The Scariest Customer Experience Ever

courtesy Ambro freedigitalphotos.net

No matter how painful or nerve-wrecking they may have been, some events stay with us throughout our lifetime.  Our ability to live with these memories depends upon the degree to which time has lessen the sting we felt while going through the storm. I believe this sting is lessened by the lessons learned and the degree to which we emerged from the situation a better person.  I would argue there is no better canvas to capture the picture of painful lessons learned than those created in the world of customer service.

Given that Halloween is right around the corner, following is my story of the most painful and "scariest" customer experience I have encountered; accompanied by the customer service lessons learned.

courtesy Dr Joseph Valks freedigitalphotos.net

At one point in my career, I was responsible for executive escalation management for an international communications company.  In this role, I worked with all departments to ensure service delivery or other issues escalated to senior management were resolved as expeditiously as possible.  I also interfaced with key customer stakeholders who were driving escalations on behalf of their companies.

Due to an unforeseen technical issue, our projected service delivery date for a large customer was revised beyond that previously given.   This last minute delay severely jeopardized our customer's delivery commitment to their customer.  Their inability to deliver on-time would have a significant revenue impact and cause irreparable harm to their ongoing business relationship.  To paint the frightening picture a little clearer, both our customer and their end-user are major players on Wall Street.

The gravity of this matter resulted in an immediate escalation to our executive team, subsequently landing on my desk.  I reached out to the key customer contacts to assure them we understood the gravity, our senior team was engaged and we would resolve the issue as quickly as possible.  I also assured them we would provide ongoing updates.  We had a 24 hour target, 48 hours worse case, to resolve the issue and deliver.

courtesy MisterGC freedigitalphotos.net

As the 24 hour clock wound down and resolution efforts continued, a status call was convened with the customer and our lead departmental personnel working on the project.  It was during this call that the everlasting "chills" and lessons from this customer experience emerged.

Among the parties on this call was the customer's Senior Project Director.  He was the key managerial point of contact with whom I had initially interfaced and provided updates during this matter.  When we informed the customer we were still working to resolve the issue in order to meet their "drop dead" deadline, the director went ballistic.  I can still feel the heat of his anger which came through the phone in a loud torrent of profanity-laced sentences describing his disgust and total lack of confidence in our abilities.  My personal dagger came when, upon attempting to further explain our efforts, the director curtly stated:

"I need you to shut-up right now. I don't want to hear from you. I need to hear from someone else on this phone....."

courtesy imagerymajestic freedigitalphotos.net

While I had successfully dealt with my share of upset customers, this was by far the most personally attacked I had ever felt.  Suppressing a desire to respond in my own heated manner, I leaned upon my customer service experience and yielded the phone to another top manager.

Before the call ended, our team was able to explain heightened steps being taken to resolve the issue and provide a window to meet their customer's expectations.  While I was emotionally still fuming once the call ended, upon reflection, I realized several key customer service lessons were re-enforced for me.  I am sure they will resonate with you.

- Be Teflon.  Don't Take It Personally.

In the world of customer service, one's emotional well being and ability to best resolve a customer complaint requires Teflon. Much like the non-stick properties of Teflon, we must be equipped to let customer rants slide off and not absorb them personally.  There are indeed lines of professional courtesy that should be honored, especially in business-to-business transactions; however, when the lines are crossed, the best customer service advocates can rise above the fray and focus on the issue at hand.

- Don't Block The Vent.

Like a boiler with a pressure release value, letting the customer vent can be extremely therapeutic. The dark, emotional cloud an upset customer might bring to an encounter can often be lightened if their building frustration is allowed to escape. Once vented, greater focus and collaboration can be brought to the issue at hand.

- They Have A Point of View.

The basis of an upset customer's frustration lies in an actual or perceived failure to meet an expectation.  Whether accurate or not, the bottom line perception is that an agreement was broken. Regardless of company size, its product, service, or the process by which sales, marketing and delivery occurs, it is critical to understand how expectations are set and viewed from the customer's perspective.  This will help one better understand the customer's emotional touch points and triggers.

-  The Mighty Trinity:  Apologize for It.  Claim It.  Fix It Fast.

There is not a business today that has a record of flawless execution.  Things sometimes go wrong and customers may be impacted.  When this occurs, ensure customers receive empathetic apologies, a clear picture of who owns issue resolution and action that demonstrates the issue is being addressed as quickly as humanly possible.  Stuff happens.  What happens after stuff happens can tip the customer's emotional scale in one direction or the other.

- You May Not Know What's Behind The Curtain.

My story ended with what we sometimes call in U.S. football terms a "Hail Mary". We were able to clear some substantial hurdles in a very compressed time-frame to miraculously meet the customer's delivery requirement.  I subsequently learned the Director who blasted us during the call was under a tremendous amount of pressure. It turns out his job and accompanying financial security was at stake.  The scope of the project was such that had it not been delivered on time, his release from the company was expected;  further proof that throughout all aspects of the customer service and customer experience discipline, the human component reigns supreme.

What was your most painful or scariest customer service experience and what did you learn?  Thanks for sharing.

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#BadService

How About This Alarming Statement To A Customer? "You're Obviously In The Wrong Place. Please Leave."

It never crossed my mind that a scene from one of my wife's favorite guilty pleasures would serve as a centerpiece for one of my post; but it has happened.  A 90 second scene from a Hollywood movie has intersected with a recent observation at my local +Walmart  to underscore a key #CustomerService lesson.

Those familiar with the movie "Pretty Woman" will recognize this screen shot.  It shows the lead character Vivian, played by Julia Roberts, in a very swanky Beverly Hills boutique.  Vivian has been given an uncapped amount of credit to spend by a wealthy businessman, Edward, played by Richard Gere.

Edward had previously met Vivian, securing her services to be his weekend escort for various social events. They subsequently fall in love and the transformation to classy, sophisticated, "Pretty Woman" unfolds.   In the scene depicted, the boutique's sales personnel coldly confront Vivian based upon her appearance, refuse to inquire about her needs and rudely ask her to leave after telling her she was "obviously in the wrong place".  I won't go into the subsequent chain of events, just in case there are some who have not seen the movie.  Let's just say that payback can be personally, financially painful at times.

Unfortunately, this Hollywood scene often unfolds in the real world of customer service to varying degrees.  Assumptions customer facing personnel make about individuals based solely on their looks are sometimes just flat wrong.  These preconceptions can result in negative repercussions for a business, ranging from lost sales opportunities to lingering word-of-mouth about the insensitive way a business treats certain customers.  Regardless of severity, each misguided assumption about a customer potentially drives revenue from one company's income stream to that of a competitor.  Given the amplifying power of today's social media, if the offended person or group is so inclined, this could cascade into more than just an undetectable lost sale on a company's financial report. 

So how does my local Walmart fit into this story?  Well, I was recently shopping there for a household item.  Suddenly, I heard the "thump, thump, thump" of what obviously was a basketball being bounced through the toy and home repair sections. After a few minutes, a store associate approached the three young men responsible for the noise.  The associate engaged them with a stern demeanor.  She admonished one young man for bouncing the ball and demanded he stop, telling the three it could potentially cause an accident should the ball slip away.  If they did not stop, they would be asked to leave the store.  She did not inquire as to why they were in the store, only learning of their need when the three, now obviously upset with her approach, told her.

It turns out they were shopping for an item that was behind a locked display case. The trio had previously requested support and had been waiting for quite some time without anyone coming to their aide.  The store associate, still very direct in her demeanor, stated she would find the support needed and walked away.  

My customer service radar was on high alert at this point as I lingered to see how this might play out.  Regrettably, the anticipated support did not arrive as quickly as one might expect.  Soon after, the "thump, thump, thump" of the bouncing basketball resumed, followed by a reappearance of the store associate who again, with a very direct tone, reminded them not to bounce the ball.  As one might imagine, the young men were now more confrontational.  They strongly voiced their displeasure with the entire interaction, given their sole desire to make a purchase and "get outta here". To her credit, this time the store associate asked the young men to accompany her, as she personally planned to help them with the purchase.

Given the way this encounter evolved, it seemed apparent the store associate engaged the young men with a preconceived view about them.  I have not mentioned that the three young men were older teenagers, 17 to 19 years of age. Since they were walking around, displaying a lack of courtesy and concern by bouncing a ball in the store, it's conceivable the associate assumed the group was simply lingering, without any intent of making a purchase.  While I agree bouncing a ball through a store is not behavior one should condone, this was not a complete picture of reality in this instance.  By not knowing the complete story, the store associate's assumptions caused her to fall into a common customer service trap.  A trap all businesses are better off avoiding when seeking to create a culture that includes positive #customerexperience.  The Walmart example highlights that losing control of the customer interaction and possibly angering your ready-to-buy customer are part of the unintended consequences that could result from making incorrect assumptions about your customer

I recently read two good articles that came to mind while writing this post.  I recommend them as additional food for thought given the perspectives shared here.

The first is by +Small Business Trends and addresses the need for customer service to be part of an organization's established operational processes.

http://smallbiztrends.com/2014/10/customer-service-must-part-process.html

The second is an interesting piece from +Micah Solomon concerning Starbuck's new tattoo policy.  Given assumptions and perspectives people have about individuals with tattoos, I found it a refreshing read.

http://www.forbes.com/sites/micahsolomon/2014/10/17/starbucks-employees-to-show-us-their-tats-how-this-improves-customer-service-and-even-hr/

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 where you will find a link to all blog posts on the homepage.

I also have several Pinterest boards with content that may be interest to you.

#CustomerService
#CustomerExperience
#CustomerSatisfaction
#BadService

Do You Follow This Top Customer Service Guidance from Mother Teresa and My Barber?

"...We Can Do Small Things With Great Love."

- Mother Teresa

I am a strong believer that while it can be very challenging, delivering good #CustomerService and experiences is an objective that is always attainable.  There are, of course, key questions stakeholders responsible for an organization's customer experience must ask themselves in this quest. These questions include:

• Do we have a vision of what a good experience looks like from the customer's perspective?
   
• To what extent are are we willing to to make the financial and operational investment needed to achieve the vision?

Regardless of the vision or the amount of overall investment an organization is willing to make, all efforts will be futile unless the following question can be answered with a resounding "yes".

• Are we willing to consistently do even the smallest thing to let our customers know we truly care?

While others may have a different view, I assert the strongest foundation for delivering good to great customer service and experiences begins here.

It's really amazing.  What appear to be the smallest and easiest things to accomplish can reap substantial customer service benefits when handled appropriately.  As a case in point, let me share a story about my local barber and the service legacy that has grown from a simple greeting.

Since opening its doors in the early 90's, Nick's Barber Shop and its owner Vance Harper, have become institutions in Stone Mountain, Georgia.  Beyond its core business of hair care, Nick's frequently uses it resources to help projects aimed at improving the community and the lives of others.  As a result of these efforts, Nick's has accrued substantial goodwill with its clientele.

The shop has remained in the same location from day 1, retaining the ambiance that has caused many to flock to its chairs and Vance's team of barbers.  Nick's Barber has cut the hair of many; both recurring local customers, as well as the occasional sports celebrities who have ties to the area.   It is an "old school", non-pretentious environment that has everything you would want from a neighborhood barber shop;  good conversation on every topic under the sun, sports on television, music, as well as frequent joking and jabbing among all the employees and customers.  By the way, they also give great haircuts.   I almost forgot to mention the haircuts due to the overall experience found at Nick's.   An experience that begins from the moment you enter the shop's door.

"Alright!!......"

That is the greeting Nick's barbers shout in unison each time a customer enters the shop.  It is a practice begun by Vance when he initially opened the business.  It blew me away the first time I visited and I never cease to be amazed by their day after day, month after month, year after year consistency in executing this greeting.

I always knew the greeting made me feel special each time I went for a haircut; however, I truly came to appreciate its power after becoming a student of customer experience strategies.

In response to my question about the greeting's origin, Vance informed me he started the greeting when Nick's first opened.  He only had a few barber chairs at the time and had not yet learned to cut hair himself;  therefore, he perched himself in a chair next to the door and gave a hearty "alright!" to everyone who entered.  Vance explained he did this as a means to provide emotional empowerment to the African-American males who were his customers.  Unlike they might experience in other barber shops, restaurants, retail stores, or elsewhere, he wanted the men entering his establishment to feel special and welcomed.   What began as a salutation designed to empower and say "thanks", over the years evolved into the signature piece of Nick's Barber Shop's customer experience.

Image courtesy of Salvatore Vuono at FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Nick's has tapped into greetings magic.  They have consistently done a relatively "small" thing to show customers they truly care. Each customer is greeted immediately, energetically, and is made to feel truly welcomed. This sets the stage for the entire customer service process and the recurring customer experience one finds at Nick's.



With Nick's Barber Shop as his flagship operation, Vance has become a noted and successful businessman in the local community.  The thread of customer care symbolized by "alright!" and woven into the fabric of Nick's Barber is evident in his various business and community pursuits.  To piggyback off the Mother Teresa quote heading this post, doing a small thing with great love has help guide Vance and Nick's Barber in constructing a customer experience based upon a vision of what their customer's need and desire.....We all should be so fortunate.

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Want to Party? Do You Truly Serve Customers? If So, Read and Celebrate. If Not, Read and Refocus.

Image courtesy of Stuart Miles at FreeDigitalPhotos.net

I love special occasions.  Christmas, Thanksgiving, birthdays, buying the latest electronic gadget.  If there is a reason to celebrate you can count me in.

The current reason for celebration and my token gifts to you follow.

Just in case you didn't get the invite, October 6th through October 10th is National Customer Service Week 2014.  It's time to party hearty.   If you are not familiar with this week, below is a very brief description, courtesy of the Professional Association for Customer Engagement (+PACE Association).

"In 1984 the International Customer Service Association (ICSA), which since merged with PACE, created and launched National Customer Service Week™.  In 1991, the Executive Board of the ICSA, working with members of the Commerce Committee of the United States Congress, drafted and passed Senate Resolution 166 designating the first week of October as Customer Service Week.   On October 8, 1992, President George H. W. Bush signed Presidential Proclamation 6485 establishing the first week of October as National Customer Service Week™......During National Customer Service Week, many companies across the United States celebrate the week with fun and creative celebrations  with their staff." 

Presents always make celebrations much more fun;  therefore, I am offering two.

First, is a link to a great Forbes article from +Micah Solomon.  It concerns the focus on customer service every enterprise should have.  Recommended reading if you want the spirit of customer service to shine all year long.  Thanks Micah!

 http://www.forbes.com/sites/micahsolomon/2014/10/05/customer-service-week-6-ways-to-make-it-last-the-whole-year/

Secondly, I am sharing a present received from +Zaxby's.  My last post concerned a disappointing experience with my local Zaxby's restaurant and the customer service lessons we all should remember.  I tagged Zaxby's social networks in my blog, Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook page posts.

I was pleasantly surprised to receive a prompt response to my Tweet.

This nicely wrapped response provides evidence that Zaxby's gets it when it comes to the importance of social media in today's customer service environment.   Businesses that wish to succeed should have the listening frequency of their customer service operations tuned to every social network channel that could impact the brand.  

Due to manner in which they have been handling this matter, even though it appears they are training some new personnel, I have visited the local Zaxby's several times since my initial post.  Good customer service personnel, supported by the appropriate systems, keeps the revenue flowing.

Happy National Customer Service Week!

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.

#CustomerService
#CustomerExperience
#CustomerSatisfaction
#Badservice