Service

This week’s topic is “Service”. This is a passionate topic for me and Chris (my wife). We’ve always felt that great customer service is crucial to bringing customers back. Not surprising since Chris did run a Disney Store the last year+ of her retail career. You can imagine the training she went through (on-site at Disneyland in CA for multiple weeks) and the training and reinforcement she continually provided to her team.  Although they have “guests” and not “customers”. Words matter in setting a tone. It’s why I like to say we have clients. 

To me, great customer service is providing the “WOW factor”. Whether this is an internal coworker, a partner, job candidate, or client. It doesn’t matter. Providing and continuing to improve upon world-class service should be part of our DNA. What does this mean to you? It’s a question I like to ask audiences all the time as it varies from person to person. However, you can usually see patterns that develop: 

• They cared about me like I was the only one that mattered.
• They went above and beyond to make sure I was satisfied.
• They listened to my needs and didn’t just give me what I asked for, but what I really needed.
• They provided something extra.
• They made me feel special. 

When you get service that provides this feeling of being important or special it really resonates and creates a bond with the person/company that’s providing it. Emotional reactions (good or bad) are remembered – think about that sales professional that still references that one bad deal from ten years ago even though there have been dozens of great successful projects since then or the client that asks for you by name because you went above and beyond to make their project successful and they got a promotion out of it. 

Providing great service starts with understanding how you can make a difference and when is the best time to create that emotional bond. It’s also understanding your audience to determine what will make a difference for them. It’s making it personal and being authentic. I started this process of creating “Wow factor” moments by thinking about what great service looks like to me or when something should happen and it never seems to. Here are some examples of what I’ve done throughout the years:                                                                                                                                       

• Welcome videos for new hires. For the last, IDK, 5-7 years, maybe more, I’ve recorded personalized videos for new hires. These were only about two minutes long and would simply: welcome the coworker to CDW, tell them why we hired them (feedback from the hiring manager was crucial for this part), talk about our culture and ask them to setup a one on one call with me after six weeks on the job. This was simply something I thought should happen. I’ve never experienced it anywhere I’ve worked, but I thought it would be something I would love to have starting at a new company. Make me feel welcome and valued. Give me an open door to a higher up manager. Make me feel comfortable. Let me know that you understand I’m going to be drinking from the fire hose for at least a few weeks.
• Side benefit: Coworkers feel more comfortable coming to you with input and feedback. 

• Give a team member a call out of the blue and thank them for what they are doing or comfort them for what they are going through. I’ll randomly ask my managers to tell me who I should give a call to in order to thank them for their hard work, attitude and service or who is going through a rough patch. I ask for details so I can be specific with the team member. I then simply call their cell and have a short conversation with them. These usually last about five minutes. Sometimes, they can go on for a half hour. That’s OK. It’s about connecting, listening and being there to celebrate their achievement or help comfort them during hard times. 
• Side benefit: It makes my managers be more in tune with catching team members doing good things. 

• Send a message to a team member. Similar to the call above. It could be email or a hand written note. A long time ago, one of my early jobs in business was sorting and delivering the company mail to everyone in the building. It’s how offices communicated before email. Yes, I’m THAT old. What I noticed at the desks of my coworkers were thank you notes they had received through the years. There may be one or may be a bunch, but they had them affixed to their cubes to remember when they were called out and celebrated. Some of these notes were over ten years old. It told me that people cherish the kudos they’re given. Better yet, send a handwritten card/note to their home. Let their family see how good and valued they are.
• Remember…. People who feel appreciated do more than what’s expected. Read that again, slowly. It’s 100% true and something we should all practice both at work and at home. 

• Understand how the stakeholders at your client are motivated, measured and compensated. Do they get a bonus or kudos if this project goes well? Could they get a bonus or a promotion? How can you help them get to those goals simply by completing the project while understanding the motivations behind it. I think caring as much or more about the success of the project than they do is hugely important and shows the client how invested you are in their success.
• Side benefit: Developing trust and rapport with your clients. 

• Remember that the project you are working on is not the only thing that client is working on. They have day jobs too. Yes, we have schedules and deadlines, but how are we flexible in our approach to help them handle the emergency that may arise. Treat the client like you want to be treated. Most times they will turn around and do the same for you. Thank them for their efforts in the success of the project. There is a consultant on the team who routinely sends out thank you emails to his peers at the client. He tends to get asked for by name more often and has really successful projects.
• Side benefit: Development of a client portfolio. 

• Anticipate issues and either avoid them or set expectations with the client that these are normal things that occur. Be clear in your recommendations and give specifics on what ramifications we may see with certain decisions. We will be there with them to fix it and it’s not something to lose sleep over. Setting good, realistic expectations is paramount to great consulting and service. Set expectations that you can meet or beat.
• Side benefit: Becoming a trusted advisor. 

• Show up. Whether it’s a: big client meeting, cutover with a difficult client, coworker life event, or a one-on-one call with a team member, being there and focused is a big deal. When you’re talking with someone in person or on the phone and they are distracted, what does that say to you? Are you important or is something else more important? It’s not always easy to keep our focus on what’s most important in the moment. We’re trained to have short attention spans (learned ADHD) with all the different reminders and texts and phone calls and app alerts that continuously ping us all the time. The key is to show up and be focused/attentive. People notice when you’ve gone out of your way to be there or remember that big event (birthday or anniversary or kids names).
• Side benefit: Connection, trust and support. 

A personal customer service story from this past Fall. I had a flat tire on my truck. It sucked, but it happens. I had planned to get new tires soon anyway so it just sped up the process. I called around to local places to see when they could get me in. I got a lot of runaround, except for Fleet Farm (I was surprised). Now, I hadn’t used Fleet Farm for anything car related before so I was a bit hesitant. I went online and read some reviews and it looked fine. I had to change my tire to the spare before taking my truck in (lots of fun). Anyway, I threw the old punctured tire in the back and all the tools for tire changing along with it. I took the vehicle over to Fleet Farm and waited while they did the work. A short time later they said they were done. I paid and went out to my truck. Much to my surprise, they not only remounted my spare under the car, they also put all of the tire changing tools back into it’s neat little package and stored them in the appropriate spot.  I loved it! Taking this small yet time consuming task off my plate without even asking me made me go “WOW!” I will be going back for more work when needed.

"Our Clients" below is a copy of a document I had hanging on my first office wall (1989). It really spoke to me at the time and helped set my attitude toward services. As I’ve grown and experienced more through the years, it still rings true. However, I could also now title it “Our Coworkers”. This leads to one of my favorite interview questions for new managers: “Who is more important – the client or the coworker?” The candidate’s response will tell you a lot about them and how they will manage. I’m looking for an opinion and reasoning. I’m looking for a candidate who is willing to take a stance and has tenets they live/manage by. 

Our Clients 

• Are the most important people in our business.
• Are not dependent on us – We are dependent on them.
• Are not interruptions of our work – They are the reason for it.
•  Do us a favor when they call – We are not doing them a favor serving them.
• Are part of our business – Not outsiders.
• Are not cold statistics – They are flesh and blood human beings with feelings and emotions like our own.
• Are not to argue or match wits with.
• Bring us their wants – It is our job to fulfill those wants.
• Are deserving of the most courteous and attentive treatment we can give them.
• Are the lifeblood of our business.

Here are some of my favorite quotes on service: 

Do what you do so well that they will want to see it again and bring their friends.

Walt Disney

 

I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.

Maya Angelou

 

People do not care how much you know until they know how much you care.

Teddy Roosevelt

 

We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit.

Aristotle

 

It’s better to beg for forgiveness than ask permission.

Grace Hopper

 

Just having satisfied customers isn’t good enough anymore. If you really want a booming business, you have to create raving fans.

Ken Blanchard

 

Your most unhappy customers are your greatest source of learning.

Bill Gates

 

You are serving a customer, not a life sentence. Learn how to enjoy your work.

Laurie McIntosh

 

80% of success in life is just showing up.

Woody Allen