pet owners who make it possible to pursue their passion and mission.

We were blessed that those to whom we entrusted our Clifford "get it" when comes to the power of the 3 C's...."Compassionate Customer Care".

Rest In Peace Cliff.

Thanks for reading.  To receive notice of future blog posts, you can follow me via Twitter, Facebook , LinkedIn, or Goggle+.

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#AllDogsGoToHeaven

The Atlanta Hawks Customer Debacle: Will They Follow These 4 Best Practices To Help Solve Their Crisis?

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I was born in the state of Georgia and have been a fan of the +Atlanta Braves (baseball), +Atlanta Falcons Falcons (football) and +Atlanta Hawks (basketball) my entire life.  Even though there is not a history of professional championship seasons to brag about, I have remained a loyal fan.  I have been emotionally and financially invested in my teams' wins and losses, as well as their ongoing efforts to continually improve performance.  It is for this reason, this week's alarming news about the Atlanta Hawks troubled me.  

For those not familiar with the matter, racially insensitive e-mail and comments from within the team's organization were recently made public.  To the team's credit, this information was released following their own internal investigation;  however, deeply troubling were documented, prejudicial comments related to the ethnicity and demographic makeup of the team's current customer base.  Also troubling were very prejudicial comments related to a high profile player within the National Basketball Association (NBA) whom the Hawks had scouted.  

Credit: goldenstatewarriorsblog.wordpress.com

The Atlanta Hawks' home, +Philips Arena, is marketed as "The Highlight Factory".  As many in the nation watch to see how the team works through this issue, "The Spotlight Factory" may be a more appropriate, temporary brand.   As one who is passionate about #CustomerService and creating positive #CustomerExperiences, I have been watching the organization's initial response to the scrutiny being received. 

There has been a backlash locally and nationally from Atlanta Hawks customers, the media and general public. There also is a degree of confidence lost in the organization by its most important employees, the players.  To help weather the current storm, it would be wise for the team's management to diligently follow proven best practices for handling irate customers and challenging customer situations.

1. Apologize (repeatedly) and Accept Responsibility

People are generally forgiving if:  (a) you can convince them you are sincerely sorry, (b) you accept responsibility for the issue, and (c) you actively work to expeditiously correct whatever wrong was done.  

The Hawks' CEO, Steve Koonin, appears to have done a good job of this thus far.  He has appeared on media outlets and met with key individuals and groups to apologize.  He has agreed to reimburse season ticket holders, communicated his personal e-mail address, and taken other steps that signify genuine remorse.  This type of action should and must continue. 

2. Listen and Understand the Customer's Expectations

A vast majority of the team's fans are upset. This issue has given rise to expectations from existing and targeted customers that must be addressed to mitigate a significant, negative revenue impact.  

Given the very emotional aspect of this matter, the range of customer expectations is broad; regardless, Hawks' management must keenly listen to the spectrum of expectations, allowing its customer base to vent.  They must formulate action plans that clearly meet expectations voiced by the majority of customers that comprise current and targeted revenue streams.  To Steve Koonin's credit, he has publicly stated a commitment to listen.

3. Solve the Issue While Keeping the Customer Informed

In customer service training circles there is a role play game known as "Explain Yourself".  The purpose of the game is to demonstrate the negative reaction and lack of cooperation a service representative will encounter when their actions are not explained to the customer.  The Atlanta Hawks will encounter negative reactions and push-back if they do not proactively keep their customers and other key stakeholders informed.  

While every business operation must maintain a degree of confidentially about its operations, the veil that surrounds the Hawks' handling of this issue must be as thin as possible.  It will lead to faster restoration of the trust that is so mission critical for overcoming this business setback.

4. Maintain Your Integrity

Integrity is defined as "adherence to moral and ethical principles; soundness of moral character; honesty".  Suffice it to say the Atlanta Hawks must rebound (pun intended) by ensuring organizational integrity is the foundation upon which their recovery plans are based.  Any crack in this foundation will cause losses, not only of customers and associated revenue, but also of the hearts of fans who call the Hawks, "our team". 

Management of the Atlanta Hawks' has much work to do.  Retaining current customers, winning back those lost, and assuring potential new customers their corporate mission is inclusive of everyone will not be easy.  

Atlanta Hawks, many are counting on you to rise up and give us another reason to cheer.

Credit:  wikipedia.org

Thanks for reading.  Please share your comments and viewpoints below, especially if you have a different perspective.  To receive notice of future blog posts, you can follow me via Twitter, Facebook , LinkedIn, or Goggle+.  I also invite you to view my website and Pinterest content.



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#ATLHawks