Customer Service…. Where Are You?

June 2, 2009 by Yuval Brisker

In a number of articles I’ve read over the past few weeks, , including this interesting one in Business Week, we’re finding out that, at a time when companies should be doing everything in their power to protect and fight for their loyal customers, they aren’t!

A fascinating survey done by Accenture on the state of customer service exposes a huge gap between how companies perceive the customer service they provide, in comparison to how these companies’ customers experience that same service. Needless to say most businesses rate their own service more highly than their customers do. This is in the area of B2B customer service.

I was thinking about why this gap exists and why there is such a gap of perception. I came to the following conclusion: There is a disconnect between these companies’ intentions and their actual delivery. Most service companies’ management know that today they have to ‘talk the talk’  even to the point of self delusion. But when it comes to actually ‘walking’ i.e. dedicating the right amount of resources, human and capital, and taking a risk on innovation, they end up not really walking or  leaping or following through on their own expressed desires.
And because nothing is static – everything either gets better or gets worse… then things get worse and customers are the ones that experience the deterioration.

And customers, like elephants never forget.

Maoz: Time for a “reckoning”

May 5, 2009 by Yuval Brisker

In his blog entry from yesterday Michael Maoz from Gartner says that this is a time for a reckoning  that these times will definitely separate the ‘men’ from the ‘boys’ in all things that related to focusing on, and commitment to, the customer.

I agree. The knee jerk reaction to these times is surely cut cut cut… save save save.

Rushing to the corner, looking to hide.

But that is fear dictating the present, fear dictating the future. But is it really the best way to guarantee a brighter future?

Yesterday I spent the day with two large customers of mine. Both with billions dollars of revenue, both definitely seeing the effects of the recession on their businesses. Both bravely forging on.

They came together for a fascinating day of sharing. They spent a day exchanging ideas on how to ensure their businesses emerge triumphant.

Yes. Cutting inefficiencies is no doubt a good thing at any time. But going beyond this essential focus on efficiency is what marks a great organization from those that are merely wannabes. And they were definitely focused on that.

So what were they talking about more than anything? How to delight the customer. How to make sure that the customers will always feel like they are getting more not less. That they will never have a reason to consider a competitor’s offer and head for the door. My customers got together physically, even though they are separated by thousands of miles and an ocean to think together what they need to do so that the majority of their good customers will stay their good customers for many years to come. They were looking beyond today’s woes to the fruits of their investment in superior customer care when others are just looking just to cut. What they actually said at this meeting is related specifically to their specific businesses. But what they did yesterday should inspire us all.

Customer service and the dream of “America”

April 28, 2009 by Yuval Brisker

When I was a boy in Israel-  “AMERICA” was a magical word. Magical on a mythical scale.

Leonard Bernstein’s  refrain from ‘West Side Story” rang so true, that everyone, literally, wanted to “be in America”.
Everything about the US was great! The cars, the movies, the shopping, the music, the landscapes, the size of everything and…… the Service!

Ah, yes, I can very clearly remember those days when you said America, you meant amazing, courteous, personalized, customer friendly service.

People came back from the US and marveled at the most incredible things about the Service, as if it was a creation from outer space: . that you were treated with respect and had a right as a customer to expect it;  that people were always polite, that you could return anything you didn’t like and be greeted with a smile; that people actually cared whether you were satisfied or not; that great customer service was not a by-product or a way of just making more money but part of the culture of the place (or at least it was so sincere that it felt that way). And the hope was that one day, maybe in the far off future, we could be like America.

I am thinking about those days gone by and wondering where it all went. How it got lost in the shuffle, in the money, in the machine.

And thinking that if it was indeed part of the soul of the place – it’s here somewhere. And it will return.

British Airways’ simple gestures create a memorable experience

April 21, 2009 by Yuval Brisker

It usually takes a completely unexpected event to wake you up to the realization of a truth, to remind you that even in the economic realities of the day, in the well oiled corporate machines of manufactured  “customer care” there can be moments of grace that separate the notion of perfunctorily ‘good’ customer care from a truly great and lasting experience.

And all it’s takes is a one person making the decision to treat another person with real common decency to elevate that moment to something unforgettable.

It’s that easy.

So last Tuesday I was flying back from London on British Airways (ba.com). I was on the last flight out from Heathrow to JFK, sitting in World Traveler (which is coach)  and I had forgotten to order my vegetarian meal. So when the carts came around with the Beef Lasagna or the Chicken, I said to the flight attendant, who was a purser, “I am going to pass  – I am a vegetarian and I forgot to order a special meal, and don’t worry about it, it’s no big deal” and I was sure that she was just going to acknowledge, nod and move on (as they likely would have done on Continental, American,  United or Delta), But instead she says to me “No it’s not a problem, let me see if we can fix something for you” and I said “Not a problem if you can’t” and she repeated “Don’t worry we will get something for you. You can’t fly these 7 hours without eating”.

So while they are fixing the meal in the back… I have to take a moment to say that in the last few years I had grown out of love with British Airways. In the 90s I thought they were innovative, their planes were new(er) and overall they were the ones leading the way. But something had gone stale and the times I had flown with them in the past few years, they seemed tired, the planes old and worn and basically nothing exciting at all. So with that I can say that my expectations were low:  I thought to myself, they will probably go back and compile a few unused salads and bring them back to me on a tray. Meanwhile my fellow travelers were chomping through their meals, getting and finishing their drinks, and sitting back to watch the movie. About 10 minutes later, the purser came back and said, “we haven’t forgotten you, we are working on it”. Now that made me curious. What could they be “working on”… I soon found out.

About 5 minutes after that visit – an attendant dressed in white chef’s colors came in from the front carrying a tray and on it a spectacular PREPARED meal on china. He was the First Class attendant who in fact doubles as the First Class chef and he ceremoniously laid in front of me a freshly prepared meal consisting of a nice green salad and a freshly created crepe filled with assorted julienne vegetables (fresh asparagus, mushrooms, cauliflower, etc) all covered by a mushroom sauce on white china. And he says to me “We’ve prepared this wild mushroom crepe for you and it’s 100% vegetarian”. I was flabbergasted and thanked him profusely. And ate my First Class meal in Coach.

But that was not the end:  An hour later he was back  this time with a fresh fruit plate of berries, mangoes, pineapples and bananas drizzled with chocolate or as he put it as he laid it in front of me “I’ve spoiled it with a little chocolate ganache”. And if you think that we it then you’re wrong:  right before landing he was back again with a plate of petit fours – that he assured me were veggie.

I was blown away.  Amazed by the care, thought and attention that went into this and how on one hand it was just a simple decision made and on the other hand how it was absolutely out of the ordinary act of care. And boy was it impactful.

I couldn’t help thinking to myself that what companies do most of the time to win customers’ appreciation is usually process driven and mechanical. And customers can smell the mechanical nature of it – so that even if it IS sincere, it’s many times not perceived as such. And all it takes is to encourage your people to look for opportunities to reach out with simple human gestures recognizing a customer’s individuality and you will win over a customer for life like British Airways just won me. Does anyone doubt that the ‘next time my travel plans take me somewhere” …anywhere….I will  think “does British go there?”

Kudos to BA for teaching their people to think, to care and for the crew to exercise the right amount of wisdom and discretion to make a difference. One passenger at a time.