Dennis Snow Blog

After a customer service presentation I recently conducted, an attendee wrote to me about a situation that reminded her of my comments regarding attention to detail – “Everything Speaks,” – and how details can either build or erode customer trust. Here’s some of what she shared:

“I thought you would be interested in seeing the attached picture that I took on my flight home. As I was getting on the plane, my colleague had a hilarious/concerned look on her face (she had boarded a little earlier than me and was one seat ahead of mine) – she said as I was passing her ‘All I can say is … duct tape …’ (she had attended your presentation as well and had heard your talk). As I proceeded to my seat, I saw that my airplane window literally had duct tape all around it – luckily I was seated in the aisle. I immediately summoned the flight attendant; he had a very aloof personality and said that I shouldn’t worry, that the tape was only holding the window against the inner part of the plane wall and that the ‘outer part’ was fine. (You should have seen the look on the woman’s face who was sitting in the window seat). At one point during the flight the attendant walked past us and said sarcastically, ‘Oh good, you’re still here!’”

I love it when program attendees share stories like this!

Now, I’m no aviation engineer, but I’m sure the plane was indeed safe. In this type of situation, however, I’d recommend the airline should’ve gone to great lengths to either repair the window before boarding that group of passengers, or find a replacement plane. Yes, delays would’ve been involved; but I’d argue that passengers are much more familiar with delayed flights than they are with duct taped planes. My guess is that this story will be shared many, many times, and the airline won’t be credited for taking off on time, it will be ridiculed for causing passenger alarm.

Question to consider: What are your “duct tape solutions” that erode customer trust?

Tags: Commentary, Service Analysis, When Bad Service Happens To Good People by Dennis Snow
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I’m ashamed it has taken me so long to recommend one of my all-time favorite books, The War of Art: Break Through the Blocks and Win Your Inner Creative Battles, by Steven Pressfield.

The title is clearly a play on The Art of War, by Sun Tzu, and it is a highly appropriate title. The “enemy,” in this case, is RESISTANCE. That is, anything that keeps us from doing our work. While Pressfield’s chosen work is writing, the principles he outlines apply just as well to anything from running a marathon, starting a business, starting a diet, or anything else that requires attention and commitment. In my world, his principles apply to any organization wishing to improve their customer service.

Here’s the key line at the beginning of the book: “Most of us have two lives. The life we live, and the unlived life within us. Between the two stands Resistance.” That line can apply to any endeavor we want to do (or even were meant to do) and what actually gets done. The gap between the two reflects the resistance succumbed to when faced with actually doing the work.

Here’s another quote that got my juices going: “Never forget: This very moment, we can change our lives. There never was a moment, and never will be, when we are without the power to alter our destiny. This second, we can turn the tables on Resistance. This second, we can sit down and do our work.” (Italics are mine).

Resistance is one of the main reasons companies abandon one customer service initiative after another. When the planning is done, when the meetings are over, we have to sit down and do our work to actually implement the plan. Like the writer staring at the blank page, we become easily distracted by other “urgent” matters and never get around to doing the thing that really matters. Changing an organization takes commitment and a willingness to battle resistance on many fronts – from ourselves, our employees, our bosses, and even from our customers.

For every excuse about why an organization can’t implement this or that strategy, there’s another company who “slayed the resistance dragon” and got the work done and is better for it.

Please, please, do yourself a favor and get the book. After you’ve read it, which I’ll bet you’ll read in one sitting, send me a note with your thoughts. I’d love to hear what The War of Art inspired within you. One of my hopes is, of course, that it inspires you to beat resistance in applying the customer service principles in the new edition of my book, Unleashing Excellence: The Complete Guide to Ultimate Customer Service. Shameless plug I know, but Unleashing Excellence really does provide you with the tools to break through the resistance you’ll face in improving your organization’s customer service.

Tags: Commentary, Recommended Resources, When Bad Service Happens To Good People by Dennis Snow
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As we get closer to the holiday season, the news is full of reports that retailers plan to hire fewer temporary workers than usual because of lower sales expectations. While this might make short-term sense to a business’s bottom line, it’s a recipe for frustration for you and me as shoppers.

Busy shopping seasons are often riddled with dismal customer service experiences, and this one will likely be no different, and perhaps worse. So, what should we do if we receive poor service? A clear option, of course, is to leave and never go back. Poor service sometimes occurs, however, in companies we actually like, and we want to go back. What then?

Here are seven tips for dealing with poor service:

1. Don’t become belligerent – Yes, sometimes customers do get their way by becoming belligerent or antagonistic. But more often, belligerence builds a wall between you and the very person you are trying to get to help you. For example, accusing an employee of being incompetent (while perhaps true) will rarely result in them wanting to assist. Insults don’t help, and besides, most of us don’t really feel good about losing control of our emotions.

2.      Express “calm frustration” – Expressing dissatisfaction or frustration is certainly appropriate; you want the person to know you’re not happy. But you also want them to know you’re a reasonable and appreciative person. Treat the employee with respect (even if you don’t feel you’re getting the respect you deserve), while at the same time letting him or her know you want something to change.

3.      Be clear about what you expect – The difference between a customer service rant and a customer service desire is huge. While the rant might feel good for the moment, desire is what will more often get you results. Tell the employee exactly what you want. “I’d appreciate it if you could focus on me for a moment.” “I’m not that tech savvy; can you tell me about the features in everyday language?” “I’ve been looking for someone to help me for quite a while. I’d appreciate it if you would help me.” “I’ve been put on hold every time I’ve called; I’d appreciate it if you wouldn’t put me on hold and help me with my problem.” Take a deep breath and take a moment to think about your desired outcome.

4.      Be reasonable – In the heat of the moment, we sometimes make unreasonable demands that seem reasonable at the time. When I supervised Guest Relations at Walt Disney World, I remember guests demanding we pay for their vacation expenses (airline tickets and all) because it happened to be raining during their visit. Of course they’re frustrated, and of course we assisted them in making the most of their stay, but paying for their vacation wasn’t going to happen.

5.      Be persistent – With the previous tips in mind, don’t give up if you aren’t satisfied. If the employee you’re dealing with isn’t helping, ask to speak with a manager – and don’t take no for an answer. I’ve been told that a manager wasn’t available, and when I made it clear that I wasn’t leaving until I spoke with a manager, suddenly one became available. Again, don’t be belligerent, just be firm. And if the manager isn’t helpful, ask for the contact information of his or her boss. Asking respectfully will often result in the manager sensing your persistence and providing the help you need. At that point the manager will likely realize that it’s easier to solve your problem than to explain to his or her boss why your problem wasn’t solved.

6.      Take names – This one is especially important with issues that go beyond mere irritations. When management realizes you have documented your problem, including the names of those you’ve spoken with, they know you’re serious and that you’re willing to do what it takes to get what you want. Rarely do I have to go beyond tip 5, but when I do, this tip almost always leads to a solution.

7.      Be prepared to cut your losses – How much time is the problem worth? Sometimes it’s worth it to see the issue all the way to the end, and sometimes it’s not. Your time is valuable, and it might just make sense to throw in the towel and accept that you’re not going to be satisfied. Life is too short to tilt at windmills. But there is still one more action you can take that, while it might not get you anything, might make you feel a bit better. Check out a couple of earlier posts, “Customer Service and Twitter,” and “The Price of Poor Service.”

I hope your holiday shopping experiences this season are smooth and merry, but I’m not delusional. Frustrations are bound to appear and it’s important to be prepared to deal with the frustrations that are worth dealing with. I hope you find these tips to be helpful. I would also welcome comments that provide additional tips for dealing with poor service.

Tags: Commentary, When Bad Service Happens To Good People by Dennis Snow
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Are your company’s processes designed for the convenience of the customer or for the convenience of the company? How would customers respond to that question?

Think about a process you can tweak (or overhaul) that will result in customers asking, “Why can’t other companies do it like yours?”

Tags: Commentary, Dennis on the Radio, Leadership, Recommended Resources, Service Analysis, Tips for Better Customer Service, Uncategorized, When Bad Service Happens To Good People by Dennis Snow
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Starting a customer service improvement initiative is challenging for most organizations. I’ve seen countless leaders so frustrated over where to begin that they don’t begin at all. The question of how to get things started freezes some initiatives in their tracks, and what could’ve been a successful improvement initiative never gets out of the gate.

Here are three ideas for getting started:

1. Decide what metrics you want to affect with the initiative – A bank might focus on “share of wallet” metrics, or customer retention. A hospital can focus on patient satisfaction scores or market share. A restaurant might look at average ticket numbers or customer referrals.The point is to decide what business results you’re trying to achieve with the service initiative. The metrics provide you with a North Star for decisions you make, and they keep you on course when things get rough (which they will).
2. Define the desired customer experience – Without defining what the customer experience is supposed to be, you are left at the mercy of each individual employee’s opinion of what it should be. There would likely be significant differences in those opinions.A good place to begin crafting a definition is to determine what you would want customers to say to a friend or family member after any experience with your organization. “They were so efficient;” “They made me feel safe;” “Everyone was so knowledgeable” are all potential statements that would indicate you’re creating the experience you want to create.Then (and this is vital), determine what behaviors need to occur in order for customers to say those things. If a healthcare organization wants patients to talk about how efficient the organization is, then employees had better keep patients informed, manage expectations, and show respect for the patient’s time.
   
3. Review the success factors of previous successful initiatives – Most organizations have had success in implementing new processes, standards, or approaches. Your company might have created and sustained a safety culture in response to problems that had plagued the organization in the past. How was that initiative successfully executed? What were the steps? Follow the same path with your customer service improvement plans. Reviewing past successes can at least get you started with creating a plan.Some might say, however, that an issue like safety is easily measurable, whereas customer service is a bit (or a lot) more subjective. While this is true to a certain extent, the organization still had to take certain actions to improve its safety record and, therefore, change the culture. While the initiative may be different, the process can be the same.

Certainly there are other actions that can help with launching a successful service initiative, but these three are a good starting point. Looking at these three elements help you to define what you’re trying to accomplish and to determine what can be done to increase the likelihood of success.

And, most importantly, these three elements can unfreeze you and get things moving forward.

Tags: Service Analysis, When Bad Service Happens To Good People by Dennis Snow
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A few weeks back, I posted an article titled, Customer Service and Twitter, in which I focused on how our customers can instantly let people know about their experience with us.

A recent example of the power of social media is the popular YouTube video, “United Breaks Guitars.” If you don’t know the back story, here’s the condensed version:

Musician Dave Carroll was on a United flight and he, along with other passengers, watched as baggage handlers manhandled bags and threw Carroll’s $3,500 Taylor guitar on the ground causing about $1,200 in damage. United initially refused to pay for the repair, inspiring Carroll to compose a song about the experiece.

The video went viral and to date has been viewed 3,691,735 times.

United eventually handled Carroll’s claim, but look at the cost in bad press, mistrust, embarrassment, and increased scrutiny from passengers. What could’ve been handled quickly and professionally turned into a PR nightmare for United. For more on the story, check out an early article on the situation as it appeared in the Orlando Sentinel.

Similar to the way I ended the post about Twitter, it’s worth reflecting on this question in every contact we have with every customer: “How would I feel and how would my company feel if this interaction ended up on YouTube?”

By the way, United Airlines is now using the video in their customer service training!

Tags: Commentary, Service Analysis, Uncategorized, When Bad Service Happens To Good People by Dennis Snow
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As we come into the weekend, try giving your team this informal assignment. As they go about their weekend activities, ask them to to consciously notice the level of service they receive as they interact with companies and their employees. Ask them to look at the physical environment, observe employees as they serve them as well as other customers, and pay attention to the processes they experience during the interaction. What was good? What was not so good? What what was dismal? Ask them to mentally note as many details as possible.

At your next team meeting, request that members of your team share their observations and how the experiences make them feel. Did the experience make them definitely want to come back? definitely not want to come back? or just leave them neutral? Then ask the group how their observations relate to your organization and to their own jobs. This is a quick benchmarking experience that can pay great dividends.

When Walt Disney was planning Disneyland, he sent his “Imagineers” to visit amusement parks and carnivals, and to observe what customers liked and didn’t like. He used this knowledge (particularly the dislikes) in the design of Disneyland. Rather than a haphazard layout, everything would be organized and themed. Rather that surly “ride operators,” Disneyland would have “hosts and hostesses” who treated customers as “guests.” Much of what makes the Disney parks what they are today came from this simple strategy of observing competitors and putting the knowledge to work.

Why not send an email to your team today? Simply ask them to pay attention to their experiences over the weekend, note how those experiences made them feel, and be prepared to discuss it at your next team meeting. I’m convinced it will be an eye-opening and beneficial exercise for the entire team.

Tags: Tips for Better Customer Service, Uncategorized, When Bad Service Happens To Good People, When Great Service Happens To Good People by Dennis Snow
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I’m constantly amazed at the lengths to which some companies will go in order to alienate their customers. They may have clunky processes, poorly trained employees, or any of a multitude of customer-alienating practices.

But the one that really fries me most is when a company distrusts their customers. Sure, there are those customers who take advantage by doing such things as returning clothes after they’ve attended the prom, returning furniture after the party, etc. But those abusive customers are in the minority. Some companies, however, build rigid policies to protect themselves against the advantage-takers and end up alienating the majority of customers who would never dream of trying to rip off the company.

This all leads to a story a colleague shared regarding a damaged cake. When she contacted the company, it’s clear that the owner of the company didn’t trust the customer’s story, even though she offered to send a photo of the damaged cake. After reading her description of the event, click on the icon to see a photo of what she received (read the narrative first).

Today in the office a customer service nightmare unfolded. A bakery shipped a cake that arrived in such a mess the recipients couldn’t tell what it was. They called the company to kindly let them know; the owner was angry that she’d done so and denied there was even a problem even though the recipient offered to send a photo of what she’d been delivered. It was a strange kind of denial and she got very defensive. What is happening now though is that the photo is circulating and the story is getting around, which will obviously hurt business.

Click HERE to see the photo!

Imagine how different this customer would’ve felt if the owner had sincerely expressed her dismay at the condition of the cake, apologized profusely, and immediately sent a replacement – which the customer didn’t even ask for. My guess is that the next time this customer wanted to send a cake as a gift she would’ve immediately chosen this company because there would’ve been a high level of trust that things would turn out fine.

Instead, this customer is circulating the story, along with the photo and the company’s name, to everyone she knows. Remember, it costs five times as much to attract a new customer as it costs to keep a current one. I hope this cake company has a big advertising budget.

Do your company policies ever penalize and alienate your honest, loyal customers because of the actions of the small fraction of customers who try to take advantage?

Want to share your story? You can submit it here.

Tags: Commentary, Service Analysis, When Bad Service Happens To Good People by Dennis Snow
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