Weekend at Bernie’s

Providing great customer service is important even if you’re not in a retail industry.  Become a Wily Manager member and you’ll get instant access to Bob and Jed’s discussion about good and bad customer service practices you can apply to any business.

Recently there was a story in the news about two women who were arrested in the UK for allegedly trying to get a dead person aboard a plane.  The deceased was propped up in a wheelchair with sunglasses on, and passed off as “sleeping”.  Of course, this is both hilarious and troubling on a variety of levels.

One of the questions few seem to be asking about this bizarre case is, “what would compel someone to attempt such an outlandish feat?”  My own theory is that they needed the departed’s mortal remains to be somewhere else, and the red tape and bureaucracy involved in making the transfer was only slightly less complicated than bringing back the dead to make the move, and then returning him to the hereafter.

This case was both amusing and personal for me as I dealt with a death in my own family.  My dad was a client of a mobile phone carrier that shall remain nameless (Bell Mobility).  About a month after his passing, I called to cancel his mobile telephone.  I can only conclude that my father was the first one of Bell’s customers ever to have died.  Perhaps we should all be advised to become a Bell customer to enjoy the benefits of immortality.

The condensed version of the story is that after four calls to their call center (each lasting over 30 minutes each), and five requests from the agents to speak with the account holder (apparently the off-shore call centre folks had never heard the English words “dead”, “deceased”, “expired”, or “passed away”), I was given a fax number to put my request in writing, along with a Death Certificate to have the phone discontinued.  Of course, the fax number was wrong.

I tried a retail location for Bell, but was told that it was their job to sell the phones and the plans, and for all other “services”, I needed to contact the call center.

This a great example of how many companies conduct their customer “service”.  I know that if Bell can’t get this right, that I could never trust them to do anything complicated.

Organizations end up in this unfortunate space because they are not willing to hire or develop employees capable of consistently making good decisions.  Instead, they have thousands of rules and regulations that they think will protect the company from losses, when in fact they make those losses worse.

I have no doubt that the decision makers in this organization will point to how much money they save by off-shoring their call centers, and how they monitor calls to ensure quality.

I hope they’re saving a whole lot of money – they’re going to need it.

Providing great customer service is important even if you’re not in a retail industry.  Become a Wily Manager member and you’ll get instant access to Bob and Jed’s discussion about good and bad customer service practices you can apply to any business.

Providing Great Customer Service

Bob Dylan had it right – we all serve someone.  Great customer service is a competitive advantage for more than just a few select retail players.  Join the Wily Manager guys this week, as they talk about the good and bad customer service practices that apply to any industry or situation.

Monday’s Tip:        Know Your Customers’ Expectations.  You have to have some idea what your customer is looking for if you want to keep them happy.  Your best guesses may or may not be accurate.  You don’t want to be really good at something your customers don’t care about.

Tuesday’s Tip:         Plan to Exceed Your Customers’ Expectations.  Once you know what your customers are looking for, figure out how to exceed their expectations.  This usually means being better, cheaper, faster than what they think you will be.

Wednesday’s Tip:        Ensure the Business Infrastructure can Deliver.  Even if customers really want something, don’t promise something the business is poorly equipped to deliver on.  This will do far more damage, than curtailing customer expectations.

Thursday’s Tip:        Retain Good People.  The people who interface with the customer are the face of your business.  Make sure you have good people in those roles, and do whatever you need to keep them.

Friday’s Tip:        Interface with Customers.  Senior managers and executives need to create face time with customers.  It is not good enough to respond to their emails or read reports about what they think.  Business is a contact sport.

Great Customer Service

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Below, we talk about the following aspects of providing Great Customer Service:

  • What is Great Customer Service
  • The Good, the Bad and the Ugly
  • Good and Bad Customer Service Practices

What is Great Customer Service?

“When the service delivered exceeds the customers’ expectations.”

A 2012 JZ Analytics survey of over 1500 companies based in the United States produced this list of great customer service experiences and poor customer service experiences.  Note that the same industries are represented on both lists, reinforcing the viewpoint that customer service is more a function of the management of a business rather than the conditions or environment a business finds itself in.
 The Good

  • Amazon
  • Google
  • Apple
  • UPS
  • Hilton
  • Sony
  • FedEx
  • Marriott
  • Amex
  • Southwest
  The Bad

  • City Group
  • Time Warner
  • Comcast
  • Sprint Nextel
  • Days Inn
  • Dish Network
  • Super 8
  • Quality Inn
  • US Airways
  • 7-11

Good Customer Service Practices

Customer service is highly situational, but there are some practices that transcend industry and geography:

  • Know your customer and act accordingly.  In some parts of the world, for example, using a customer’s name might be a welcome, personal touch.  In other places, it would be the height of rudeness to be so familiar.  Know your customer, and don’t make global service standards without considering differences.
  • Offer money-back guarantees, and make it easy to execute.  A guarantee is a great way to win a customer.  A great way to lose one is to offer a guarantee, and then make it difficult to collect on.
  • Talk directly to your customers.  Market research firms have their place, but as the leader of a business, or a department in a business, you need to talk directly to your customers.  Some businesses such as Disney and Kroger require their senior leaders to work on the frontlines a certain number of days per year so they can interface directly with customers.
  • Train and retain your staff.  Some people treat customer service jobs as entry-level or unimportant roles.  When you consider that that whoever has the contact with the customer is the face of the company, it may add a level of importance to such a role.  This is true whether providing internal or retail customer service.
  • Fix mistakes.  Just about everyone will forgive a mistake.  What is not forgivable is failing to correct that mistake quickly and properly.

Bad Customer Service Practices

  • Outsourcing Customer Service.  Only the most routine transactions should be outsourced.  Anything that requires discretion or judgment must be maintained close to the organization where it can be proactively managed.  Any money saved by outsourcing customer service is usually lost several times over when things start to go wrong.  The cost to obtain a new customer is generally recognized at being ten times greater than the cost to maintain a current customer – a consideration often forgotten.
  • Not being able to talk to a real person.  A certain amount of customer interface can probably safely be automated.  Anything complicated or sensitive needs to be handled by a real person.  You also need to provide access to a real person quickly, and not send people through 30 minutes of automated voice response.
  • Employee turnover.  Businesses need to find a way to hang on to those employees that are good a interfacing with customers.  The cost of employee turnover is particularly high if new or inexperienced employees are driving away customers.
  • Over selling.  You need to carefully manage customer expectations regardless of what industry you are in.  The old adage of “under-promise; over-deliver” will serve you well.
  • Deliver.  Make sure your business infrastructure is able to deliver on the promises being made to you customers.  Don’t allow your sales people to promise things the business will never be able to execute.

3 Things to Remember About Providing Great Customer Service

  1. Know your customers’ expectations and plan to exceed them.
  2. All businesses are contact sports – do not build barriers with customers.
  3. Train and retain good people.

Watch the ‘3-Minute Crash Course’ about providing Great Customer Service (CLICK THE ARROW TO START THE VIDEO):

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Effective One on One Meetings

This week the Wily Manager guys discuss why and how to do effective One on One meetings.  Join the discussion of this important managerial tool.

Monday’s Tip:       Do them regularly.  If you create the discipline to conduct these meetings weekly or bi-weekly, you’ll find they will save you time by reducing rework, and minimizing the number of drop-in meetings you have.

Tuesday’s Tip:        Have your directs be responsible for the meeting.  Make your direct reports responsible for the scheduling and execution of this meeting.  You will still be an active participant, but your directs will conduct the meeting.

Wednesday’s Tip:       Know what positive things you’d like to reinforce at the meeting.  One on ones provide an excellent opportunity to clarify your expectations, and to reinforce desired behaviors and results.  Make sure you look for things in advance to acknowledge.

Thursday’s Tip:       Know what corrective feedback you’d like to offer at the meeting.  By asking clarifying and confirming questions, you can establish the status of various tasks and projects long before they go wrong.  This is your opportunity to correct behaviors or tasks.

Friday’s Tip:       Make your One on Ones the “Meeting Your Never Miss”.  Organizations that do one on one meetings consistently and well, report better results and morale.  In order to realize these benefits, you need to ensure you treat your one on ones as the meeting you never miss.

Top 3 Excuses to NOT Have Regular One-on-Ones

The whole idea of meeting one on one with their direct reports on a regular basis is scary for many leaders.  There are a variety of reasons for this, none of which hold much water.

Excuse #1:  I don’t have time.  This is the most common excuse managers cite for not meeting regularly with their people.  Interestingly, they don’t have time to meet with their people individually on any regular basis, yet they seem to have time for an unlimited series of drop-in (or “drive-by”) meetings every day.  Here’s an idea: buy yourself an hourglass that has two-minutes worth of sand.  Next time one of your direct reports asks you if you’ve got a minute, reply, “For you… I’ve got two minutes.”  Then turn over the hourglass.

Excuse #2:  It’s too intimate.  When we suggest one on one meetings, we’re not suggesting that you light some candles, dim the lighting, and put on some John Tesh at Redrocks bootleg music.  Rather, have your direct reports be responsible for planning, scheduling and running of your one on one meetings.  If possible, go to their office or station to have the meeting – it’ll do you good to get out of your office.

Excuse #3:  I don’t like my direct reports.  If you don’t like your directs, it’s probably a condition of the prejudice you’ve developed about them because you don’t interface with them very often.  It makes no sense not to like people, just because you don’t know them.  If you take the time to really get to know your people, you’ll find all kinds of legitimate reasons not to like them – and this would make sense.  Besides… one of the conditions of sitting at the big-kids table is dealing with the fact you have to deal with people you don’t like.

I would never suggest you have to like all your direct reports – but you do need to communicate with them, and there’s no better way to do so than with highly-structured, highly-focused, regularly scheduled one on one meetings.

 

One-on-One Meetings: The Most Important Meeting of Your Week

Short, highly-structured and focused one on one meetings with each of direct reports on a weekly or bi-weekly basis, can save you time, and drive performance in your organization.  Join Jed and Bob as they discuss how and why to do effective one on one meetings.

Watch the ‘One-on-One Meetings’ Video (16 mins 11 sec):

Introducing Yourself as a New Leader

Make a strong first impression in your new management job with Fast Start, our 90-Day Onboarding Program.  It will help you avoid the 8 Fatal New Manager Mistakes.

People start new jobs everyday, and most are well aware of the first-impressions they are making upon others.  When you start as a new leader, that scrutiny is amplified simply by virtue of being the boss.  There are many cues as to the tone that a new manager sets, and leaders should take control of that messaging to ensure that the impressions they make upon people are what they intend.

As such, here are a few ideas on how to set the tone, when you join a new organization as a leader:

  1. Lock yourself in your office, and have someone start a contest to guess what you look like.
  2. Keep a low profile for a couple of days, and then unannounced, run through your new workplace screaming loudly, “Rapunzel, Rapunzel – to the tower!”
  3. Begin the first week on the job by hosting a series of 3-martini lunches, and ask people to confess as to what really goes on in the organization.
  4. Dress up as a different Disney character everyday for the first two weeks, and then hold a contest to see if people can guess which one is your favourite.
  5. Hire a string quartet to serenade you to your desk every morning.

These ideas would definitely give your people an indication of what to expect of you.

As ridiculous as it sounds, doing one or all of the above is probably a better course of action than simply showing up as a new leader and hoping that things go well.  You can increase your odds of success as a new leader by doing just a little bit of planning prior to showing up.

It’s either that, or get out the Minnie Mouse suit.

Make a strong first impression in your new management job with Fast Start, our 90-Day Onboarding Program.  It will help you avoid the 8 Fatal New Manager Mistakes.

 

Introducing Yourself as a New Leader

All eyes are on you – you’re the new boss.  How do you make the right first impressions when taking on a new leadership role?  Join the Wily Manager guys this week as they discuss how to Introduce Yourself as a New Leader.

Monday’s Tip:      Gather intel in advance.  What can you learn about your new organization or department before you start your first day?  If you are internal, you’ll already know some people, but even if you’re external, you can usually learn something if you try hard enough.

Tuesday’s Tip:       Form your strategy based on the situation as best you know it.  A turnaround situation means you will make decisions faster and take action quickly.  If you are becoming the custodian of a successful business, you don’t need to act as hastily.

Wednesday’s Tip:      Tell people what you value.  People will be looking for cues for what you think is important, so why not just tell them?

Thursday’s Tip:      Meet one on one with everyone as soon as possible.  It may sound time consuming, but it will save you time in the long run.  You need to meet with all your new direct reports, and any other important stakeholders.

Friday’s Tip:      Set clear expectations.  Once you’ve got the lay of the land, you need to tell people what you want them to do.  You can refine and clarify as you go along, but try to give people some idea of your expectations as soon as possible.

Introducing Yourself as a New Leader

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There are many ways to make a first impression in a New Leadership Role.  Preferably, you will want to make that impression deliberately and with some forethought.  Below we suggest four steps to introducing yourself when taking on a New Leadership Role:

  1. Assess the Situation in Your New Leadership Role
  2. Build the Narrative for Your New Leadership Role
  3. Build Rapport With Key Stakeholders
  4. Layout a Plan and Define Expectations

 

Assess the Situation in Your New Leadership Role

Your entry into a new business or department should be guided by the situation you find when you get there.  In some circumstances you may have arrive and act quickly, in others you will have more time to ease in to the situation.

  • Do as much homework in advance as you can.
  • Ask lots of questions.
  • What is your business situation?  Is it a turnaround, or are you sustaining previous success?
  • What is the environment you find yourself in?
  • What is the corporate culture like?
  • Can you ease-in, or do you have to take immediate action?

 

Build the Narrative for Your New Leadership Role

Based on the situation, frame your story appropriately:

  • How did you get here?
  • What are your stories?
  • What things do you value?
  • What can people expect from you?

Target your audience, and adjust the delivery as necessary.
Build Rapport With Key Stakeholders

  • Put in lots of face time
  • Listen more than you talk
  • Meet individually with all of your direct reports.
  • Meet individually with important stakeholders

 

Layout a Plan and Define Expectations

  • Tell people what you will do in the short and medium term.
  • Reinforce what you’ve already told people about yourself by defining consistent expectations.
  • Strike the appropriate balance between micro-managing and under-managing people.

3 Things to Remember About Introducing Yourself in a New Leadership Role

  1. Communicate times ten.  Do not underestimate the importance the volume and quality of communication required.
  2. Act appropriately to the situation.  Based on your situation you may need to act quickly and take action, or perhaps the opposite.
  3. Have a plan – think about how you will introduce yourself in a New Leadership Role, and plan accordingly.

Watch the ‘3-Minute Crash Course’ about Introducing Yourself in a New Leadership Role (CLICK THE ARROW TO START THE VIDEO):

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Onboarding Checklist – Check Your Zipper

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Some organizations do an outstanding job of integrating new people into the mix.  Other organizations let people fend for themselves.  My most memorable orientation was literally my first day on the job – any job.  I was fifteen years old, and I got a job bagging groceries at the local supermarket.  Ron Grant was the manager on duty, and he met me at the door.

Ron toured me through the whole store, stopping along the way to introduce me to everyone on staff that we met, and to point out the things I might need to know for my new career wrapping groceries.  He also doled out advice that was very useful and well intentioned, but easily could have been included in the best-seller, “Sh*t My Dad Says.”  Needless to say, I learned some new words and expressions that came in very handy when I recycled them back at high school.

I learned in the months and years to come, that Ron oriented me to my new workplace completely of his own initiative.  The organization really had no process for bringing people on besides the requisite signing of the official paperwork.

At the end of this orientation, he returned me to the front of the store, where I’d spend the next several years bagging groceries.

“Any questions?” asked Ron.

“Nope… I’m ready to go.” I replied.

“Great”, he said, as I turned to get started.  “Hey Brad,” he asked, not quite getting my name right.

“Yep?”

“Your fly’s open”, he said without cracking a smile, and turning to walk away.

Presumably, he’d noticed this before he’d toured me through the whole place, but had waited until now to share this news with me.  It’s been a while since I’ve been teenage boy, but I’m assuming at the time I would have had checklist of basic hygiene items – such as making sure one’s zipper was properly secured.  Apparently, first day job jitters successfully eclipsed basic personal maintenance items.

Walking around in a public place with your fly open — I suppose that’s one way to make a first impression on when starting a new job.

Next week we’ll be talking about introducing yourself as a new leader.  You won’t want to miss out – become a Wily Manager member today.

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