Monday, February 23, 2009

How Can I Help You!

The current issue of Business Week is titled “Extreme Customer Service” and the lead article is titled “Where Service Means Survival.”

The issue showcases top brands that are delivering top customer service.

Among the top are some high-end brands like Lexus, Jaguar, Cadillac, BMW, Nordstrom and The Four Seasons Hotels & Resorts.

Also on the list are some more “mainstream” brands like Ace Hardware, True Value, Publix, JetBlue, Marriott and Trader Joes.

Over the weekend, I shopped twice at Home Depot and have to say that I was pleasantly surprised by the customer service.

As soon as I entered the store, there was a person at the door asking me how they could help me. As I went through the store, there was a Home Depot person at the end of nearly every aisle ready to help and assist.

And I wasn’t the only person to notice.

In fact, several of the shoppers made comment about how nice and different the service seemed to be.

On Sunday, I went and shopped at Trader Joe’s and I heard some of the customers making similar commentary.

They especially loved how they could find one person who would answer questions and help them find what they couldn’t find on their own…without having to wait or work through a chain of individuals.

In Business Week, one of the articles cites that “waiting on hold” is the number one consumer complaint…nearly 55% of those surveyed say that “the purgatory of hold” is the most annoying experience.

“Waiting for 15 minutes to talk to a representative only to be put on hold for 10 more minutes to be transferred to someone else only then to have my line go dead.”

I remember back in the 1980s when I started in the business that we all talked about how America was shifting from a product manufacturing to service economy.

Course we would all assume that the same principles of quality manufacturing would extend over to service delivery…right?

Across our client categories – whether retail, restaurants, financial, automotive – the resounding customer issue with the brand experience we bring back to the planning table….the customer service sucks.

While not the biggest fan of government regulation, I sometimes wonder if counterparts to folks like the FDA on the service side of business might be required.

Not that we are really experts, but here at BrandVenture, we are strong advocates that human behavior is just as critical of a predictor of brand success as the conventional MBA financial models.

Human Behavior is to a service economy what Engineering is to a manufacturing economy.

But the challenge is that Human Behavior is far less mechanical, far less repetitive in production and delivery and far less predictable.

And too many companies have tried to marry Human Behavior with Engineering that has resulted in the long wait times that makes customers feel like no one is really there to even help.

As I have said in recent Blog-logues…as much as we hate to be in recession, down economies often do a great job of “cleaning house.”

The MBA mindset will have to change…it is way too hooked on brand attributes and the benefit pay-off versus a focus on the broader overall brand experience.

It’s great to see Business Week highlighting the companies that are delivering top quality service.

Just like individuals today hit “click” when they come upon mediocre websites… customers today will not tolerate mediocre service.

My only suggestion to Business Week is to replace the word “EXTREME” in its issue headline as the adjective in describing “customer service” and maybe consider replacing it with “expected,” or “essential,” or “everyday,” or “established,” or “enjoyable” or “engaged” or …

Hey, I get the message loud and clear… get out from behind the desk, put on a smile, and repeat after me…”how can we help you today?”

AND REALLY… How can WE HELP YOU TODAY?... Email us and let us know!...we’re ready to jump in with you and Journey!

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