Archive for the 'Customer Service' Category

What I really wanted to say!

Published
by
hardlynormal
on June 20, 2008
in Change, Character, Community, Customer Service, Just Me, Leadership, Learning, Life's Lessons, Managment and My Big Mouth
. 2 Comments

Ahhh the feeling of freedom after being repressed. 

For some time I was not allowed to be myself. To be completely honest I was employed at a place where people are not allowed to be honest and have to say things like “we are receiving our healing” instead of saying “I am sick” or “I have a cold”. Although I completely agree with positive thinking this type of environment is far from positive. People are scared to be real and it encourages people to be superficial. Even though the assumed intent is to create a positive workplace it actually produces the opposite since honestly is repressed!

When I wrote this post what I really wanted to say is:

If the local drycleaner cares more about people, genuinely cares more about people then the local church - there is something seriously wrong with the church!

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Listening to the unhappy customer

Published
by
hardlynormal
on February 18, 2008
in Change, Character, Community, Customer Service, Just Me, Leadership, Learning, Life's Lessons, Managment, Marketing, Ministry, My Big Mouth, Outreach and Remarkable
. 1 Comment

I finally did it! I switched my Yahoo! start page to a Google start page. I probably have had a Yahoo! start page for over 10 years. Every time they changed I adapted, but about a year ago they created a new start page with a square ad right in the middle. It is horrible.

I didn’t make this switch overnight.  I wrote to Yahoo! on several occasions. Also, I started a Google start page about 6 months ago and kept trying it out during that period.  I would probably still stick with a Yahoo page, but every time their cookie is deleted I have to go to their new layout and revert. There is no way around this and it is very frustrating. So, yesterday I switched.

Seth Godin in his book Free Prize Inside!: The Next Big Marketing Idea makes a great point that we need to listen to our unhappy customers:

People who are happy are your company’s worst enemy. Satisfied customers don’t complain. Satisfied customers pay on time.  Satisfied customers don’t bother the boss or the tech support people or the legal department.

This is a problem. It’s a problem because satisfied customers are unlikely to radically increase your sales. Satisfied customers are unlikely to push you and your colleagues to stay ahead of the competition. One day, in fact, the competition will pass you and then the satisfied customers will quietly leave.

Your growth will come instead from dissatisfied and the unsatisfied. The dissatisfied know that they want a solution, but aren’t happy with the solution they’ve got. The minute they find it, they’ll buy it. Yahoo!’s best customers weren’t Google’s first users. Nope. The happy Yahoo! customers weren’t busy looking for a replacement. Google focused on dissatisfied Web surfers. People who were online but weren’t blown away by what they had been using (and wanted to be blown away)

Yes, the loud people who complain all the time are just that, complainers,  and are probably better off complaining in another church. But the majority of members who have been loyal for a longtime, but are now unhappy, and have been unhappy for some time (but have not said anything) will slip away without a word – unless you ask!

I believe in surveying. It helps in correcting issues and it greatly helps in being able to minister more effectively. Granger even offers the weekend survey they use for download. (another post about their weekend survey can be found here)

Of course, you might learn things you don’t want to know, because you might have to change, and change hurts because you’ll have to admit your way is not the best way!  But, if you are so closed you are not listening, or you don’t have an effective vehicle for constructive feedback established, you are seriously missing out on valuable data that can lead to great insight and growth.

Let’s be real for a second! If church is to be about helping others, and we don’t seek out their input, how effective can we be?  We cannot guess on how to help people and be really successful. Don’t ask your staff – ask the people you serve!

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I had it coming

Published
by
hardlynormal
on January 30, 2008
in Character, Customer Service, Just Me, Learning, Life's Lessons, Managment, Marketing, Ministry, My Big Mouth and Remarkable
. 0 Comments

Today I went to Jiffy lube to get my 3,000 mile checkup. As I pulled in one of the workers walked up to my car so I lowered the window to speak with him. He simply asked “how can I help you?” Of course, the big kid inside me responded, “I’ll have a Big Mac, large fries and a coke!” No reaction and the Jiffy Lube guy kind of looked sad. I figured I better explain the joke so I said “this is jiffy lube, I came here to get my oil changed, just trying to have some fun.”

Still with a very sad face he said, “ya I know, it is just we are out of oil.” WHAT! Jiffy Lube out of oil! My very first thought was what a great blog post this is going to make! Then I started to think of where can I find another shop since I always go to this one.  I said “are you serious? Where can I go to get my oil changed?” There was a long pause and still an even longer face. He then smiled and said, “I am just playing with you. We can change your oil.” It was funny because he got me good and I know I had it coming.

Then he told the manager what went down and the manager came to me and said “that was funny, I’m going to give you $10 off for being such a jerk!” We all laughed and as I was walking to my car the manager told me some dumb joke that I won’t repeat here.

Even though rather crude, all the employees today had excellent customer service. I am sure it would be different in a restaurant setting (except Ed Debevics ) but this was a garage and I unquestionably left happier then when I pulled in.

I love to throw fish and have fun at work. It makes the day more enjoyable and really helps to inspire creativity in a team. How do you make the day more interesting? Do clients, customers, co-workers, vendors and the people you have contact with feel happier after spending some time with you?

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Great customer service

Published
by
hardlynormal
on January 18, 2008
in Customer Service
. 1 Comment

A few months back I wrote a post about how great my dry cleaner is, and because they have such amazing customer service that I forget how much they charge.  Well, because of my surgery and my now trying to save every penny they have not seen me in a month.

I just received a call from them and I was shocked. They are sincerely concerned about my surgery and why I have not been in to see them.  It was not a sales call; the lady was very genuine and extremely compassionate. I felt like I was talking to family!

Staying on topic of my original post the best and most cost effective marketing is sincerely caring for others – not just those close, but everyone you come in contact with.  People can sense superficial. There is a saying in Hollywood that if you can fake sincerity you’ve got it made! It is kind of scary how many people do fake it. Teach your frontline people - receptionists, greeters, call center prayer partners, ushers, cafeteria servers, everyone who has contact with people, to go beyond a handshake and a smile and dig a little deeper.  Take the time to coach them on how to be real and your organization is guaranteed to grow.

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Tom Peters Live – Re-imagine DVD

Published
by
hardlynormal
on December 19, 2007
in Change, Customer Service, Future, Just Me, Leadership, Learning, Managment, Marketing, Remarkable, Technology and Vision
. 0 Comments

Tom Peters Live - Re-imagine DVDI love Tom Peters and even though I read his blog and own several of his books I have never seen him in action. On Amazon I happened to find a DVD and it just arrived so I immediately watched it. AMAZING! I was literally blown away! If you are in business or plan on starting one, a leader, a manager or a pizza delivery guy this DVD is a must have! The world is changing fast no matter if we like it or not. Tom tells it like it is and I cannot say that any teaching this year on the future of business and/or marketing has affected me as much as this. Most organizations are stuck in the same old rut and rarely does anyone have the guts to break out from the pack and do something different – something remarkable! His observations about creativity becoming the new commodity, marketing to women, boomers and geezers, weird is good, what is wrong with today’s education, rewarding failures, taking risks, leadership, plus so much more are beyond brilliant. You cannot afford to not watch this DVD!

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Image is everything

Published
by
hardlynormal
on November 30, 2007
in Customer Service, Just Me, Leadership, Learning, Life's Lessons, Marketing, Ministry, My Big Mouth and Remarkable
. 0 Comments

20 years ago I was the International Shipping Manager for Image Entertainment. One lesson they drummed in us is: image is everything. The customer will never see us, or the building or the company vans. They will however, see the box their laser discs arrive in and they will judge the company by the “excellence” of the box. How it was folded, packaged, taped, etc!

That lesson stuck to me. It is the little things that are really important yet we sometimes miss them, or don’t take the time to notice, or just don’t care because it is “good enough”! People notice, they do! And they will judge you, your business, your church or your ministry way before they even step in the door!Professional at it’s best!

Even with no budget you can achieve excellence by working a little harder, listening to people with experience and caring a little more! Pay attention to details, it matters! Image is everything!

Another thanks to A-dizzle for sending me this pic. I don’t get out much these days!

Sure looks professional to me!

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Seth Godin: Sliced bread and other marketing delights

Published
by
hardlynormal
on September 5, 2007
in Blogs, Community, Customer Service, Future, Internet, Just Me, Leadership, Learning, Marketing, Media, My Big Mouth, Personal Growth, Remarkable and Vision
. 0 Comments

Thanks to Chris Busch’s blog that you can find by clicking here I found another great Seth video. You can never get enough Seth!!!! WATCH THIS VIDEO!!!

the original video can be found here

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Worth the extra?

Published
by
hardlynormal
on September 5, 2007
in Character, Community, Customer Service, Just Me, Leadership, Learning, Life's Lessons, Marketing, My Big Mouth and Remarkable
. 0 Comments

This is not news to some of you that know me. I have a pet peeve with dry cleaners and Chinese food. I probably got spoiled while living in Los Angeles where there is a $1 dry cleaner and a $1 Chinese food on every street corner. (Actually the very best Chinese food I have ever experienced can be found at Yang Chow. Go to the original one in China Town! Their hot and spicy wonton soup is to live for!) Dry cleaning was never an issue until I moved to the Midwest and it soon became one giant of an issue. $4 for a tie!!!! And no egg rolls!!!

Seems I have tried them all around my house or around work. The dry cleaner in Winghaven was run by nice people. When they would ruin my clothes they would try and go buy a replacement. One pair of pants to an expensive suit just disappeared never to be found. Now I am blessed with a sport coat that does not match with anything. One sweet generous woman at work, after hearing about my dry cleaning experiences, blessed me with a gift certificate so I could try the dry cleaner they all use. I was grateful for the gift and more so for the thought, but I really was not happy with their service, or price, so I kept searching and searching and searching.

There was one store very close to my house that looked great, yet they were over priced compared to everyone else so I walked out. I forgot why but one day I happened to be in a bind! As I think maybe they were the last store in the area that I have yet to try and it was the process of elimination that provoked my return. Anyway, turns out this over priced store has amazing customer service and by far the best cleaning service in the area.

I have been using them for a few months now and it is a pleasure going into the store. We always joke about something and they are very nice. They always call me by my first name and I address them the same. It is as if we have become friends. My clothes are always very clean, folded and NOT LOST!

When I was leaving today I started to laugh because they are worth the extra price – and then some! I should have tried them the first time I walked in. They are so good at what they do, and are so friendly, I have even stopped tweaking about the cost. I don’t even fret when they tell me the price although I am sure I am putting one of their kids through college.

Then I started to think about what we do. Not me, or where I work, but us as Christians or us as businesspeople. Do we make peoples experiences so enjoyable that they will travel the extra 10 miles to be at service every Sunday morning? How about 50 miles? Is the church experience so good that they forget about everything else, but God, while they are in the building? Are we so friendly that they will fight traffic, feed the kids, hurry to get dressed and drive back into traffic to attend a midweek service? Are people really getting what they need? If they are the challenges no longer matter! It becomes worth the extra!

If I really want good service I will most likely have to pay for it.  Price, or costs associated to obtain what we want, does not matter to a person if they are being treated better then good. As marketers this is an extremely valuable lesson we must never forget.

Ask yourself, are you worth the extra?
 

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A good Wal-Mart experience – no really!

Published
by
hardlynormal
on August 29, 2007
in Blogs, Community, Customer Service, Just Me, Learning, Life's Lessons, Marketing and My Big Mouth
. 1 Comment

I have a friend who loves Wal-Mart. Interesting enough this friend also loves Carmen and should most definitely seek professional help. Now me, I loathe Wal-Mart, however, just like the rest of us I end up there. I guess only people from Georgia can be devoted to a store that sells Larry The Cable Guy “Git-R-Done” Boxer Shorts.

Every time I walk into Wal-Mart I text this friend reminding him of how much I dislike Wal-Mart. Being the nice guy I am I want to make sure he has not forgotten! Today while shopping at you know where, right after I hit send on my phone, and to my surprise, the check out clerk was not only able to formulate a sentence; he went out of his way to be nice. Lately Wal-Mart must be having serious customer service issues because at the check out, when you go to swipe your card, the first thing you read is “did the cashier greet you today?” I wonder what happens to an employee when they receive an usual amount of “no” answers. Electric shock? Wouldn’t that be awesome watching the Wal-Mart clerk receiving a large electric shock if they forgot to say hello? Anyway, this kid even went as far as walking around to my side and placing the bags in my cart. I could not believe it! Out of all the times I have shopped at Wal-Mart this is the only first-rate customer service I have ever received.

My new favorite blog (sorry Seth) is Swerve at LifeChurch.tv. This week they are posting a series on customer service that I believe every church worker should read. No, everyone should read!

Since I am on this topic let me say how impressed I am with Amazon.com. I love it so much I hate it. They make it so easy that I am going broke. Their online experience is the best and anyone doing ecommerce should follow the Amazon.com model. Have you ever had to contact their customer service? Today trying to speak to someone is almost impossible so when I clicked on their contact page; and it said input your number and that Amazon will call me I was skeptical. Really skeptical! To my surprise they call back right away – even at work! Each time was a great experience.

When I took some college television classes my professor, Rolf Mendez, taught us that TV was all customer service. Truth is, everything is customer service. Good people skills are priceless, and making other people feel good about themselves is truly a gift that more people need to learn.

Ahhhh no more pressure - I made a post. This blogging stuff is work. Now that I know I am visited daily by the Official Society of Bolivian Malamute Hunters I can feel the pressure. Well, I’ll do my best but if I happen to miss a day just remember my new tag line; “don’t let the first layer fool you – the good stuff’s at the bottom!” There are a lot of great posts to keep you busy. In fact I am rather fond of a few I wrote in July after my return from Los Angeles.

While writing this post I found some great Wal-Mart hater sites that I wanted to link to however, the content was a little questionable. Also, I cannot believe I looked up Carman on the internet. It must be the lack of smog is getting to me! HELP!

Hugs,

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