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Thank you visiting my blog Customer Service That Astonishes -- however the feed you are looking for has been moved.

To view this blog, please click here. For additional information please email: bill@billhogg.ca

Cheers!

Happy Holidays

I will not be posting until w/o January 5 so I can spend some well deserved time off with my family and friends during the holiday season.

But I wanted to wish everyone a wonderful holiday season and a healthy and prosperous new year. Til 2009 -- Best Wishes!

Cheers!

Bill's passion is improving business results by working with leadership teams to change employee behaviours. He does this by equipping leaders with the principles, processes and tools to cultivate an engaged customer-focused culture.

As well, he is a dynamic, results-oriented speaker on the importance a customer-focused culture, either as a guest speaker or acting as a facilitator of a group discussion/workshop.

For more information please contact (905) 841-3191
Email: bill@billhogg.ca, Web: http://www.billhogg.ca/

Are You Maximizing Your Benefits?

Most organizations have put considerable time and money into developing a benefits package that is a positive for their employees. Rightly, they expect that these benefits will contribute to a positive work environment and overall engagement.

However, Andy Philpott of Accor Services (one of the UK's leading providers of employee benefits, rewards and loyalty services), reports that in a recent study they conducted of rewards, benefits and employee engagement that only one-third of employers (33%) believed staff understand what benefits are available.

More concerning is that just one in five employees (21%) claim to have a good understanding of the value of the benefits available and one in 10 admit they have no clue about the value of these benefits.

Employees also seemed unsure whether their pay, benefits and incentives packages were competitive when compared with people doing similar jobs in similar organisations. Only 33% felt their company was competitive on pay, 25% on benefits and just 17% felt their organisation offered competitive incentives.

It is critical that we communicate the value of our benefits package effectively to staff. Successful communication is an foundational element in building employee engagement and the resulting performance, motivation and productivity benefits are not maximized if people are unaware of what the benefits are.

Cheers!

Bill's passion is improving business results by working with leadership teams to change employee behaviours. He does this by equipping leaders with the principles, processes and tools to cultivate an engaged customer-focused culture.

As well, he is a dynamic, results-oriented speaker on the importance of a customer-focused culture, either as a guest speaker or acting as a facilitator of a group discussion/workshop.

For more information please contact (905) 841-3191
Email: bill@billhogg.ca, Web: http://www.billhogg.ca/

Will price beat service?

Like many retailers Abercrombie & Fitch Co. suffered dismal November sales results. However, unlike many of their rivals they have made a fundamental decision not to aggressively lower prices -- deciding instead to try and maintain the equity of their brand.

So if they don't match on price, what will be the draw to the customer? Have they built enough equity to survive the downturn? Has their brand experience built enough customer loyalty to keep them coming back? Time will tell.

It will be interesting to see what A&F does as the recession continues. Will they be able to maintain the profitability based on less sales at higher prices or will they succumb to the price war? Stay tuned.

Cheers!

Bill's passion is improving business results by working with leadership teams to change employee behaviours. He does this by equipping leaders with the principles, processes and tools to cultivate an engaged customer-focused culture.

As well, he is a dynamic, results-oriented speaker on the importance of employee engagement and a customer-focused culture, either as a guest speaker or acting as a facilitator of a group discussion/workshop.

For more information please contact (905) 841-3191
Email: bill@billhogg.ca, Web: http://www.billhogg.ca/

Direct Marketers

Direct marketers have long had the ability to test different messages and offers to determine what pulls the strongest and converts more purchases. More recently ecommerce has provided the same direct correlation between copy/offer and purchase. So who better to link financial gain to emotional connections?

A recent article in E-Commerce News speaks to exactly that point. Their focus is on the new technologies that are available to help companies get at the emotional drivers that affect purchase and loyalty. In the direct to consumer world, what works is easily tested, improved and refined. Their take on the power of an emotional connection or experience is summed up nicely in this quote.

"When you go beyond price, quality and service to focus on the heart or emotional aspect of customer relationships, you will create more engaged customers. When this happens, you will begin to enjoy all the rewards that engaged customers offer a business, including a greater share of their wallets, more positive referrals, less inclination to leave the business relationship, more useful feedback, etc."

I couldn't have said it better myself.

Cheers!

Bill's passion is improving business results by working with leadership teams to change employee behaviours. He does this by equipping leaders with the principles, processes and tools to cultivate an engaged customer-focused culture.

As well, he is a dynamic, results-oriented speaker on the importance of a customer-focused culture, either as a guest speaker or acting as a facilitator of a group discussion/workshop.

For more information please contact (905) 841-3191
Email: bill@billhogg.ca, Web: http://www.billhogg.ca/

What makes Customers Happy?

I recently read an article about online shopping and what it takes to make customers happy. The results indicated that the experience needs to be individualized, personalized, and centered around the customer.

There are some technology barriers to making this happen online, but we have no excuse on the phone or face to face.

Regardless of what we know in advance about the customer, our attitude and behaviour can accomplish these desired outcomes.

Cheers!

Bill's passion is improving business results by working with leadership teams to change employee behaviours. He does this by equipping leaders with the principles, processes and tools to cultivate an engaged customer-focused culture.

As well, he is a dynamic, results-oriented speaker on the importance of a customer-focused culture, either as a guest speaker or acting as a facilitator of a group discussion/workshop.

For more information please contact (905) 841-3191
Email: bill@billhogg.ca, Web: http://www.billhogg.ca/

The new old rules of engagement

Not that we need to say it again, but more recent research confirms that increasing employee engagement increases performance. Most boardrooms see employee engagement as a key priority for the future and investment in engagement is set to grow -- even in the current economic environment.

This is a key finding of a comprehensive study of engagement practice undertaken in the UK, commissioned by employee engagement consultancy, Engage Group.

The survey of nearly 23,600 directors, managers and employees, conducted during October 2008 , reveals that effective engagement can demonstrably improve an organisation's performance.

A high level of employee engagement is one of the top three drivers of an organisation's performance, and nearly a third of the UK's senior leaders see a fully-engaged workforce as one of the most critical factors in their organisation's success.

Key findings from the report are as follows;

• Effective engagement can demonstrably improve an organisation’s performance
• Most boardrooms see engagement as a key priority for the future and net investment in engagement is set to grow, even in the current economic environment
• Despite growing board support for engagement, most employees still feel disengaged from their organisation – board buy-in has not yet, according to employees, been translated into action
• ‘New world’ aspects of engagement, particularly the appetite and ability of leaders at every level to share power and engage people in decision-making, emerge as powerful new elements of engagement
• Delivering on the ‘new engagement agenda’ will result in more engaged employees, more committed customers and faster growth
• Forceful ‘command & control’ styles of leadership have little, no or even a negative impact on engagement and performance levels – less than 40% of employees view their leader(s) as effective
• Employee satisfaction, the oldest assumed element of employee engagement, sinks near the bottom of the list of influential factors
• Internal measurement lags behind external measures of performance – only 28% of board members claim to use robust internal measures of employee engagement
• This study confirms an earlier thesis, the outcome of an extensive research programme carried out in partnership with McKinsey & Company, that the drivers of employee engagement are steadily shifting towards a new inclusiveness

However, despite growing board support for engagement, most employees feel disengaged from their organisation. Only just over a third of employees believe their organisation engages them to perform well.

For those of us who live in the world of employee engagement this comes as no surprise, but for those clients who are still struggling to find the time, money or motivation, maybe this will help.

You can download a complete copy of the full report at Engage Group.

Cheers!

Bill's passion is improving business results by working with leadership teams to change employee behaviours. He does this by equipping leaders with the principles, processes and tools to cultivate an engaged customer-focused culture.

As well, he is a dynamic, results-oriented speaker on the importance of a customer-focused culture, either as a guest speaker or acting as a facilitator of a group discussion/workshop.

For more information please contact (905) 841-3191
Email: bill@billhogg.ca, Web: http://www.billhogg.ca/

All I Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten

Robert Fulghum is the author of All I Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten. As his title suggests, his basic premise is that what we learned everything important that we need to be a success in business and in life in kindergarten.

But let's make another comparison. How about all we need to learn about employee engagement we learned by observing kindergarten.

Think about your early days in school. Were you excited about going, learning, playing, meeting new people, and having new experiences? I suspect many of us were. When thinking back about our school days, our early grades were some of the most fun and also where we learned the most of our basic skills (i.e. the 3 R's).

So what happened as we got older and started to be less interested in school? What was the difference?

For the sake of discussion, I would propose were were less engaged because the learning environment became less about the student exploring, working together and more about the teachers dictating what we needed to know and lecturing about the subjects. Much less interactive.

Of course, we all had a great teachers in high school. But if you look at what made them great it was often the way they engaged the class versus simply "teaching" the material.

I think there is a lesson here. How can we take the best from kindergarten and incorporate it into our work environment? How do we re-inspire people to learn and grow based on the culture we set up?

What did we learn from our experience in kindergarten that we have forgotten?

Cheers!

Bill's passion is improving business results by working with leadership teams to change employee behaviours. He does this by equipping leaders with the principles, processes and tools to cultivate an engaged customer-focused culture.

As well, he is a dynamic, results-oriented speaker on the importance of a customer-focused culture, either as a guest speaker or acting as a facilitator of a group discussion/workshop.

For more information please contact (905) 841-3191
Email: bill@billhogg.ca, Web: http://www.billhogg.ca/

C-level or bust!

As we reflect on the importance of customer service in the current economic client, I recently read a blog by Management Consultant John Maven (ex P&G, Clorox) about the core competencies of the CEO. You can read the full post here, but I thought it was interesting that he felt that of the 10 competencies, 3 of them were linked to the customer-focus of the organization. He writes;

Vision - The CEO, possibly with the help of his executive team, creates and communicates a compelling and inspired sense of core purpose. This is based on the vision of the future, not the reality of today.

Culture – The CEO is responsible for creating and maintaining the desired culture and environment. If vision is where the company is going, culture and values tell how the company gets there. Values outline acceptable behavior. Work gets done through people, and people are profoundly affected by culture. Culture is built in many ways, and the CEO sets the tone. His every action—or inaction—sends cultural messages.

Customer focus - CEOs have a clear understanding of customers' needs, preferences, interests, timelines and decision-making criteria. Focusing on meeting those needs and doing so profitably means success for both the company and the customer. Long-term customer satisfaction builds loyal, repeat customers

Yet in spite of the fact that everyone is talking about it, we seem to constantly struggle with getting it right. I maintain that it is because too many CEO's do not have competencies in the area of customer-focus as demonstrated by the poor service we receive and the opportunities that abound even in these economic conditions for those who do.

So let's make sure we have the direct endorsement of the C-level if we expect a true customer-focus.

Cheers!

Bill's passion is improving business results by working with leadership teams to change employee behaviours. He does this by equipping leaders with the principles, processes and tools to cultivate an engaged customer-focused culture.

As well, he is a dynamic, results-oriented speaker on the importance of a customer-focused culture, either as a guest speaker or acting as a facilitator of a group discussion/workshop.

For more information please contact (905) 841-3191
Email: bill@billhogg.ca, Web: http://www.billhogg.ca/

What about internal customer service?

We spend a lot of time talking about customer service and how companies must focus on the needs of the customer. Usually we share lots of examples of customer facing people either failing or succeeding to demonstrate the need for this important value.

BUT WHAT ABOUT INTERNAL CUSTOMERS.

All too often the folks who do not face the end customer fail to recognize they also play a critical role in delivering excellent customer service to each other. They fail to recognize -- or be held accountable -- that their support of the customer facing personnel can make or break the relationship. They fail to recognize that they also have customers -- they are internal customers.

For example, I just got off a plane from Toronto to Washington enroute to a client meeting. The plan loaded on time, the boarding personal were efficient and we were all ready to go on time. But then we waited -- 1 hour!

The reason was -- as explained very nicely by both the captain and the flight attendant -- the baggage was not loaded to safety standards so it had be be removed and reloaded. I actually watched this process take place out my window. I assure you that the ground crew did not appear to be in any rush.

I fortunately made my connecting flight, but I cannot speak for other passengers who arrived 1 hour behind schedule.

The key thing is that no amount of positive customer service by the Flight Crew could fix this issue. Yet they received the brunt of the complaints -- which they handled professionally and with great empathy.

Problem was they were completely at the mercy of the baggage crew. Surely one must assume they had been trained how to load baggage -- yet they didn't do it correctly. But what were their consequences?

How often do we leave our own front line people without the support they need to do their jobs well. Do we have the same type of customer satisfaction rating for the people who support them? Are those support people also measured based on customer satisfaction? If not, they should be, because they are often the foundation on which to build a business. And if the foundation is weak -- well you know!

Something to think about.

Cheers!

Bill's passion is improving business results by working with leadership teams to change employee behaviours. He does this by equipping leaders with the principles, processes and tools to cultivate an engaged customer-focused culture.

As well, he is a dynamic, results-oriented speaker on the importance of a customer-focused culture, either as a guest speaker or acting as a facilitator of a group discussion/workshop.

For more information please contact (905) 841-3191
Email: bill@billhogg.ca, Web: http://www.billhogg.ca/

Customer Service equals Trust

A recent study of UK banks by Grassroots indicates that the level of trust a customer feels for banks is a direct result of the quality of service provided.

Banks achieving a higher overall service score achieved significantly higher ratings of trust when compared to banks with a lower overall service score.

Some key findings of the study include:

• 60% of staff failed to offer to open an account. Of these 40% would have done so there and then if they had only been asked.
• Establishing the customer’s requirements is critical. Only two thirds of staff asked how much the customer had to invest.
• Just one in five customers rated staff as having excellent product knowledge. This is a key differentiator when there are fewer customers around.
• Only 64% of staff made an excellent first impression with survey participants – still a 5% increase on the results from the 2005 survey.

When the impact of good customer service can be linked to improved bottom line performance, one has to ask "why aren't more companies paying serious attention to the issue?" This is particularly puzzling when each of the above points would cost little or no money to implement.

Cheers!

Bill's passion is improving business results by working with leadership teams to change employee behaviours. He does this by equipping leaders with the principles, processes and tools to cultivate an engaged customer-focused culture.

As well, he is a dynamic, results-oriented speaker on the importance of a customer-focused culture, either as a guest speaker or acting as a facilitator of a group discussion/workshop.

For more information please contact (905) 841-3191
Email: bill@billhogg.ca, Web: http://www.billhogg.ca/

Hire for Character not competence

Hiring properly is one of the keys to engaged employees -- making sure that the people you hire are the kind of people you want as part of your team.

I recently went to the hardware store looking for a part for a door. The first person pointed me in the right direction - no luck. I asked a second person who directed me to a third person who directed me to a fourth person.

Finally the fourth person took me directly to the appropriate section and then when they were also unable to find the correct part, looked on the computer to find it.

Everyone one in this chain had the "competence" of knowing where to look, but only 1 person had the "character" to make the time to take me there.

At Pret a Manger, they hire happy people and teach them how to make sandwiches versus trying to teach people who know how to make sandwiches how to be happy.

Be clear on the character you want and then make sure your hiring practices build in the behavioural requirements.

Cheers!

Bill's passion is improving business results by working with leadership teams to change employee behaviours. He does this by equipping leaders with the principles, processes and tools to cultivate an engaged customer-focused culture.

As well, he is a dynamic, results-oriented speaker on the importance of a customer-focused culture, either as a guest speaker or acting as a facilitator of a group discussion/workshop.

For more information please contact (905) 841-3191
Email: bill@billhogg.ca, Web: http://www.billhogg.ca/

No need for cutbacks in Employee Engagement

The 2008 Hewitt Best Employers in Australia and New Zealand were announced recently and there were a couple insights worth mentioning.

Not surprisingly study insights show a clear link between levels of employee engagement and virtually every measure of company performance. For example, Best Employers generated an average of 1-1/2 times more revenue and 2-1/2 times more profit per employee than the lower ranked organisations.

According to David Brown, market manager of Hewitt Australia and New Zealand: "The factors that drive employee engagement are a direct reflection on our changing social landscape. There are some universal factors that we see coming up again and again from year to year, such as;

• career opportunities,
• recognition for work successes, and
• feeling that one's work makes a contribution.

However this year, three new factors emerged;

• building a company culture that fosters productivity by 'walking the talk' and having company values that align with employees' personal values;
• having middle managers who understand and support business strategies; and
• building a diverse workforce."

The best part is that these drivers of employee engagement do not come with a hefty price tag, but help companies improve business results and offset numerous issues that have very significant costs (i.e. unplanned absenteeism, reduction in productivity, staff morale, lost management/employee time, resignations and labour replacement costs).

Given the current economic climate, no company can absorb these additional costs as a result of cuts that negatively impact employee engagement.

Cheers!

Bill's passion is improving business results by working with leadership teams to change employee behaviours. He does this by equipping leaders with the principles, processes and tools to cultivate an engaged customer-focused culture.

As well, he is a dynamic, results-oriented speaker on the importance of a customer-focused culture, either as a guest speaker or acting as a facilitator of a group discussion/workshop.

For more information please contact (905) 841-3191
Email: bill@billhogg.ca, Web: http://www.billhogg.ca/

More Tales from the Kitchen

As you know we recently had our kitchen renovated. I had an experience with the hardwood flooring company that demonstrates how to irritate a good customer, when a very simple change in language would have had exactly the opposite effect.

We have paid the bulk of the contract, but I hadn't paid the final small outstanding balance pending their return to make a couple minor repairs. Nothing serious, no problems -- just a little touch-up. They we fine with the request and made an appointment to make the adjustments. So far -- everything is great.

However, the day before our scheduled appointment I received a call, indicating that they would not be able to come and make the repairs until the outstanding balance was paid. I explained that these were not repairs, but were in fact, 2 boards that were installed incorrectly and therefore I saw them as part of the original work that still needed to be completed. I also indicated that I had a cheque already made out, which they would be given when the job was completed to my satisfaction.

A discussion ensued about their business practices and risk of continuing to do work when bills weren't paid etc. etc. -- all the while telling me I was a valued customer since 2002. Lots about their issues, but none about my desire to have the work completed correctly before final payment.

The caller (who had been our sales person) closed by stating that he would make sure the installer would arrive as scheduled and he would deal with any internal issues.

So how could they have handled this situation better and still achieved their desired result of getting payment?

How about, "Mr Hogg, we are scheduled to be at your home tomorrow and I notice that you still have an outstanding balance. Could I tell the installer that you will have a cheque for him, or would it be more convenient to pay by credit card?"

They could even have added, "Normally we do not do follow up calls when there is an outstanding balance, but because you are a loyal, longtime customer we are pleased to make an exception." if they needed to clarify expectations.

I don't know about you, but the second scenario, lets the customer know what your expectations are while at the same time communicating that they are a valued customer.

How do you handle similar situations? Do your statement of policies potentially offend, or can wording be changed subtly to set expectations and still create a positive experience? Try out some of your answers while wearing your customer hat and find out.

Cheers!

Bill's passion is improving business results by working with leadership teams to change employee behaviours. He does this by equipping leaders with the principles, processes and tools to cultivate an engaged customer-focused culture.

As well, he is a dynamic, results-oriented speaker on the importance of a customer-focused culture, either as a guest speaker or acting as a facilitator of a group discussion/workshop.

For more information please contact (905) 841-3191
Email: bill@billhogg.ca, Web: http://www.billhogg.ca/

How are you treating your existing customers?

I came a cross a couple items recently that I thought were great examples of how to treat existing customers -- remember, these are the people who are currently funding your pay cheque.

The first was posted by Micah Solmon at the ultimate customer service blog. He talks about an experience he had with The New York Times when approached with a FREE gift subscription offer. When he told them he was already a subscriber, they gave him the FREE gift anyway as a thank you for his business.

The second is a letter from Steve Jobs to early adopters who purchased an iPhone and could be upset that the price had dropped by $200 after only 2 months. He offers a $100 credit towards future purchases, while also providing some explanation on why they have decided to drop the price this soon.

Both examples demonstrated a genuine commitment to treat customers like we all want to be treat -- with honesty, respect and integrity.

Clearly, it costs money to execute these types of examples. But what is the value returned by the increasing trust (and resultant loyalty) to the organization. And shouldn't we be investing in our existing customer to keep them happy versus try to "buy" new customers?

How often have we seen companies offering deep discounts to new customers while locking existing customers into old pricing. How does this make the existing customer feel? What kind of loyalty does it create when a repeat purchase is available.

Companies that "win" on price often find that they lose on "price" when the next company offers a better/new incentive because there is no loyalty factor built into the relationship.

Are you treating your prospects better than your existing customers?

What can you do for your existing customer that demonstrates that you appreciate their business -- without breaking the bank? I'd love to hear any ideas that you are using.

Cheers!

Bill's passion is improving business results by working with leadership teams to change employee behaviours. He does this by equipping leaders with the principles, processes and tools to cultivate an engaged customer-focused culture.

As well, he is a dynamic, results-oriented speaker on the importance of a customer-focused culture, either as a guest speaker or acting as a facilitator of a group discussion/workshop.

For more information please contact (905) 841-3191
Email: bill@billhogg.ca, Web: http://www.billhogg.ca/

Walk a mile in your customers shoes

We have all heard the expression about walking a mile in someone else’s shoes, but how often do we demonstrate this concept when dealing with our customers?

We often get so caught up in “doing our job” that we are too busy to really understand how our customer is feeling.

I recently had a fantastic experience with a company that was renovating our kitchen that really brought that concept home.

My wife and I arrived home after working all day, excited to see the progress that had been made on our kitchen -- they were installing the crown trim between the top of the cabinet and the ceiling.

When we walked into the room, the first thing we noticed was that the work had all be completed and beautifully installed. The second was that the colour of the cabinets and crown was slightly off, causing the effect of a dark line around the top of our cabinets. We knew that with a hand painted finish that colour variation was part of the effect, but this seemed too much.

We looked at each other and were immediately concerned. Could we live with this? Would the company tell us that this was the hand painted effect? I am sure you can imagine.

The installer could probably read our thoughts, because he informed us that he had already called the sales person and owner about this issue and they we on their way to have a look. He explained that until the material was installed and you stood back to look, it was impossible to tell the colour differences.

Well the sales person walked in and immediately agreed this was an issue that needed to be dealt with. He offered no solution yet, but our stress level was immediately calmed.

The owner walked in and also agreed the issue needed to be dealt with. They then began a team discussion about the best solution. They did so with my wife and I included in the conversation as they discussed the various options.

Finally, they decided the best option was to remove the crown moulding, return it to the shop to re-finish or prepare new pieces. The owner then pointed at the hood fan cover and a couple other pieces and stated that they weren’t up to standard either and they needed to come down as well.

Imagine our surprise! Imagine our delight!

The owner explained that we would have to live with this kitchen for many years, we had made a significant investment with his company and he wasn’t happy unless we were 100% satisfied. Incredible!

He put our satisfaction/needs ahead of his own. In the end, his need of building a prosperous business was accomplished.

We were more than 100% satisfied with final product -- we are enthusiastic ambassadors for his company. We have shared this story (and others from our experience) with many people and have already referred his company to at least 2 friends thinking about a new kitchen. Their business will continue to grow based on this kind of exceptional word of mouth.

Are you putting yourself in your customer’s shoes when they are faced with a problem, or are you focused on your own needs?

(If you are located in Toronto/GTA and want the company's name and number -- drop me a line)

Cheers!

Bill's passion is improving business results by working with leadership teams to change employee behaviours. He does this by equipping leaders with the principles, processes and tools to cultivate an engaged customer-focused culture.

As well, he is a dynamic, results-oriented speaker on the importance of a customer-focused culture, either as a guest speaker or acting as a facilitator of a group discussion/workshop.

For more information please contact (905) 841-3191
Email: bill@billhogg.ca, Web: http://www.billhogg.ca/

Empowering Employees

Last summer my family had a chance to travel to western Canada and one of the outstanding places we had the opportunity to visit was the Columbia Icefields in northern Alberta - just south of Jasper. Truly an awesome part of our great country.

Years ago we decided that wherever we travelled we would collect small photographic fridge magnets to commemorate the many stops along our travels. Resultant when we were at the Icefields I looked for a Fridge Magnet for our collection.

However, in the vast selection of magnets at the souvenir shop there were none that showed the Icefield. There were lots of animals, other local attractions, generic Alberta, but none of the Icefields.

When I enquired of staff if they had any, they apologized and told me that they received a shipment only once each week and they always ran out of the Icefield magnets before the next shipment.

What an interesting commentary on the company. Here the front line staff knew exactly what the problem was, yet either no one had asked them, they had not been encouraged to provide this input, or worse, they has already provided this input and it had been ignored.

If feedback is not actively solicited and expected, then you are missing a huge insight into your customers needs. In addition to making input a central part of your culture, make sure that as part of your research plans you are building in a process to gather this input.

Cheers!

Bill's passion is working with (private and public) organizations to improve business performance by engaging employee teams to focus on the internal and external customer and deliver an intentional service experience that exceeds expectations and creates a point of differentiation from the competition.

He is a dynamic, results-oriented speaker on the importance of a customer-focused culture, either as a guest speaker or acting as a facilitator of a group discussion/workshop.

For more information please contact (905) 841-3191
Email: bill@billhogg.ca, Web: http://www.billhogg.ca/

Pret a Manger vs. The Ritz-Carlton - Part 2

A further similarity between key business practices between Pret a Manger (UK sandwich shop) and The Ritz-Carlton is in the area of empowering employees. After all, given their focus on hiring for character, doesn’t it make sense to allow these great people to do what they do naturally (with some guidelines of course).

Like The Ritz-Carlton, they are also empowered to make sure the customer is satisfied.

At Pret a Manger, each team member is empowered from their first day at work to make their own decisions. For example, if you complain that you didn’t like your coffee at your local Pret, it is up to the team member you speak with, to decide how to resolve the situation. If you are spotted struggling with bags, team members are welcome to leave their post and go and help. It’s a question of using the common sense and respect that Pret looks for when it hires people.

Jay Chapman, Head of Communications, says, “It’s not uncommon to find that if you’ve been to Pret for your lunch every day for a week, the person behind the till will recognise you and decide to give you Friday for free. The manager keeps an eye on things, but overall the team members are empowered to make their own decisions”.

Result, Pret’s customers are happy. On average, 60% of feedback received by the Pret a Manger customer service department is either positive or neutral. Pret has not only succeeded in engaging their employees but their clients as well.

And why not? Jay’s philosophy is “If you treat your employees well and involve them in the decisions that will affect them, they’re much more likely to be engaged in carrying out the effects of those decisions.”

It comes as no surprise that both companies have both high employee engagement and high customer satisfaction. When you hire the right people for the job -- and then let them do the job, you will have happy, engaged staff, and it turn happy, satisfied customers.

Check out the full article if you haven’t already done so.

Cheers!

Bill's passion is exceptional customer service -- internally and externally. He works with clients to activate a “customer-focused” culture where engaged employees internalize the brand values and deliver an intentional customer service experience that exceeds expectations.

As well, he is a dynamic, results-oriented speaker on the importance of a customer-focused culture, either as a guest speaker or acting as a facilitator of a group discussion/workshop.

For more information please contact (905) 841-3191
Email: bill@billhogg.ca, Web: http://www.billhogg.ca/

Pret a Manger vs. The Ritz-Carlton

I came across an excellent post in The Insider that you should read if you haven’t already done so. It features an interview with Jay Chapman, Head of Communications at Pret a Manger (a sandwich shop chain).

The thing that struck me was the similarities between one of the key business practices between Pret a Manger and The Ritz-Carlton. They both place very high emphasis on recruitment.

Like The Ritz-Carlton, prior to formal interviews for any role, all candidates (for any position within Pret) must work on the shop floor for a day. The team who works there gets a say on whether the candidate will fit in with the team there or whether they would like the person to work for Pret. If the answer is no, the candidate isn’t hired.

In this way the shop teams make decisions on who the next Purchasing Manager, the next Customer Service Advisor and the next Property Director are. On top of that, all new recruits spend a week or two working in the shop at the start of their employment.

Pret invests a lot in their recruitment process to make sure that their business is filled with “Pret people” from top to bottom and they actively encourage employees to bring their own personalities to work.

Jay believes this investment pays off one hundredfold -- 60% of staff at Pret’s head office began life on the shop floor -- and they know the business inside out.

Incidentally, ‘head office’ is described by Pret people as, ‘Hudsons Place’. This is because the people at Hudsons Place truly don’t believe they are any more important than the people on the shop floor – they’re just fulfilling a different function. This attitude of respect, treating everyone the same seems to run throughout Pret.

That kind of attitude comes from the top and sets the tone for the entire organizational culture.

So regardless of what kind of business you are in there is a lesson to be learned about hiring. Determine the culture you want and then design your recruitment to find those people.

At Pret, there is one quality which is an absolute must if you want to join the team – happiness. “You can’t hire someone who can make sandwiches and teach them to be happy,” says Jay, “So we hire happy people and teach them to make sandwiches”. This is hiring based on character versus competence, which you then train.

What are the key qualities you need to hire for -- and importantly, how have you designed your recruitment process to find those people.

Cheers!

Bill's passion is exceptional customer service -- internally and externally. He works with clients to activate a “customer-focused” culture where engaged employees internalize the brand values and deliver an intentional customer service experience that exceeds expectations.

As well, he is a dynamic, results-oriented speaker on the importance of a customer-focused culture, either as a guest speaker or acting as a facilitator of a group discussion/workshop.

For more information please contact (905) 841-3191
Email: bill@billhogg.ca, Web: http://www.billhogg.ca/

Rogers does the unexpected

It’s popular to highlight the problems experienced by one of the largest Telco’s in Canada, but today I had an unexpected experience worth repeating.

I phoned Rogers cellular today because my daughters cell phone had incurred $33.00 worth of “Premium Services” on our family plan that she was unaware she had signed up for. We wanted to stop these services before additional charges were incurred.

The CSR explained that these were not Rogers charges, but were third-party services which we needed to cancel directly with the third-party. She then explained how this could be done.

While I was on the phone, I also asked her to examine my usage and let me know if I had the best plan for our needs. She showed me how by changing my plan, for the same base rate, I could receive additional services and have extra minutes which would reduce my overall bill.

I hung up grateful for her help and feeling pretty good about the overall experience.

Then the unexpected.

An hour later I checked my cellular voicemail and found a message from my CSR. She indicated that because we had inadvertently accessed these premium services, and had called to cancel after receiving the first bill, she had credited my account for the $33.00. She was clear that this offer was extended because the first time someone accessed these services it was often based on misunderstanding how these services worked.

WOW, was I shocked. I hadn’t expected this credit, and really had no right to expect it, but I was thrilled to have been treated as loyal customer who mattered to the company.

My opinion immediately changed and this Moment of Magic has definitely put some currency in my Rogers brand bank account.

Are you looking for ways to delight your customers?

Cheers!

Bill's passion is branded customer service that exceeds expectations. He works with clients to activate a “customer-focused” culture where engaged employees internalize the brand promise and deliver an intentional Branded Customer Experience -- internally and externally.

As well, he is a dynamic, results-oriented speaker on the importance of a customer-focused culture, either as a guest speaker or acting as a facilitator of a group discussion/workshop.

For more information please contact (905) 841-3191
Email: bill@billhogg.ca, Web: www.billhogg.ca

Engaging Employees

The Hay Group, a global HR management consulting firm, recently surveyed 500,000 employees from 300 companies to assess the satisfaction levels of “committed” employees -- those who said they would stay with their company for at least five years compared to those who would leave after one year. They discovered that of the fifty influencing factors, pay was ranked the lowest.

There is little doubt that in many industry sectors salary plays a significant role in attracting quality job candidates. However, what many of us really seek is validation for our work. “Show me my contribution matters to the organization” rather than “show me the money” is the underlying message that employers should focus on.

But how does a company demonstrate validation? Some things for consideration are;

1. Offer interesting and varied work assignments
2. Have a clear growth path and incorporate on-going training & development
3. Provide tasks and projects that stimulate interest and give people the tools, processes and support needed to thrive and succeed, while being challenged
4. Formally and informally acknowledge your employees’ contribution to you and your organization
5. Actively solicit on-going feedback
6. Express genuine and specific appreciation for a job well done in a timely manner
   

Let me know if you have some success stories you would like to share.

Cheers!

Bill's passion is branded customer service that exceeds expectations. He works with clients to activate a “customer-focused” culture where engaged employees internalize the brand promise and deliver an intentional Branded Customer Experience -- internally and externally.

As well, he is a dynamic, results-oriented speaker on the importance of a customer-focused culture, either as a guest speaker or acting as a facilitator of a group discussion/workshop.

For more information please contact (905) 841-3191
Email: bill@billhogg.ca, Web: http://www.billhogg.ca/

CIBC policy hurts more than it helps?

Yesterday I tried to use my CIBC credit card to purchase some new lights for our home -- approximately $700.00. However, when I went to pay, my credit card was declined -- twice. Embarrassed by the fact that my bank had refused me credit, I was forced to use a different credit.

When I returned home, I called the CIBC to find out why I had been declined. My monthly payments are through pre-authorized withdrawal, I never carry a balance and I was way under my credit limit.

The explanation from the CSR was that CIBC had declined your card so I would call in and they could confirm that the card has not compromised, lost or stolen. They explained they did this periodically as a safety feature to protect their customers.

To add further insult to injury, I was then forced to answer a number of questions about when, where and how much my last purchases were.

So in their claimed effort to provide me with protection, the actually have set themselves up to upset their customers.

I now have a ticking time bomb in my wallet. I never know the next time it will go off and I will face the embarrassment of having my card declined. Maybe next time it will be with a client, or possibly friends, who will question my financial management when my credit card is declined.

Of course, one way to avoid this situation is to cancel the card. Which has exactly the opposite affect for CIBC than they intended.

So, don't be like CIBC. Make sure you think through your policies from the customer viewpoint. Don't do more harm than good.

Something to think about!

Cheers!

Bill's passion is branded customer service that exceeds expectations. He works with clients to activate a “customer-focused” culture where engaged employees internalize the brand promise and deliver an intentional Branded Customer Experience -- internally and externally.

As well, he is a dynamic, results-oriented speaker on the importance of a customer-focused culture, either as a guest speaker or acting as a facilitator of a group discussion/workshop.

For more information please contact (905) 841-3191
Email: bill@billhogg.ca, Web: http://www.billhogg.ca/

Is anybody really listening

As a customer do you ever feel that no one is listening to you or thinking about your needs? How often have you been in a situation where the service provider clearly demonstrates that in spite of their words, their actions communicate that they are not listening.

For example, I recently went to pick up my dry cleaning. The cleaners have always been very helpful and looked after my needs quite well. No complaints.

They run a loyalty program where for every so many dollars purchased I get a $15.00 credit -- nice. However, whenever I pick up my laundry, I have to remember to go through a pile of cards that they store in flat rolodex files, get my card, have it stamped and then return it to the file.

On this particular day I mentioned that given the technology today they should have it on their computer system that whenever I spend over a certain amount they could surprise me and reward me with a $15.00 discount. Same program, but more convenient for the customer and provides the cleaner the opportunity to delight me.

Their response (said very nicely) was they already had lots going on at the cash register when a customer was purchasing and that would just add another step.

When I mentioned that it was not a very customer-focused response they assured me they were very customer focused -- and frankly they are.

It just served to remind me that even people/companies that are customer-focused still need to listen. We may be doing many things right -- but when a loyal customer offers a comment or suggestion -- shut up and LISTEN.

We can always improve and that usually starts with listening.

Cheers!

Bill's passion is branded customer service that exceeds expectations. He works with clients to activate a “customer-focused” culture where engaged employees internalize the brand promise and deliver an intentional Branded Customer Experience -- internally and externally.

As well, he is a dynamic, results-oriented speaker on the importance of a customer-focused culture, either as a guest speaker or acting as a facilitator of a group discussion/workshop.

For more information please contact (905) 841-3191
Email: bill@billhogg.ca, Web: http://www.billhogg.ca/

How to achieve the ultimate customer-focused company

Last May, Ranjay Gulati (Michael Ludwig Nemmers Distinguished Professor of Strategy and Organizations at Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management), wrote an article for the Harvard Business Review entitled “Silo Busting: How to Execute on the Promise of Customer Focus”. Gulati’s main point was that while many companies claim to be focused on their customers, they are unable to deliver on these promises within their current company culture. His basis for this argument is that companies continue to focus on their own needs versus the customer needs.

Gulati identified four values that companies must adopt in order to successfully be customer-focused. These are coordination, cooperation, capability and connection.

Coordination: Most companies are organized around a specific function, product or geographical location. However, customers don’t think that way, and often the solutions they need do not fit within those boundaries. Gulati suggests that companies need to create processes or mechanisms that break these divisions - or silos - so that the customer gets the benefit of the entire company.

Cooperation: Here the focus is two-fold. Separate business units need to cooperate to support each other’s activities to achieve measurable customer satisfaction, and employees who are closest to customers need the authority to make decisions that benefit the customer. This kind of cooperation ensures the customer always comes first.

Capability: According to Gulati, companies need more “generalists”. These are described as employees who “have experience in several products or services and a deep knowledge of customer needs” as well as having the skill and flexibility to cross organizational boundaries. These people see the big picture and resultant are able to produce tailored solutions that meet customer needs.

Connection: Gulati’s research supports aligning with suppliers and partners. The rationale is that it support better solutions for the customer as well as provide cost-cutting opportunities.

Gulati’s four “C’s” make sense, as they provide companies with a process map that focuses on the customer. Interesting to note, everything still focuses on the big “C” -- the customer.

Cheers!

Bill's passion is branded customer service that exceeds expectations. He works with clients to activate a “customer-focused” culture where engaged employees internalize the brand promise and deliver an intentional Branded Customer Experience -- internally and externally.

As well, he is a dynamic, results-oriented speaker on the importance of a customer-focused culture, either as a guest speaker or acting as a facilitator of a group discussion/workshop.

For more information please contact (905) 841-3191
Email: bill@billhogg.ca, Web: http://www.billhogg.ca/

Employee Engagement vs. Customer-Focus

Like many of you, I have Google Alerts update me on new posts, news and information about customer service. I am delighted to see that customer-focus is being discussed in many non customer service blogs -- project management, HR, Brand Management, Marketing etc.

I see this as a good sign that the importance of customer service is being recognized in all aspects of business.

In a recent post on Product Management Tips, I spotted an interesting post that discussed the order of importance between customer, employee and competitor. An argument could be made for a number of orders, but I agree with the moderator that the order should be employee, customer and finally competition.

I tell my clients that customer-focus should be an outcome -- not a goal. The goal is employee engagement, if we achieve that goal, then customer service will follow and resultant we will have a competitive advantage.

However, be careful that just because you are employee focused that your processes don't become organizational-focused versus customer-focused -- that is an easy trap to fall into.

When you talk about customer focus in your organization, do you consider it a goal or an outcome? How would this change the way you did things?

Let me know.

Cheers!

Bill's passion is branded customer service that exceeds expectations. He works with clients to activate a “customer-focused” culture where engaged employees internalize the brand promise and deliver an intentional Branded Customer Experience -- internally and externally.

As well, he is a dynamic, results-oriented speaker on the importance of a customer-focused culture, either as a guest speaker or acting as a facilitator of a group discussion/workshop.

For more information please contact (905) 841-3191
Email: bill@billhogg.ca, Web: http://www.billhogg.ca/

TASCO Strikes again

I thought I would update you on the progress in our kitchen renovation and how the appliance company has fared since I last talked about them.

It seems that one of the appliances we ordered in May is now back-ordered for a couple weeks past our delivery date of tomorrow. We found this out late last week when they called to confirm the delivery date and let me know I needed to have a certified cheque when they delivered the appliances.

So here are the issues as I see them.

1. We placed our order in May with a significant deposit and finalized our delivery date in June. However, less than 1 week from delivery we are suddenly back-ordered. This was the first mention that there would be problem with delivery. This means we will have a kitchen partially complete until the back-ordered appliance arrives, plus we need to pay people to come back and complete the installation.
   
   It would seem that when a customer places a confirmed order tied to a specific delivery date, they should have product available for that order. If the product is back-ordered at the time of purchase the customer would have the option to make a new decision about their product selection. However, if the product is available at the time of the order, why does the supplier not ensure it has stock on hand to honour all committed orders before selling additional units?
   
   
2. I need a certified cheque with only a couple working days notice. A simple call a week in advance would have allowed me to drop-off or mail a cheque which could have been deposited and cleared prior to delivery. If I chose a certified cheque, I would have a few extra days to visit my branch and get it. Either way the customer has options.

TASCO is still thinking about their needs first. First, sell as much product as possible and hope that there is enough available to make their commitments, and second, make sure we get our money.

In both cases, a slight adjustment in process provides the customer with options. Some timely communication with the customer would have also helped this situation.

Are your processes designed to meet your needs or the customers? Consider reviewing your procedures to determine if a few simple adjustments could make them more customer friendly and still address your important business requirements.

Cheers!

Bill's passion is branded customer service that exceeds expectations. He works with clients to activate a “customer-focused” culture where engaged employees internalize the brand promise and deliver an intentional Branded Customer Experience -- internally and externally.

As well, he is a dynamic, results-oriented speaker on the importance of a customer-focused culture, either as a guest speaker or acting as a facilitator of a group discussion/workshop.

For more information please contact (905) 841-3191
Email: bill@billhogg.ca, Web: http://www.billhogg.ca/

Home Depot Does It Right

I wanted to share a great story about a customer experience I heard about recently -- here at my local Home Depot.

It seems that a 6 year old boy wanted to get a part-time job, just like his older brother. Like many 6 year olds, he liked to build things, so he indicated he wanted to work at Home Depot. When his father suggested he write a letter he did, so his father dropped the letter off at the Customer Service desk. Dad thought he had heard the last of this.

However, about 6 weeks later they were in Home Depot and the son reminded Dad that they had not heard from Home Depot yet and insisted on checking on the status of his job. Needless to say, Dad was thinking his son was in for a big disappointment.

However, when Dad sheepishly went to the desk to enquire about the job for his son, the lady immediately recognized the young man and explained that they had posted the letter on their bulletin board and how the young boy was the talk of the store. Problem was that the letter had not included a last name, phone number or address, so they had been unable to contact the family.

She then invited the young boy to be a special helper at the upcoming children's workshop.

The day of the workshop he was presented with an apron, baseball cap and assisted the instructor handing out kits, aprons and tools to all the other children who attended. Upon completion each child was presented with a certificate signed by both the instructor and the young boy.

Needless to say this single act made a huge impression on the young boy, as well as his entire family, their circle of friends, the subsequently the circulation of the paper I read the article in -- and now you.

So does it pay to show a little extra attention to that unique situation? You bet!

Remember, every customer is unique, so every solution should reflect that unique situation. If we blindly insist on a list of rules, we handcuff our employees and prevent them from using their good judgement on a unique solution that addresses that specific situation.

Cheers!

Bill's passion is branded customer service that exceeds expectations. He works with clients to activate a “customer-focused” culture where engaged employees internalize the brand promise and deliver an intentional Branded Customer Experience -- internally and externally.

As well, he is a dynamic, results-oriented speaker on the importance of a customer-focused culture, either as a guest speaker or acting as a facilitator of a group discussion/workshop.

For more information please contact (905) 841-3191
Email: bill@billhogg.ca, Web: http://www.billhogg.ca/

Satisfied is worse than Unsatisfied

How are you tracking customer satisfaction levels with your customers? Are you asking whether they are satisfied? If so, you are probably not getting a true answer.

Today, customers are so conditioned that when we are asked questions like this, they just say “Yes”. Think about your own experiences. How often have you said things were fine simply because you couldn’t be bothered commenting? Unfortunately, lurking under all those “Yes’s” may be a list of issues you never hear about and resultant, never have the chance to correct.

At least when you have a complaint, you have the opportunity to dig deeper to find out what the issue is -- and correct it, which results in a happier, more loyal customer. Plus you have the opportunity to change your process or service to better reflect the needs of customers.

So, rather than asking “Were you satisfied with the service you received?” try “How could we have improved your service experience today?” Then really listen. You will be amazed not only by what you find out, but your genuine interest will delight your customer.

Customers will tell you how to modify your experience so that it is in line with their needs and adds real value in their mind, sometimes in ways that will actually save you time and money.

Then when they say “everything was great”, you can feel confident that the measure is a reliable reflection of the true customer feeling.

Cheers!

Bill's passion is branded customer service that exceeds expectations. He works with clients to activate a “customer-focused” culture where engaged employees internalize the brand promise and deliver an intentional Branded Customer Experience -- internally and externally.

As well, he is a dynamic, results-oriented speaker on the importance of a customer-focused culture, either as a guest speaker or acting as a facilitator of a group discussion/workshop.

For more information please contact (905) 841-3191
Email: bill@billhogg.ca, Web: http://www.billhogg.ca/

Do you have a Balanced Scorecard?

Back in 1992, Robert Kaplan & David Norton introduced the concept of a balanced scorecard in the Harvard Business Review and their follow up book The balanced scorecard: Translating strategy into action. One of their points was that “hard” financial data was a lagging indicator, while the “soft” human performance data was a leading indicator. Specifically, identifying issues on the human side allowed companies to take action before sales started to drop off as a result of the problem.

I’m going propose a different kind of balanced scorecard.

If we generally agree that that happy employees = happy customers = improved business results (I have heard this referred to as the 3-legged stool of great customer service), then would it not make sense to measure based on those 3 categories.

Rather than hard and soft data, why not employee, customer and business data. If each of these 3 measures (made up of a couple key indicators) are healthy, then business is good.

When any one of these measures starts to show weakness, you can be sure there is a problem with the others.

However, often employee data is owned by HR, while customer and sales data is owned by sales or marketing and operational data is owned by operations.

I would suggest that these measures should be the responsibility of one department. I don’t mean compilation, I mean measuring, analysing and reporting. I think only when the full view is owned by one department do we get a clear picture.

I realize that this may require re-thinking how data is gathered and shared, but given that the employee is usually the closest to operations and to the customer, tracking their data by a department that has limited experience to either doesn’t make sense.

In the past I have worked with organizations that have a single team (Information & Insights) that manages all of this. This team must also have the authority to work with all aspects of the organization to identify changes needed to improve the employee/customer relationship.

Let me know what you think.

Cheers!

Bill's passion is branded customer service that exceeds expectations. He works with clients to activate a “customer-focused” culture where engaged employees internalize the brand promise and deliver an intentional Branded Customer Experience -- internally and externally.

As well, he is a dynamic, results-oriented speaker on the importance of a customer-focused culture, either as a guest speaker or acting as a facilitator of a group discussion/workshop.

For more information please contact (905) 841-3191
Email: bill@billhogg.ca, Web: http://www.billhogg.ca/

Great Customer Service Doesn’t Cost -- it pays (Part 3)

Okay, one last quick post about The Ritz Carlton for awhile.

Once they hire for character, here are 3 things they do to ensure competence.

1. Every employee goes to a mandatory 2-day orientation before they spend any time on the job. The focus is culture and expectations. As well, this is when they teach core job skills and take care of issues such as timesheets, uniforms, pay cycles, etc.
2. Each new employee is teamed with another employee who has demonstrated a high level of performance who acts as a mentor/coach. This is huge, because it not only ensures that the new employee learns from a high performer who sets the standard by their actions -- but it also provides recognition for high performers. It is an honour to be chosen as a mentor/coach.
3. Hourly employees participate in 250 hours of learning each year. Salaried employees participate in 320 hours. Much of this is self-directed or online.
   

Shoot me an email if you would like a copy of their 1999 application for the Malcolm Baldridge National Quality Award - it’s great reading

Cheers!

Bill's passion is branded customer service that exceeds expectations. He works with clients to activate a “customer-focused” culture where engaged employees internalize the brand promise and deliver an intentional Branded Customer Experience -- internally and externally.

As well, he is a dynamic, results-oriented speaker on the importance of a customer-focused culture, either as a guest speaker or acting as a facilitator of a group discussion/workshop.

For more information please contact (905) 841-3191
Email: bill@billhogg.ca, Web: http://www.billhogg.ca/

Great Customer Service Doesn’t Cost -- it pays (Part 2)

I thought I would share a couple more gems learned from The Ritz Carlton that I think are “must do’s” at any organization looking at improving their customer-focus.

The first one that really stands out I call hiring for character versus competence. I understand the initial hiring process at The Ritz Carlton is a telephone interview conducted by someone outside the HR department. This is done to ensure that the focus is on character versus competence (skills). They use a standardized set of questions that focus on character attributes such as; work ethic, self-esteem, empathy, and team-orientation. Only if they successfully pass this initial screening are they evaluated on the basis of their ability to do the job.

I think this maybe the single most important step when building a culture of customer-focus. This ensures that members of the team are like-minded in their commitment to delivering an exception customer experience.

John C. Maxwell is credited with saying, “People don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care.” I couldn’t agree more.

The second gem is that each employee must sign an agreement that clearly sets out expectations. This is both cultural as well as job related. It is also signed by their Manager.

I think this is important for 3 reasons.

1. It sets expectations which can be measured against and therefore exceeded. Something we generally agree needs to be done with external customers -- so why not internal customers.
2. It balances job performance tracking with cultural behaviour measures. Too often companies are good at the job measures, less disciplined with cultural measures.
3. An agreement indicates that both parties have responsibilities for success. Implicit in the signature by the Manager is their commitment to helping the employee be successful.

Third gem, employees are required to use the same standards when dealing with their colleagues as with external customers.

I love it -- 3 easy steps that add no cost to improving customer service!

Shoot me an email if you would like a copy of their 1999 application for the Malcolm Baldridge National Quality Award - it’s great reading

Cheers!

Bill's passion is branded customer service that exceeds expectations. He works with clients to activate a “customer-focused” culture where engaged employees internalize the brand promise and deliver an intentional Branded Customer Experience -- internally and externally.

As well, he is a dynamic, results-oriented speaker on the importance of a customer-focused culture, either as a guest speaker or acting as a facilitator of a group discussion/workshop.

For more information please contact (905) 841-3191
Email: bill@billhogg.ca, Web: http://www.billhogg.ca/

Great Customer Service Doesn’t Cost -- it pays

The Ritz-Carlton hotel company is often referenced as an example of a company that gets customer-focus. In fact, every employee carries a pocket-sized fold-out card with the company’s Credo:

The Ritz-Carlton Hotel is a place where the genuine care and comfort of our
guests is our highest mission.
We pledge to provide the highest personal service and facilities for our guests who will always enjoy a warm, relaxed yet refined ambiance.
The Ritz-Carlton experience enlivens the senses, instills well-being, and fulfills even the unexpressed wishes and needs of our guests.

Plus, in large, bold type, is the company’s motto: “We are ladies and gentlemen serving ladies and gentlemen.”

Additional information includes three essential steps of service (greeting, anticipation of needs, fond farewell) and a summary of their 20 basics of good service.

By my count, only 2 of the 20 basics of good service have a financial cost -- training and resolving customer issues. And even those don’t necessarily cost anything.

Also, these 20 basics could easily be adopted by virtually any service business in the world. Yet I think you would agree each of these basics would improve your service experience. (Shoot me an email and I will send you a copy if you don’t have one)

So it begs the question; why aren’t more companies doing it? Something to think about.

Cheers!

Bill's passion is branded customer service that exceeds expectations. He works with clients to activate a “customer-focused” culture where engaged employees internalize the brand promise and deliver an intentional Branded Customer Experience -- internally and externally.

As well, he is a dynamic, results-oriented speaker on the importance of a customer-focused culture, either as a guest speaker or acting as a facilitator of a group discussion/workshop.

For more information please contact (905) 841-3191
Email: bill@billhogg.ca, Web: http://www.billhogg.ca/

Make it easy for your customers to talk to you?

Quick shout out to Eric at customerservicenumbers.com. He's recently launched a site where customers can quickly find company and product customer service telephone numbers.

This places me in an interesting quandary. On one hand I wish him the best, because obviously it is a service that is needed. But isn’t it a sad state of affairs that a site like this is even needed.

So make sure you are listed -- and then if you do a good job with your own customer service programs, no one will need to visit it for your numbers.

Cheers!

Bill's passion is branded customer service that exceeds expectations. He works with clients to activate a “customer-focused” culture where engaged employees internalize the brand promise and deliver an intentional Branded Customer Experience -- internally and externally.

As well, he is a dynamic, results-oriented speaker on the importance of a customer-focused culture, either as a guest speaker or acting as a facilitator of a group discussion/workshop.

For more information please contact (905) 841-3191
Email: bill@billhogg.ca, Web: http://www.billhogg.ca/

Have you identified your employees as a key target audience?

Much has been written about the need for communicating with employees.

People are often put in charge of internal communications and spend their time creating newsletters and memos that get sent far and wide informing folks about what is going on in the organization. Often we designate the employees as one of our key target audiences or stakeholder in our planning documents. This is all a good thing.

However, being the provocative person that I am, I have to ask, “Is that really what you want to do?”

I would suggest that communicating usually means creating and delivering messages to an audience. Further, I would suggest that what you really want to do is facilitate a conversation or a dialogue with your employee community.

For many, you are probably saying, “That’s just semantics -- that’s what we mean”, so let me ask, “Is that what is happening?” Are you facilitating a conversation? Do you have a process set up that stimulates a conversation or is your messaging primarily just being pushed out from the communications team?

That distinction is more than semantics. It is why organizations struggle - and often fail - to generate meaningful employee engagement. We get blinded by the belief that because we are actively communicating, we believe we are engaging employees in a conversation. Bottom line, if it isn't two-way, it isn't communication. It's simply message distribution.

Let me share how the internal newsletter we set up at ServiceOntario was envisioned. Rather than having someone in the Marketing team write the newsletter, they acted primarily as an Editor who worked with an Editorial Board who was responsible for generating the content. This Board was made up of writers from across all divisions in the organization. Level or function were not relevant, their only commonality was their interest in sharing what was happening in their areas of work. They also had pretty free rein on topics for publishing.

The Editor compiled their articles and reviewed them for general appropriateness, spelling, grammar, etc. They did not re-write the articles. The Editor also included news that was relevant to the organization on behalf of the organization.

Resultant we had a newsletter that reflected the wider organization while still containing important organizational communications/news. It was filled with topics (with lots of pictures) of things that were of interest to the people across the organization -- not just management.

The result? People looked forward to receiving and reading it each month. Plus, people saw demonstrated behaviour that management was interested in hearing from them -- a very important signal to the organization.

It wasn’t perfect, but it was a systematic approach to sharing information and gathering feedback/input. So ask yourself, is your internal communications really communicating -- or just delivering messages.

Something to think about.

Cheers!

Bill's passion is branded customer service that exceeds expectations. He works with clients to activate a “customer-focused” culture where engaged employees internalize the brand promise and deliver an intentional Branded Customer Experience -- internally and externally.

As well, he is a dynamic, results-oriented speaker on the importance of a customer-focused culture, either as a guest speaker or acting as a facilitator of a group discussion/workshop.

For more information please contact (905) 841-3191
Email: bill@billhogg.ca, Web: http://www.billhogg.ca/

Avis and their 3 Minute Promise

In the same vein as my earlier post Are You Measuring What Counts, the blog Customer Relations referred me to an article this morning where EasierTravel reported that Avis has launched its “3 Minute Promise” service, for Avis Preferred members in France and the UK.

"The 3 Minute service begins when the customer enters the Avis premises and time can be measured by the renter with a stop watch provided at the start of each rental process. If the time elapsed is over the three minutes, the customer will receive an apology, and a few days later, a retail voucher worth €30/£20 in the post."

Daniel McCarthy, Commercial Director, Avis UK explains: "It is our aim to enhance our customer service through best practice initiatives such as this, particularly focusing on offering a fast, efficient service." Daniel continues, "This is part of Avis' ongoing commitment to consistent benefits and standards across our network." (read full article)

I thought I would offer a slightly different take on these kinds of initiatives.

The Avis view (and one I believe shared by Customer Relations) is that this is putting the customers' needs at the forefront. So far we agree.

I guess where I think we need to expand the discussion is based on the concept -- What gets measured gets done.

My concern is that if time becomes the measurement, then others things, like quality customer service, may suffer. You need to make sure that your "time-based" measures have a corresponding measure of quality of customer service experience.

I often say to clients with call-centres, "The easiest way to get a higher number of calls each hour is just hang up faster." The customer may not be happy, but if all you want is higher throughput then hanging up will deliver it.

Now obviously, I am not serious, but it demonstrates the point.

So make sure you don't get lulled into thinking that numeric measures alone will lead to quality customer service. Make sure the quality aspect is also built into your tracking.

Something to think about.

Cheers!

Bill's passion is branded customer service that exceeds expectations. He works with clients to activate a “customer-focused” culture where engaged employees internalize the brand promise and deliver an intentional Branded Customer Experience -- internally and externally.

As well, he is a dynamic, results-oriented speaker on the importance of a customer-focused culture, either as a guest speaker or acting as a facilitator of a group discussion/workshop.

For more information please contact (905) 841-3191
Email: bill@billhogg.ca, Web: www.billhogg.ca

What is Garmin thinking?

I purchased a Garmin GPS for my car in April 2006. I have been generally satisfied with the performance until my recent experience to update the North American mapping. Something they encouraged me to do.

My saga started with a visit to their website which was fairly easy to navigate. After about 10 minutes, I had identified the correct program for my model and started through the check-out process to download my new mapping software.

After 20 plus minutes where it refused to accept my credit card, with no explanation, I finally gave up in disgust and called their customer support line.

After waiting 40 minutes to speak to a CSR I was informed that it was impossible to download or even sell a DVD to people from Canada online. No explanation why, and more importantly, no response when I asked why this wasn't immediately communicated on the website -- before I spent time trying to make an online purchase. Something they encouraged me to sign up for when I purchased the unit.

I was told me to go back to the location where I had purchased the unit (Best Buy in my case) because they sold the upgrades for the same prices as online -- $69.

Not great, but rules are rules.

So off to Best Buy. However, at Best Buy the upgrade costs $99 -- a 50% increase. Meanwhile, they are selling brand new units as low as $149 which already have the current maps installed.

My decision -- don't buy the upgrade and wait to buy a new unit when they are on sale. But not a Garmin.

If they were trying to drive away a customer, Garmin couldn't have done a better job. Wasted my time online with incomplete information and then to compound the issue give me bad information when I get to a CSR.

Simple fix. Communicate early, often and accurately with your customers.

Cheers!

Bill's passion is great customer service. He works with clients to activate a “customer-focused” culture where engaged employees internalize the brand promise and deliver an intentional Branded Customer Experience -- internally and externally.

As well, he is a dynamic, results-oriented speaker on the importance of a customer-focused culture, either as a guest speaker or acting as a facilitator of a group discussion/workshop.

For more information please contact (905) 841-3191
Email: bill@billhogg.ca, Web: www.billhogg.ca

How to lose a customer -- without really trying

I received a phone call today from the Manager of a student run painting company that demonstrated with brilliant clarity what not to do when talking to a potential customer. It served as a great reminder of how we should be thinking when we are interacting with your customers.

I had previously called this company and left a message to obtain a quote for some exterior painting. They were one of 2 student run companies that I called for a quote. The other company had already returned my call and provided a quote by the time this company finally returned my call a full week after the request.

The Manager spent a few moments to clarify what needed to be quoted and a convenient time that they could come to look at the job (a reasonable 2 days hence). They then asked whether anyone else would need to be consulted before making a decision to proceed. Well my “spidey-senses” starting tingling.

This sounded like they planned to offer an incentive to close the deal that night. Sales people will recognize this as a 1-step close, because it doesn’t require a follow up call.

I indicated that as a married man, I would of course consult with my wife about this issue. The Manager of this particular franchise asked whether there would be a more convenient time when my wife would be available. I said, “No, this was a great time.”

Not satisfied with this answer the manager indicated that because they had to travel a fair distance to get to the appointment (remember they are the “local” franchise) and they would prefer if both decision makers were available at the appointment because this would save the Manager time since they would have the opportunity to answer any questions that arose.

Remember -- this is to paint the exterior windows, doors and garage doors. Not exactly subject for weighty discussion. Again they pressed me harder to change the date.

I again indicated that this was the best time and offered that if it was inconvenient for them to provide a quote then we could just not bother to have a quote done at all.

Their response (wait for it) -- “I guess that will have to do!”

That will have to do? I am the customer for goodness sake. Sorry to inconvenience you and potentially require you to actually leave without a signed contract. Sorry I wasn’t prepared to accommodate your process. Sorry you might need to make a follow up call. Sorry I might want to have another company provide a quote to ensure that I am getting a quality job for a fair price.

Well I saved them time -- I cancelled the appointment and called the other company and awarded them the job.

The lessons here are many, but the big one was they were in business for themselves -- not their customer. They were not thinking from a customer perspective when they developed their scripting and training. Their entire process and all the resultant issues that arose were because they were not thinking about my needs -- the definition of a customer-focused business.

The really unfortunate part is that this student Manager was probably following a script that had been provided by the master franchisor and didn’t know any better. Hopefully they will learn before it is too late.

If they continue to follow that process, they will find themselves coming second on a lot of jobs -- simply because customers have the option to work with another company that puts the customers’ interests ahead of their own.

And of course, their competition will be more profitable because they will get a higher percent of the jobs they quote against this company because of their differentiated customer service experience. Proving once again that customer-focus is a profit strategy.

Cheers!

Bill's passion is great customer service. He works with clients to help activate a “customer-focused” culture that helps employees embrace the brand promise and deliver an intentional Branded Customer Experience -- internally and externally.

As well, he is a very dynamic, results-oriented speaker on the importance of a customer-focused culture, either as a guest speaker or acting as a facilitator of a group discussion/workshop

For more information please contact (905) 841-3191
Email: bill@billhogg.ca, Web: www.billhogg.ca

Who’s in charge of your most valuable asset?

First you need to decide on what that asset is. Often people like to say their most valuable asset is their employees. They make statements like “Our most valuable asset goes out the door every night.”

But I would suggest that the most the valuable asset is the one your business cannot survive without -- your customers.

I say this not to diminish the importance of employees; actually my point is exactly the opposite. I think employees are extremely important because your employees deal with your customers’ every day. They are managing your most important asset -- the customer.

But do we accord them the respect this important role deserves? Too often we don’t give them the authority to do their job, we give them lists of rules of what they can and cannot do; we make them get Manager approvals to make decisions.

Yet because people (i.e. customers) are all different, the best solution to a problem is often different for each customer. By forcing a single solution for each customer, we may be spending too much on some and not enough on others.

For example, if you have developed a compensation policy that costs of $100 to implement, with Manager approval, wouldn’t it be better to give your employees full authority to spend up to $75 to fix the situation on the spot (after providing direction on the types of things they can do based on their judgement).

This option has 4 big benefits.

1. We all know that the quicker a problem is fixed, the happier the customer.
2. If most problems can be fixed immediately by the employee for maximum $75, you have saved money and created a more satisfied customer.
3. The employee can probably provide a more customized solution because they are closest to the customer issue.
4. The employee feels empowered and takes ownership of the situation.

So think about just how much trust you are placing in the folks who you have already entrusted with your most valuable asset. With a little guidance and some boundaries, they will usually make the right decision. And you will save money and have a more engaged staff.

Something to think about.

Cheers!

Bill's passion is great customer service. He works with clients to activate a “customer-focused” culture where engaged employees internalize the brand promise and deliver an intentional Branded Customer Experience -- internally and externally.

As well, he is a dynamic, results-oriented speaker on the importance of a customer-focused culture, either as a guest speaker or acting as a facilitator of a group discussion/workshop.

For more information please contact (905) 841-3191
Email: bill@billhogg.ca, Web: http://www.billhogg.ca/

Is your company Customer-Focused

When speaking with companies about whether they are using their customer service experience to differentiate themselves from their competition we often must address the question “How to tell if our company is truly customer-focused?” It is easy to say a company is, but are they walking the walk or just talking the talk.

So I thought it would share a process that I take clients through called a CAT Scan (Customer-focus Audit Tool). The objective of this process is to help them answer that question in such a way that the senior management team has a clear, consistent view of where their strengths and weaknesses lie.

The process starts with people across the organization answering a questionnaire comprised of 33 questions. It is important that the people answering the questionnaire represent a diverse cross-section of the company, not just senior management of a particular branch. This cross-section is critical because I am always amazed by the differences in the answers across the various groups.

The questionnaire is broken into 6 key sections; Defining your Customer Values, Designing your Branded Customer experience, Delivering a Branded Customer Experience, Listening to the Voice of the Customer, Developing & Engaging Employees and Organizational Readiness.

Once the questionnaires are completed, the data is compiled into a workable format and a half day workshop is conducted with the senior management team. It is essential the full team participate since one of the key objectives is to break down the silo mentality and have the full team embrace the fact that employee engagement and customer service is a shared accountability and that only when they work as a team will they achieve success.

After the work session there is further analysis. Once these 6 critical areas has been examined, the company can then start to develop a specific action plan to address their areas of weakness and leverage their areas of strength.

If you would like a copy of the full questionnaire, please drop me a line.

Cheers!

Bill's passion is great customer service. He works with clients to help activate a “customer-focused” culture that helps employees embrace the brand promise and deliver an intentional Branded Customer Experience -- internally and externally.

As well, he is a very dynamic, results-oriented speaker on the importance of a customer-focused culture, either as a guest speaker or acting as a facilitator of a group discussion/workshop

For more information please contact (905) 841-3191
Email: bill@billhogg.ca, Web: www.billhogg.ca