How many times have you been frustrated by automated phone trees that tell you to “press 1 for this, press 2 for that,” etc? I know it drives me crazy, especially when none of the options fit the problem I’m calling about.

And I really get ticked off after going through multiple layers of options only to be left on indefinite hold as a looped recording says how important my call is. I know I’m not alone in my frustration.

Well, I have a new favorite Web site, Gethuman.com. The site lists the phone numbers for hundreds of companies along with procedures for getting to a live person. It may involve pressing certain numbers or keys at the various prompts or simply ignoring the prompts completely. When you try this the first time you might feel that the recommended technique isn’t working as the electronic voice repeats its prompts, but hang in there; most of the time you’ll eventually get to a live person.

Gethuman.com didn’t work for every company I tested it on, but it did for most. They even provide a rating system that indicates the effectiveness of the recommended procedure. Give it a try the next time you get frustrated by a company’s phone tree.

What does this have to do with customer service? Well, I think it’s sad that a Web site like Gethuman.com needs to exist in the first place. Too many companies have made it nearly impossible to actually talk to someone when you need help.

The height of arrogance are those companies that charge you to speak to a live person regarding a product they sold you! Awhile back I tried to get help with a downloadable software package I purchased that wouldn’t install properly. I couldn’t get technical help because I neglected to purchase the technical assistance package at an additional fee. I could’ve “upgraded” when the problem occurred, but I was irritated and refused to be held hostage. I eventually got the software to work, but I’ll never again purchase from NCH Software.

So, I hope you find Gethuman.com to be useful. But I also hope that all companies constantly review their processes and ask; “Are we designing our processes for our convenience or the customer’s?”

Tags: Commentary, Service Analysis, Tips for Better Customer Service by Dennis Snow
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What a wild few weeks we’ve had. It seems like the economic bad news just keeps coming. Bank failures, talk of a global recession, the economic bailout (or rescue depending on who you listen to). The whole mess makes you hesitate to pick up the newspaper or turn on CNN.

With all of the doom and gloom, it’s only natural for employees to worry about their jobs and for business owners to worry about staying in business. But I have another fear that may seem trivial in comparison, but is very legitimate when considering the long-term prospects of any organization. My fear is that companies will panic and cut elements of their operations that made them successful in the first place. While cuts may be necessary, it’s my hope that organizations will cut with a scalpel, not a chainsaw. And the one element that an organization should not allow to suffer is the customer experience.

Fortune Magazine recently had an article every business leader should read during these challenging times titled, Home Depot’s Total Rehab. While the story doesn’t focus on today’s economy, it does provide a valuable lesson that is extremely relevant today. It tells the story of Home Depot, an organization that went from Wall Street darling to a shareholder and customer revolt resulting in the ugly ouster of CEO Bob Nardelli as the company lost its way. The main thrust of the article is that Home Depot’s fall from grace was caused by cutting back on the quality of the customer experience by reducing the number and quality of employees on the store floor.

I well remember in past years going to Home Depot whenever I had a home project. The employees were amazing! They were easily accessible and unbelievably knowledgeable, which was important since I wasn’t knowledgeable at all when it came to fixing things. I could ask any Home Depot employee for the most obscure repair part that I had little hope of ever finding, and not only would the employee take me to the part immediately, he or she would walk me through the installation of the part and invite me to call if I had any problems installing it. A trip to Home Depot was a pleasure.

But under Nardelli’s leadership it all began to change. It was subtle at first, but the changes soon became glaring. It became harder to find anyone to help with a question, and once I did find someone, it was often apparent that I knew more than he did – which is scary to even think about. The stores started looking unkempt and employees became curt, sometimes rude. I made the switch to the new Lowes that opened closer to my house. After all, once a company’s products become commoditized (a bag of nails is a bag of nails) price and convenience drive customer behavior. And besides, I found the Lowes employees to be friendlier and more knowledgeable.

Now, under the leadership of new CEO Frank Blake, Home Depot is putting its energy back into improving customer service. As you read the Fortune article, you’ll see that they’re betting on their customer service strategy to turn the operation around. And I hope it works. But they shouldn’t be in this situation in the first place. They compromised the very thing that made them a star in the beginning; knowledgeable, helpful employees. And, as stated in the article, “once you destroy a strong service culture, it’s difficult to get it back.”

So, my hope is that during these challenging times companies will learn from the mistakes made by the Home Depots of the world. Now is the time to solidify customer relationships and differentiate your organization from those that are going into panic mode and sacrificing customer service. When the economy turns around, which it will, those organizations that sacrificed customer service will have to spend a lot of time, money, and effort to play catch up, and they may never succeed. Those organizations that sustained or increased the good will of their customers will be uniquely positioned to rule the market.

Tags: Commentary, Service Analysis by Dennis Snow
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Exhausted from a long day of traveling, I looked forward to a quiet dinner in the lobby restaurant of the hotel where I was staying. I was in Montana for a speaking engagement, and planned to have a quick meal, then return to my room and put the finishing touches on my presentation.

Arriving at the restaurant’s hostess station, I saw several employees standing around joking with each other (loudly), ignoring the diners, and ignoring me. I stood there for a few minutes and just watched, wondering where the restaurant manager was and why he or she allowed this kind of behavior. As I watched, it slowly dawned on me that one of the employees horsing around was the restaurant manager.

One server, however, was doing a great job. As I watched, she was attentive to her guests and stayed busy cleaning tables, straightening chairs, and generally doing what a good manager would hope a good employee would do. I’d guess she was only sixteen or seventeen years old, but she was the most mature, responsible employee in that restaurant.

As luck would have it, I was seated (eventually) in the section staffed by the attentive server I had been observing. She was very nice, introducing herself as Rachel. She went through the specials, took my drink order, and left me to look at the menu. Just a few moments later she returned with my drink, asking if she could answer any questions about the menu. All of this was happening while the other employees chatted, laughed, and generally irritated the restaurant’s customers with their rude behavior. I could tell Rachel was embarrassed by the performance of her “colleagues” – although they were hardly in the same league.

Apparently the indifference extended to the kitchen, because my meal took quite a long time to arrive. Poor Rachel kept returning to my table, apologizing, and refilling my drink. She was extremely courteous and embarrassed at the same time. I mentioned to her that I was fine, I wasn’t in a rush, and she told me how much she appreciated my patience.

The moment I finished my meal, Rachel appeared with a dessert menu. I said, no thanks, I was full from my dinner. But she said, “Please, dessert is on us. I feel so bad about how long everything took.” She was so sincere I would’ve felt guilty refusing the dessert, and forced myself (right) to enjoy a large slice of cheesecake. I paid the check, leaving a nice tip, and made a beeline to the hotel’s front desk to let the hotel general manager know about my experience in his hotel’s restaurant and what a great employee he has in that one server.

Two things about this experience stand out for me. First, was this sixteen or seventeen year old server who was more professional and caring than any of the other “more mature” employees in the restaurant. If I lived in that city and was in a position to hire someone for any customer facing job, I would’ve offered Rachel the job on the spot. You can teach someone the technical skills a job requires, but that kind of professionalism and care can’t be taught. I have no doubt she will excel in any career she chooses.

The second thing that stands out was the simple offer of a dessert “on us” for the inconvenience of waiting for my meal. The restaurant manager clearly didn’t direct Rachel to make the offer, she chose to offer the dessert because it was the right thing to do. And I appreciated the gesture. Little touches like that go a long way in smoothing over a negative customer service situation. What a difference between being offered service recovery and having to ask for it. Employees who are empowered, or empower themselves in this case, can turn an unpleasant situation into something so positive that the customer is willing to blog about it.

The business world needs more employees like Rachel.

Tags: Service Analysis, Tips for Better Customer Service by Dennis Snow
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