The Value of Customer Service
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Ann Parr
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Every Employee & Customer Counts training is offered at PCS-Global headquarters every month and is designed to increase relationship-management skills. The foundational success of these programs is administering an individual "Behavior Styles" assessment for deep personal learning. By learning about their own personality types (categorized as Blue, Red, Green or Gray), class participants gain insight about how we treat customers and each other and learn methods for enhancing the overall customer experience.
How valuable to your business is customer service? At PCS-Global, customer service is at the heart of everything we do and teach. To illustrate its importance, we'd like to share the following article from Ann Parr, founding partner of the "We Care" programs, which are the foundation of our Every Employee & Customer Counts (E2) and (C2) training modules.
The Value of Customer Service (It's Only One Example, Right?)
Have you begun to dread going out in public because you know you're likely to run into snags, delays and downright rudeness when you're simply trying to complete a routine errand such as making a bank deposit or picking up dry cleaning? Are you still able to hope that this time, things might be different? Some attendees at our training classes have decided it would be a good idea to offer training classes for customers to teach us how to deal with the over-controlling clerk at the pharmacy or the postman who just stomped through your flower garden.
It's a challenging world out there. You might just give up (Gray), keep hoping things will change without your having to do anything about it (Green) or be damned if you'll put up with it any more (Red).
I made a trip to Atlanta recently to visit family. We were too many to stay in our host's home, so I arranged a room with the nearby Holiday Inn Express. Nice place. New. Close to our activities. But alas — quite unfriendly. No greeting upon arrival. No instruction about where the room might be, where the elevator was or the location of the sort-of healthy breakfast.
Well, I ask questions until I get all the necessary information. No big deal. But upon departing, same story. No willingness to provide me a copy of the room charges. ("You made the reservation on the Web. That's your receipt. I'll give you another one, but you'd better not let my boss know.") By then, it was almost a big deal.
The accommodation was nice enough. Great linens in the room. Upgraded beds and décor in these newer Expresses. But the unfriendliness at the desk puts a dark cloud over the pretties in the room.
Within a few days, I received a request to complete a survey about my stay. All right — now I can give them some feedback, and maybe something will be done. I was about two-thirds finished and the survey choked. I could not finish it — my, my.
A Beacon of Hope
On our trip, we had too many people for the two family vehicles available, so I rented from Enterprise and arrived to pick up the car a few minutes before closing time (6 p.m.). I was assured by more than one customer-service representative that they had no problem with the time, and apologized for the slight delay. The apology wasn't conveyed just once, but at each five-minute interval during the fifteen-minute wait, and I got another apology as I reached the front of the line.
I got a confirmation of the car I was renting and the details of the agreement: "I have a new Ford Focus for you. Is that OK?" Yes, of course. "It has 5/8 tank of gas in it, so you don't need to have more than 5/8 tank of gas when you return it." Thanks for noticing. "You have our hours printed on the contract, but if you have a problem or need to check the car in at a different time, please call this number, and we'll meet you here. Have a great week." The car had 28 miles on it. That's rare these days.
Well, what a contrast to the Holiday Inn Express experience. But I held my applause until I saw how Enterprise would hold up when I returned the car. Meanwhile, our family had a great week. Six flags. World of Coca-Cola. CNN world headquarters. Atlanta Aquarium.
Time to return the car, and it's a day earlier than planned. Enterprise has no problem with that. Then, I remember that I had filled the gas tank, intending to use the car another day. The tank is full, but I assumed that would be my problem.
I return the car. The rep is appropriately friendly and attentive. I mention that I like their service. He points to several customer-service awards their office has won. I'm impressed.
He asks how his service has been today during the car check-in. I tell him it's fine. He asks how it could have been improved. I hesitate to mention the gas-tank issue, but I do tell him that the tank was 5/8 full when I checked it out, and that I brought it back full. He says, "If we gave you credit for 3/8 of a tank of gas, would you think more highly of our service?"
Check the look on my face! I am flabbergasted and manage to say I would. "Consider it done."
As you can see, I'm still telling this story. Are all Enterprise offices this good? I don't know, but I'd be willing to try another one just to check it out.
What do people say about your service? Are they stomping out, promising never to come back, or are they dropping their jaws because it is so good? The last thing that happens with customers is what they remember about your service. Make it good.
Jaw-Dropping Service
You and your team can learn how to create a customer-service experience that will have your customers telling your story. To learn more about our E2 and C2 classes and our double-money-back guarantee, contact PCS-Global today at 888-481-8771, by email at info@pcs-global.com or online at http://pcs-global.com/contactus.html.
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