A Senior Moment

A few years back, an elderly lady wrote the following letter to her bank. The bank manager thought it amusing enough to have it published in The London Times. I am sharing it with you now in hopes it brings a smile to your face... and should you be in business, the inspiration to review your automated telephone response system.






Dear Sir,

I am writing to thank you for bouncing my cheque with which I endeavoured to pay my plumber last month. By my calculations, three 'nanoseconds' must have elapsed between his presenting the cheque and the arrival in my account of the funds needed to honour it. I refer, of course, to the automatic monthly deposit of my Pension, an arrangement which, I admit, has been in place for only thirty eight years. You are to be commended for seizing that brief window of opportunity, and also for debiting my account £30 by way of penalty for the inconvenience caused to your bank.

My thankfulness springs from the manner in which this incident has caused me to rethink my errant financial ways.

I noticed that whereas I personally attend to your telephone calls and letters, when I try to contact you, I am confronted by the impersonal, overcharging, re-recorded, faceless entity which your bank has become. From now on, I, like you, choose only to deal with a flesh-and-blood person. My mortgage and loan payments will therefore and hereafter no longer be automatic, but will arrive at your bank by cheque, addressed personally and confidentially to an employee at your bank whom you must nominate.

Be aware that it is an offence under the Postal Act for any other person to open such an envelope.

Please find attached an Application Contact Status which I require your chosen employee to complete. I am sorry it runs to eight pages, but in order that I know as much about him or her as your bank knows about me, there is no alternative. Please note that all copies of his or her medical history must be countersigned by a Solicitor, and the mandatory details of his/her financial situation (income, debts, assets and liabilities) must be accompanied by documented proof.

In due course, I will issue your employee with a PIN number which he/she must quote in dealings with me. I regret that it cannot be shorter than 28 digits but, again, I have modelled it on the number of button presses required of me to access my account balance on your phone bank service.

As they say, imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.

Let me level the playing field even further. When you call me, press buttons as follows:

1- To make an appointment to see me.

2- To query a missing payment.

3- To transfer the call to my living room in case I am there.

4- To transfer the call to my bedroom in case I am sleeping.

5- To transfer the call to my toilet in case I am attending to nature.

6- To transfer the call to my mobile phone if I am not at home.

7- To leave a message on my computer (a password to access my computer is required. A password will be communicated to you at a later date to the Authorised Contact.)

8- To return to the main menu and to listen to options 1 through 8

9- To make a general complaint or inquiry, the contact will then be put on hold, pending the attention of my automated answering service. While this may, on occasion, involve a lengthy wait, uplifting music will play for the duration of the call.

Regrettably, but again following your example, I must also levy an establishment fee to cover the setting up of this new arrangement. May I wish you a happy, if ever so slightly less prosperous, New Year.

Your Humble Client

It is important to remember that this letter was actually written by a 98 year old woman.

And may I wish you a happy, and not so slightly more prosperous, New Year.

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Great Save!

Wouldn't you know it - just before the Stanley Cup Finals, our television started acting up. Not wanting to miss a game, or buy a new TV, I called the Sony Store where I bought it.

Since the set had been off warranty for some time, I was not all that optimistic about my chances of resolving the problem this way, but given my Scottish lineage and faced with the prospect of having to lay out a big wad of cash, figured I had to at least try.

In any event, after a little discussion about the problem (a red line that crossed the screen that was clearly not centre ice) I was given a toll free customer care number to call. Still expecting the worse, I dialed this number with fingers poised in anticipation of having to respond to one of those annoying automated response systems we have all grown to expect when calling such 'services'.

Much to my surprise, the phone was answered by an actual human being, and a very pleasant one at that. Again, I explain the problem to the best of my ability and after a sincere expression of empathy from someone who was obviously a fellow hockey fan, was advised that if I emailed a couple of photos showing the fault, this person would see what they could do.

With the next game only days away, I immediately filled this request and minutes later received a response which outlined a proposed resolution. No, they did not offer to replace the set for free (after all, the set was several years old) but, what they did propose was more than fair and far exceeded my expectations.

To make a long story short, the morning before the next game, a new set was delivered to my door at just about the same time a customer satisfaction survey arrived in my inbox. Needless to say, I completed the survey expressing just how impressed I was with their service. Minutes later, another email arrived thanking me for my patience complete with a coupon attached that I could use against a future Sony purchase.

So say what you want about the amazing goal tending of Boston's Tim Thomas or Vancouver's Roberto Luongo (except in game 3). At least for me, Sony had just made the best save of the series.

I often rant about bad service, particularly when it involves poor after sale problem resolution. I suspect, I've even suggested there are few if any who get this bit right, but these guys clearly do - a quick empathetic response by a real person who's main concern isn't when the warranty ran out, or who is right and who is wrong, but rather, what's fair and what will it take to not only keep the customer, but to exceed their expectations and turn them into a loyal fan and vocale advocate.

Know any others?

P.S. Go Canucks Go!

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Putting Things Right

 

A few weeks back, my son Adam had a little trouble with a faulty roll of aluminium foil. As he explains it "I could pull out both sides, but try as I might, could not lift the middle without it tearing."



Adam thought about taking it back to the store, but having previously discarded the receipt, knew they'd only give him a hard time; so to avoid further frustration, he tossed the foil in the bin and the box in the recycling.

The following evening, faced with the prospect, not to mention expense of having to go out and get another roll, he decided to call ALCAN, the company that manufactured the faulty foil, and let them know about his experience with their product. Given ALCAN's offices are back east, and it was already late in the day in Vancouver, not surprisingly his call was answered by an automated voice messaging system.

At this point Adam considered simply hanging up and letting sleeping dogs lie, but something in the tone of the message encouraged him to leave a brief description of his complaint as well as his contact details.

The very next morning he received a very well crafted, personalized email from a company rep at NOVELIS FOIL PRODUCTS, the distribution company that represents ALCAN. This email contained a sincere apology, an assurance that they would make good on his purchase, a few questions about the problem and a request that he return the roll (at their expense) so as they could investigate further. This was clearly not a form letter and was worded such that it left Adam feeling they truly appreciated his feedback... and were actually going to act on it!

He replied explaining that unfortunately, he had thrown out the contents, but still had the box in his recycling. While half expecting not to hear back, in very short order he received a 'no problem' response with a further assurance the company would make good on his purchase and a 'if it's not too much trouble' request for the product code off the box, so that the quality control investigation could continue.

Another email or two ensued and, to make a long story short, just the other day Adam received the package pictured above, along with a further thanks for bringing this matter to the company's attention.

Now that's what I would call 'Putting Things Right!'Sidebar: By shear coincidence, around the same time this was going on, I attended a sales and marketing workshop where the facilitator suggested "there isn't a company out there that knows how to effectively deal with customer complaints." I would suggest that the good folks at Novelis would prove him wrong.

And, in fairness to ALCAN, who arguably manufacture the best foil on the market, if you manufacture hundreds of thousands of anything, somewhere along the line, even under the most stringent quality controls, you're going to have a defect slip through. It's what happens when one does, like the response described above, that separates great companies from the also ran.

You may recall, late last year I posted an article entitled "Revenge" which described what happened to one company when they failed to act on a customer complaint. Perhaps United could learn a thing or two from ALCAN and Novelis.

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The Small Print

Is it just me, or is the print on just about everything getting smaller?

The other day I had a little problem with my credit card (worn out from over use I suspect) and needed to call someone. I flipped the card over hoping to find a contact number and sure enough, there it was.


Actually, there were three numbers, all of which were in print approximately the size of ant droppings.

I squinted my eyes, then like a trombone player, held the card at various distances... and alas, they came in to focus; but which to call? I suspect this was explained in the few words which preceded each number, but sadly, those were in even smaller print (think baby ant droppings). Thankfully, at least they were not in the center of the card where a number of similar sized words, saying lord knows what, were totally obscured by the recesses caused by the embossing of the card number.

Eventually, I gave up, called the first number and was unceremoniously put in the queue of a rather annoying automated voice response system... which eventually lead me to some 'customer care centre' in India; but I'll save that story for some future day.

In any event, while waiting in the queue, I decided to check the other cards in my wallet to see if the use of micro print was a common practice. Lo and behold, it pretty much was, with the one exception being my American Express card on which the numbers were sufficiently large, but unfortunately the accompanying words were printed in white, on a light blue background.

Needless to say "I was not amused!"

To my younger readers, all this may sound like the rantings of an old grump. But demographic studies would suggest that in many parts of the world, there are actually more of us old grumps than there are of you; and as much as you may not want to hear this, with every passing day, you get one day closer to being one of us.

The use of small print on credit cards, labels and everything else may seem of little consequence to some, but for me they speak volumes of the competence of those who insist on testing our eyesight, not to mention our patience.

Often it's the little things (no pun intended) that make or break the brand.


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Who Cares?

The other day I was asked if there was a model or magic formula for delivering good service. My initial reaction was to say "Of course not! It's a very complicated and multifaceted thing. That's why you have to hire someone like me to help you design and deliver a great customer experience!"

My second reaction was to feel guilty for my first reaction.

It's not that I don't believe there is a lot entailed in delivering an exceptional customer experience. I'd be a fool to be in this business if that were the case. However, that's not what was being asked. My colleague simply wanted to know what one needed to do to deliver 'good' service; and to be honest, it doesn't take a model or formula to define that. It can be captured in a single word:

CARE!

Truth is most companies (read the people that work for them) either don't care, or don't care enough. They are so caught up in their own needs and wants, they've lost sight of the needs and wants of the customer. That's why words like "they just don't care" are so often at the root of the ever growing number of customer complaints and horror stories we hear.

How many companies can you think of that really seem to care?

C is for Customers - they always come first
A is for Appreciate - they are the very life blood of your business R is for Respect - their beliefs and mannerisms may be different than yours
E is for Enthusiasm, Energy, Equality, Excitement, Empathy - and all the other 'E' words that define how you should interact with them.

Now I feel better.

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Some People Wait A Lifetime

The other day I found myself on hold while waiting to inquire about a billing issue with my telephone service provider. Unlike many similar automated queueing systems, this one did not give any indication of wait times. That said, I knew I was in it for the long haul as every few minutes the background music was interrupted by the following message:

Interested in a career in telecommunications? We currently have several openings for call centre operators.

When I first heard this, I thought: Fair enough. They are short staffed, but at least they're trying to do something about it. By the fifth or sixth time I heard it, my thoughts were becoming somewhat less charitable.

But then, about ten minutes into my wait, something happened that really lit a fuse. At first I didn't catch on as by this time I was cradling the phone on my shoulder and going about some other business. When the penny did drop, I became painfully aware of the song playing in the background. Believe it or not, it was none other than A Moment Like This which, for those of you not familiar with the lyrics, repeats almost ad nauseum the line:

"some people wait a lifetime... for a moment like this."

Don't get me wrong. I have nothing against Kelly Clarkson, or this particular piece of music. But I did find it's placement a bit over the top. Either someone at the phone company has a very warped sense of humor, or attention to detail does not feature highly in their operational imperatives. Either way, while I had to laugh, I was not amused, if you know what I mean.

As it happens, I did not have to wait an entire lifetime. It just felt like one.

After a little over 18 minutes, I was finally put through to a rather pleasant individual, who when challenged on the billing item in question (a charge of $3.99 for a 1 minute call to directory assistance) was quick to advise me that particular service was not one provided by her company, but rather one provided buy a third party and that I would have to take it up with them directly. I found it strange that they would farm out such a lucrative service (many lawyers charge less than what equates to a $239.40 hourly rate) but since they are the ones doing the billing, it is probably safe to assume they get a cut.

In any event, intrigued by this response, not to mention being somewhat opportunistic, I then asked if they also farmed out the design of their automated queueing systems. Needless to say, she failed to see the humor in this.

In the end I opted to eat the disputed charge and did not bother calling the number she gave me. Not all of us can afford to wait a lifetime for moments like this!

If your company has an automated call management system, you might want to take a moment and check out what impression it leaves with your customers. From the rest of you, we'd love to hear about any 'interesting' call management systems you may have encountered.

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Revenge - what can happen when you don't address customer complaints

The following little story was sent to me by my good friend and trusted adviser - Greg Brown. I just had to share it!




A musician named Dave Carroll recently had difficulty with United Airlines. United apparently damaged his treasured Taylor guitar (worth $3500) during a flight. Dave spent over 9 months trying to get United to pay for damages, but to no avail.

During his final exchange with their Customer Relations Manager, Dave stated that he was left with no choice other than to create a music video for You Tube exposing their lack of cooperation. The Manager responded: "Good luck with that one, pal".

So Dave posted a retaliatory video on You Tube. The video has since received well over 6 million hits. United Airlines contacted the musician and attempted settlement in exchange for pulling the video. Naturally his response was: "Good luck with that one, pal".

As a bit of an aside, Taylor Guitars recently sent Dave 2 new custom guitars in appreciation of the product recognition they received in the video. Apparently it has lead to a sharp increase in orders.

In days of old, we used to say: “Serve them well and people will tell a couple of friends… but serve them badly, they’ll tell twenty!” I guess the numbers need a little updating.

To view the video, click here: Revenge and once you have, be sure to click on the back arrow so you can return to this site to post your comments.

To comment, or read the comments on this blog click on 'comments' beside the little envelope below. To read previous articles (this is #21), see the Blog Archive (lower right) and to become a Wavemaker Blogs follower, click on 'Follow' (just above Archive).

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Your Call

The following is claimed to be an actual radio transmission intercepted some years back off the coast of Newfoundland.

R

Real or not, the message is a powerful one!

O

O

Operator #1: "Oncoming vessel, kindly alter your course 15 degrees east - over"

Operator #2: "Actually, we would be pleased if you were to alter your course 15 degrees - over"

Operator #1: "We are a US Navy Vessel. We repeat, alter your course 15 degree east - over"

Operator #2: "We repeat, it would be best if you were to alter your course and go around - over"

Operator #1: "LISTEN! WE ARE A UNITED STATES AIRCRAFT CARRIER, A FORMIDABLE VESSEL OF WAR! WE COMMAND YOU TO ALTER YOUR COURSE IMMEDIATELY! -over"

Operator #2: "We’re a lighthouse…your call."

The Message: No matter how strong you think your position may be, there are times when it is simply better to ‘go around’. This is especially important to remember when dealing with customer complaints.

If your initial reaction to a complaint situation is to try to establish who is at fault, or worse yet, to enter into a heated debate over who is right and who is wrong, there is a extremely good chance you’ll find yourself on the losing end.

I'm not suggesting the customer is always right. Often they are not. But regardless of who is right, or wrong, or even who wins the argument; if that's your main concern, you'll no doubt lose the business ...and in my books, that makes you the loser.

To be truly effective in the complaint handling and customer retention game, you must be objective. To be truly objective, you must first hear and acknowledge the customer's point of view, then force yourself to focus not on who is right and who is wrong, but rather on finding ways to put things right!

Right or wrong, your customers have as much right to be heard as you do. Once they have had their say, and you have had a chance to come up with a reasonable, well-informed and solution-based response, they’ll be much more inclined to listen to and appreciate your suggestions.

Take this approach and chances are you'll retain the customer and eliminate the possibility that they'll speak badly of you and your business to others. And even better than that, there is a substantial amount of research indicating customers who have had a complaint that has been effectively resolved, tend to be more loyal and better advocates than those who have simply never had a problem.

O

In the service business, every decision you make

and every action you take adds to, or detracts from

the customer experience. You can either take time

to think them through, or not - it's your call.

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The Silent Disappearing Act

The following was submitted as a comment by Justin Baillie (a fellow crusader of the service quality cause) in response to one of my earlier articles entitled ' The Company You Keep.' Given Justin's words spoke to more than just the core theme of that effort, I decided that rather than post it as a comment, I'd put it up as a whole new article. Thanks Justin!

I am probably the worst kind of dissatisfied customer. When something goes wrong, I just walk away. You'll not hear another thing about it from me (did I hear you breathe a sigh of relief?), I'll never again do business with you and, being human, I'll tell all of my family and friends not to either.

You have just lost a customer and you don’t even have a clue why. And you can’t win me back, because I’m gone. Like magic, I just disappeared and all your companies expensive MI will show is attrition, with no attributable or tangible explanation.

If management is clever, when they see a lot of attrition, they may try to find the cause. But don't worry; that takes a lot of time and how will they know it's linked to the poor customer service you provided?

Let's be realistic. Customers come and go, and we all generally spend a lot more time trying to get new ones than focusing on the existing, or exiting ones.

And besides, so what if I have left, what’s the big deal, who cares?

But, just in case you are interested, here's the ironic bit: the reason I am walking away is trivial and you could so easily have done the right thing in the first place, or put it right after the fact, if only you'd picked up on my rather obvious signs of displeasure.

Now I'm thinking that you and your organization don’t really care about service, or my business. Fair enough, you are a big corporate, you make millions, so why should you care about my few hundred or maybe few thousand dollars of revenue? I bet your motto is “There are plenty of other fish in the sea.” Right?

Fortunately for me, that works both ways. What you offer is available in many different places, maybe even for less money. I’ll just take my business elsewhere; thank you very much.

Justin

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