Devoted to customer service and the principles of exceptional customer services

What is a customer-focused strategy?  That is the question that Glenn Ross of Customer Service Experience asked a group of customer service/marketing bloggers.  Here are some answers he has received so far:

"Most simply, I would define “customer-focused strategy” as a view on business that puts customers at the center of business decisions...." -- Service Untitled.  Read the rest of the thoughts on customer-focused strategy over at the blog.

I completely agree with what was said over at Service Untitled, but I'd like to add a few thoughts and examples...

One example of a company who has implemented a very successful customer-focused strategy is Zappos.com.  The company's high level of customer service has been talked about over and over again by business analysts and customers.  This customer-focused mentality was started by the CEO, Tony Hsieh, and that energy has spread all the way to the customer service reps.  Every single employee of Zappos is indoctrinated into the belief that customers should always be taken care of. 

A strategy is not "customer-focused" when a company is obsessed with the numbers and has the scarcity mentality.  Instead of asking themselves, "Is this for the greater good of our customers?", they're constantly asking, "Did we make our sales goals?"

How would you define "customer-focused strategy"?

Photo Credit:  Hussain Quantum 

A few months ago the Starbucks Project was born and I thought I'd share an update of some of the news and "gossip" I've come across about Starbucks.  I also answer the the burning question that the company surely wants to know:  What do customers really want from Starbucks? Check out my Starbucks thoughts over at the Capable Blog.

Also, the customer service book giveaway has been extended another week.  I realize that subscribers don't read this blog everyday, so I thought I'd give them a chance to catch up and share their thoughts.  The new deadline for the giveaway is next Thursday, May 15.

Remember that the Customer Service Carnivale is coming up this Monday.  Last day for submissions is this Saturday, May 10.  Submit your article now!

Barbara Walters is an iconic figure in the U.S. and has had such a long and wonderful career as a news anchor and reporter.  She was on the Oprah show to discuss her life and talk about her memoir, Audition.  As I’m watching to Barbara Walters talk, I start to realize what it is that makes her one of the most respected and admired people in show business…

Barbara Walters has the ability to connect and relate with her audience.  She’s spent her whole life seeking the truth from people, but she's also very honest and candid about what has happened in her own life - which she talks about in her book.  

Are you relating and connecting with your customers?  

This month over at my online business blog the focus has been on social media and social network marketing.  It's a "hot" topic these days among us tech geeks who use social networking sites on a daily business.  However, Lewis Green's post, Is Social Media Good For Business? is a reminder that there are many traditional business people who are wondering what all this social media hype is all about...and more importantly, if there is indeed a ROI if it is implemented into the marketing strategy.

Here are my answers to Lewis' questions:

One of my best friends has been a United Airlines flight attendant for almost ten years on and off (She was laid off at 9/11).  When she first started, being a flight attendant was still considered a “glamour” job.  Of course, as with any new job, she was very excited to be visiting all these different cities and countries.  Who wouldn’t love to be paid to do that, right?


First Class United Airlines in 1987/Photo by Alan Light

Well, all that has changed.  My friend calls me and she sounds extremely stressed out...  

“I can’t take it anymore!” she exclaims.  “Everyone - fellow flight attendants, customers, supervisors - are just plain mean!  Flying used to be a stress-free experience, but now flying is just the same as riding the Greyhound Bus!  Customers are angry because we run out of food, First Class flyers are angry because they can‘t get a second meal…Everyone is just angry.”

My friend went on to tell me that United Airlines:

Here's a customer service-related blog that I discovered a few days ago that you might enjoy perusing this weekend:  The Chief Happiness Officer. I'm surprised that I've never found this blog before because Alexander Kjerulf has been blogging since 2002 - a time when blogging didn't exist for me or for many people, for that matter.  I especially liked this post, Top 10 Bad Excuses For Staying in a Bad Job.  #4 is one I hear very often from peers. 

Here is a video of Alexander giving a talk about "Happy at Work"...


Remember that if you're happy, your customers will be happy as well!

Other past posts of interest:

• Why Do We Get Bad Service?
• The Happiness Habit
• Are You Doing What Makes You Happy?
  

Here are a couple of interesting customer service statistics...

According to The Retail Consumer Dissatisfaction Survey, 33% of people can't find a salesperson when they shop and 25% are ignored by associates (Source).  These stastics are not surprising to me because I experience this every time I go shopping.  Just the other day I walked into a Radio Shack and two salespeople looked up from their post behind the counter...but did either one say anything to me?  They just looked up and then continued on with what they were doing. 

However, it's interesting to note that luxury brands are changing their mindset on how to treat customers.  I bring this up because these types of stores are where most people experience being ignored by associates.  You may recall my post last year about Louis Vuitton's less than satisfactory service.  I still have yet to revisit any Louis Vuitton stores since that post, but I have visited Burberry a couple times and associates there are more welcoming. 

These types of issues are easily fixed and all it takes is just a little more coaching and training by management.  However, in regards to not being able to find a salesperson signifies that perhaps many retailers are operating on "skeleton" crews - meaning that they schedule just the bare minimum of employees needed.  It's a common scenario in retail - especially now with the economy the way it is.  The 25% statistic mentioned above may even grow higher in the months ahead...

Photo Credit: Richard Faulder

In a recent post titled, "Engage or Die" I talked about how companies are using social media to increase customer satisfaction.  Well, after reading Geoff Livingston's JetBlue experience, I'm beginning to realize that engaging with your customers online simply isn't enough.  Whoever you choose as your rep for these social media/networking sites needs to also be empowered to do something.  In Geoff Livingston's case, the Twitter rep should have been able to make a quick phone call and gotten those fees waived.  Then perhaps it wouldn't have escalated into this post at The Buzz Bin.

Here's an example of a company who empowers their employees...

Not too long ago Donna Cutting, author of The Celebrity Experience, "dropped by" here to give us some examples of companies who provide outstanding experiences.  Well, recently I came across a video with Donna talking about one of those companies - how they roll out the red carpet for every new employee and what the difference is between mediocre businesses and outstanding businesses...

When it comes to hiring people for an organization, I think many businesses focus too much on what experience a person has versus their attitude. I know a guy who applied for a position in which he completely had no experience doing. However, the company took a chance on him and because of his attitude learned everything quickly - including a new language because his job was in China. He actually went from a $30K a year job to a salary over $100K simply because he had such a positive attitude. He contributes so much more to the company than people who get paid more than him!

Are you a mediocre business...or an outstanding business?

At the top of my list of the most accessible CEOs in the fashion/retail industry is Tony Hsieh of Zappos.com.  I'm learning that he spends quite a bit of time hanging out with his Twitter followers.  Tony is so accessible that you can even slap him at happy hour...

I've sent Tony a couple replies to his "tweets" at Twitter and he always replies back.  It was from him that I learned Best Buy is starting to get really serious about improving their own customer service...

I know I was starting to lose faith after my previous Best Buy post!  Hopefully the folks at Best Buy learned a few things about customer service and will actually implement them.

And speaking of accessibility, the other day I was talking to a Bank of America customer service rep and I asked her for an address to contact the CEO.  First off, she had no idea who the CEO was ("Hold on while I found out his name...").  She gave me an address to their complaint department...which is not what I wanted, but maybe I should complain that she didn't give me the CEO's contact info? 

Darren Rowse of Problogger wrote about how to be a more interactive and accessible blogger which I think could also be applied to just about anyone running a business.  Recommended read!

So, what about you?  How accessible are you to your customers?