In a strong service culture, "recognition and reward" must come frequently from the company. Why? Because it doesn't come very often from the customer.
A service provider who calms an angry customer, listens patiently to his complaint and acts quickly to resolve the issue surely deserves appreciation. But how often does an angry customer say, "You did a great job of calming me down and taking care of my needs. Thanks for such great service!" (Answer: Not very often.)
Recognition is a powerful form of reward. Salespeople respond to financial incentives. Product engineers work hard to prove a new technology. But most service people are "people people". Personal recognition from their managers and peers means a lot.
Recognition can be given many ways: in private or in public, in person or in writing, with or without a physical or financial component.
Recognition can be given to external service providers, for most customer compliments, extra-mile efforts, best service recovery.
Recognition can also be given to internal service providers, for most improved department, most helpful colleagues, best effort to upgrade service, systems or standards.
Recognition can be given to others, too; best service from a supplier, most appreciative customer, most helpful and responsive government agency, most supportive family members at home.
Want your team to give better and more creative customer service?
Then get better and more creative with your service recognition and rewards!
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Sunday, November 8, 2009
Wednesday, November 4, 2009
Accept Your Limitations and You’ll Expand Your Potential
One of the biggest reasons many leaders fail is their unwillingness to accept their limitations. Ego gets in the way. They feel they’re smart enough to do it all, and mistakenly feel that what they don’t know they can learn “on the fly.” So many times it’s a recipe for disaster, especially for entrepreneurs.
Walt Disney failed many times early in his career. He had brilliant ideas, but his ability to execute them was painfully lacking. He also, believe it or not, was a lousy artist. So after the third failure, Disney was finally convinced that to succeed he must surround himself with great artists who could bring his animation ideas to life. He also needed his brother Roy to handle the financial side of the business. These two moves made all the difference and freed Walt up to do what he did best, which was using his imagination to plan their future.
I can definitely relate to the Disney story. From 1991-1993 we were on a roll at Successories. We had gone from $5 million to $45 million in three years. Then came 1994, and Murphy’s Law hit us like a ton of bricks. We had grown too fast and no longer had the right people or infrastructure to handle it. Early in 1995, I realized that I had to make significant changes. After a lot of soul searching, I realized my strengths were people skills and creativity; however, my weaknesses were operations and accounting. To grow the business and rebuild the infrastructure, I had to hire good people who had been there and done that, people who could complement what I did best. This was a very painful wake-up call, but I learned some of the most valuable lessons of my life.
I heard a quote the other day that offers every manager and entrepreneur food for thought:
“If your company mission is to climb a tree, which would you rather do:
Hire a squirrel or train a horse?”
Walt Disney failed many times early in his career. He had brilliant ideas, but his ability to execute them was painfully lacking. He also, believe it or not, was a lousy artist. So after the third failure, Disney was finally convinced that to succeed he must surround himself with great artists who could bring his animation ideas to life. He also needed his brother Roy to handle the financial side of the business. These two moves made all the difference and freed Walt up to do what he did best, which was using his imagination to plan their future.
I can definitely relate to the Disney story. From 1991-1993 we were on a roll at Successories. We had gone from $5 million to $45 million in three years. Then came 1994, and Murphy’s Law hit us like a ton of bricks. We had grown too fast and no longer had the right people or infrastructure to handle it. Early in 1995, I realized that I had to make significant changes. After a lot of soul searching, I realized my strengths were people skills and creativity; however, my weaknesses were operations and accounting. To grow the business and rebuild the infrastructure, I had to hire good people who had been there and done that, people who could complement what I did best. This was a very painful wake-up call, but I learned some of the most valuable lessons of my life.
I heard a quote the other day that offers every manager and entrepreneur food for thought:
“If your company mission is to climb a tree, which would you rather do:
Hire a squirrel or train a horse?”
Thursday, October 29, 2009
Slipping into Others’ Shoes
Ever notice how easy it is to make negative judgments about other people?
Whether it’s “idiots” we encounter on the road … or “slower than slow” people who serve us … or “losers” who can’t play sports nearly as well as our kids can – many of us have developed the knee-jerk habit of assigning degrading labels to people we don’t know. We don’t really know them, or their situations, or their challenges. But we sure as heck know what they should do. Or at least that’s the way it seems when we spout out phrases that begin with:
They oughtta … Why don’t they just … It’s easy – all they need to do is ….
Nope, we don’t know those folks, but we know what they are; we’re not in their situations, but we know what they should do. Hmmmm. If all that seems illogical, unfair, presumptuous, and disrespectful to you, you are right. And if all that seems like terrible behavior for leaders to exhibit, you are doubly right!
To be sure, situations involving other people – including those that occur in our teams – can seem clear, simple, and very black and white from where we stand. But we need to remember two things: 1) Unless we’re dealing with (or have dealt with) the exact same circumstances, we’re on the outside looking in, and 2) The real world is rarely black and white – it’s usually shades of gray.
Yes, leaders at all levels need to remember those truisms. More importantly, they need to apply them! That requires less presuming and more understanding. It’s about making an effort to see things through the other person’s eyes … about walking awhile in his or her shoes.
And that is called EMPATHY – a critical component of quality leadership.
Whether it’s “idiots” we encounter on the road … or “slower than slow” people who serve us … or “losers” who can’t play sports nearly as well as our kids can – many of us have developed the knee-jerk habit of assigning degrading labels to people we don’t know. We don’t really know them, or their situations, or their challenges. But we sure as heck know what they should do. Or at least that’s the way it seems when we spout out phrases that begin with:
They oughtta … Why don’t they just … It’s easy – all they need to do is ….
Nope, we don’t know those folks, but we know what they are; we’re not in their situations, but we know what they should do. Hmmmm. If all that seems illogical, unfair, presumptuous, and disrespectful to you, you are right. And if all that seems like terrible behavior for leaders to exhibit, you are doubly right!
To be sure, situations involving other people – including those that occur in our teams – can seem clear, simple, and very black and white from where we stand. But we need to remember two things: 1) Unless we’re dealing with (or have dealt with) the exact same circumstances, we’re on the outside looking in, and 2) The real world is rarely black and white – it’s usually shades of gray.
Yes, leaders at all levels need to remember those truisms. More importantly, they need to apply them! That requires less presuming and more understanding. It’s about making an effort to see things through the other person’s eyes … about walking awhile in his or her shoes.
And that is called EMPATHY – a critical component of quality leadership.
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
Customer Love
Excerpted from the Introduction of Customer Love
I’m a big fan of Nordstrom. My wife is a bigger fan! For many years we’ve been impressed with the “Nordstrom attitude” when it comes to serving their customers. A few years ago, we were in Nordstrom doing some last-minute Christmas shopping. As we were walking through the men’s department, an employee came out of nowhere and said, “Sir, wait right here, I’ll be right back.” I watched him run over to the next counter about 100 feet away, grab something and start running back. When he got back, he said, “Sir, I think you’ve been trying on sweaters.” I said, “How’d you know?” He said, “The back of your black shirt looks like it’s been snowed on, and it’s not snowing in here!”
We both laughed and he proceeded to remove the fuzz with his lint roller. After about 10 seconds he said, “That’s it…you’re free to buy more stuff. I hope you and your wife have a wonderful Christmas!”
After spending about one hour in the store, we each had three Nordstrom bags, and as we were walking out the exit into the rest of the mall, another employee ran over and said, “Let me keep all these bags here while you do the rest of your shopping. They’ll be right here, just ask for me.” He introduced himself, as did we, and he handed me his card.
About one hour later, with more packages from the mall, we came back. As we walked into the store, I saw the gentleman who had taken our bags walking toward us with a big smile, “Welcome back Mr. and Mrs. Anderson.” He then looked at our new shopping bags and said, “My goodness, you’re going to have a load. Can I help you take these bags to the car?” Now please understand, it’s Christmas, the store is full of people, it’s cold outside, the parking lot is full…and this gentleman is asking if he can help take our bags to the car! Even though I said “no thanks,” I knew his intentions were 100% sincere. I have to tell you the whole service experience on that day blew me away, but I’ve learned over the years, it’s business as usual at Nordstrom!
As the founder of Simple Truths, I’ve come to realize just how much people love great stories! Two years ago we published a little book titled The Simple Truths of Service: Inspired by Johnny the Bagger. The book was written by Ken Blanchard and Barbara Glanz about a young man with Down Syndrome whose actions changed the culture of the grocery store where he worked. The book has been purchased by thousands of companies to inspire their people to utilize their unique talents to serve from the heart. Feedback from around the world has been amazing!
That's what this book is all about. More great stories to inspire great service. Read them, have your team read them, talk about them together. In fact, you may be inspired to write your own Customer Love stories on the road to making your service culture all it can be. Never forget: Customer Service is not a department, it’s an attitude!
Copyright Simple Truths, LLC, all rights reserved and reprinted with permission.
I’m a big fan of Nordstrom. My wife is a bigger fan! For many years we’ve been impressed with the “Nordstrom attitude” when it comes to serving their customers. A few years ago, we were in Nordstrom doing some last-minute Christmas shopping. As we were walking through the men’s department, an employee came out of nowhere and said, “Sir, wait right here, I’ll be right back.” I watched him run over to the next counter about 100 feet away, grab something and start running back. When he got back, he said, “Sir, I think you’ve been trying on sweaters.” I said, “How’d you know?” He said, “The back of your black shirt looks like it’s been snowed on, and it’s not snowing in here!”
We both laughed and he proceeded to remove the fuzz with his lint roller. After about 10 seconds he said, “That’s it…you’re free to buy more stuff. I hope you and your wife have a wonderful Christmas!”
After spending about one hour in the store, we each had three Nordstrom bags, and as we were walking out the exit into the rest of the mall, another employee ran over and said, “Let me keep all these bags here while you do the rest of your shopping. They’ll be right here, just ask for me.” He introduced himself, as did we, and he handed me his card.
About one hour later, with more packages from the mall, we came back. As we walked into the store, I saw the gentleman who had taken our bags walking toward us with a big smile, “Welcome back Mr. and Mrs. Anderson.” He then looked at our new shopping bags and said, “My goodness, you’re going to have a load. Can I help you take these bags to the car?” Now please understand, it’s Christmas, the store is full of people, it’s cold outside, the parking lot is full…and this gentleman is asking if he can help take our bags to the car! Even though I said “no thanks,” I knew his intentions were 100% sincere. I have to tell you the whole service experience on that day blew me away, but I’ve learned over the years, it’s business as usual at Nordstrom!
As the founder of Simple Truths, I’ve come to realize just how much people love great stories! Two years ago we published a little book titled The Simple Truths of Service: Inspired by Johnny the Bagger. The book was written by Ken Blanchard and Barbara Glanz about a young man with Down Syndrome whose actions changed the culture of the grocery store where he worked. The book has been purchased by thousands of companies to inspire their people to utilize their unique talents to serve from the heart. Feedback from around the world has been amazing!
That's what this book is all about. More great stories to inspire great service. Read them, have your team read them, talk about them together. In fact, you may be inspired to write your own Customer Love stories on the road to making your service culture all it can be. Never forget: Customer Service is not a department, it’s an attitude!
Copyright Simple Truths, LLC, all rights reserved and reprinted with permission.
Sunday, October 18, 2009
Leading to Top-Notch Customer Service
Here are two facts you can take to the bank: 1) Superior customer service is critical to your business success, and 2) As a leader, you have an important role in making it happen. So, what can you do to foster the kind of service your organization wants and needs? The following ideas should help:
The first step in providing good customer service is to hire the right people. Make your selection process part of your customer service strategy. During interviews, ask questions like: “If you get this job, describe the kinds of things you will do to provide superior customer service.” Also, pose hypothetical customer service situations and ask candidates to explain how they would handle them.
Clarify your expectations about customer service. Condense them to 3-5 key principles, give them a label (e.g., “The Big Four” or “The Game Plan”), and communicate them to everyone. Then, have follow-up meetings with employees to ensure that they know exactly what is expected of them.
Provide training, resources, and coaching to help your people develop customer service skills. Make sure all training reinforces your specific service expectations.
Remember that people do what’s EXpected when it’s INspected! Include “customer service” in all performance evaluations and feedback sessions. Prior to conducting evaluations, ask team members to submit a list of the specific things they’ve done to help provide superior customer service.
Celebrate successes! Recognize and reward employees who provide exceptional service. Share their stories with others. This will help motivate the entire team. Motivated employees go above and beyond for your customers … and for the organization.
The first step in providing good customer service is to hire the right people. Make your selection process part of your customer service strategy. During interviews, ask questions like: “If you get this job, describe the kinds of things you will do to provide superior customer service.” Also, pose hypothetical customer service situations and ask candidates to explain how they would handle them.
Clarify your expectations about customer service. Condense them to 3-5 key principles, give them a label (e.g., “The Big Four” or “The Game Plan”), and communicate them to everyone. Then, have follow-up meetings with employees to ensure that they know exactly what is expected of them.
Provide training, resources, and coaching to help your people develop customer service skills. Make sure all training reinforces your specific service expectations.
Remember that people do what’s EXpected when it’s INspected! Include “customer service” in all performance evaluations and feedback sessions. Prior to conducting evaluations, ask team members to submit a list of the specific things they’ve done to help provide superior customer service.
Celebrate successes! Recognize and reward employees who provide exceptional service. Share their stories with others. This will help motivate the entire team. Motivated employees go above and beyond for your customers … and for the organization.
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