customer service

Recent Customer Service Snafu and Lesson

Posted on by Seniye Groff

There are many valuable lessons I have learned from being a parent.  Two that stand out in my mind are one, birthdays are very important.  So important, they can almost be similar to a national holiday in a child’s mind.  And second, kids do not forget (or forgive) when you screw up something related to their birthday.  I learned this when I failed to get my daughter a birthday card for her last birthday.  I heard about it for this past year repeatedly.  (I am proud to say not only did I not forget this year, but I actually hand made the card!)

Given these lessons, I have to tell you about a recent experience in my local Portland ice cream store (to remain nameless).  I typically bake cupcakes for my daughter’s birthday but this year wanted to do something a little different for our family celebration.  So, last Sunday, I called the ice cream store to order an ice cream cake.  My soon-to-be 12 year old and I poured over the ice cream store’s website looking for the perfect cake.  My daughter decided on the watermelon cake with chocolate ice cream and vanilla cake.  When I called on Sunday evening, the young man told me he would have to call me back because they were busy.  I gave him my number.  Twenty minutes later he called me back.  I told him the cake we wanted and he asked for how many people.  I told him eight to ten.  He said fine and that it would be ready to pick up the following Saturday.

On Saturday, my husband went to pick up the cake.  He was immediately informed that there had been a mix up and that the young man who took my order did not realize there was no such thing as a cake for eight to ten people.  The employee stated they tried to call but could not find the number.  And so since they could not get a hold of us, they “chose to do nothing.”  Nothing????  Really?!! If the employee stopped and thought about it for one moment, he would have realized #1.  This is a BIRTHDAY cake order and #2.  It is for eight to ten people (which means there is some type of get together involved) and #3.  If the person picking up this cake is planning on having this cake, what other options would they have with such late notice and #4.  Again, this was a BIRTHDAY cake for a CHILD. 

My husband was offered another cake out of the case.  There were not a lot of choices and frankly, we had nine people to feed in less than an hour so we did not have any other options.  My husband chose a cake which was not even close in style or flavor to what my daughter wanted.

And the end result: my daughter CRIED when she saw that the cake she had been waiting all week for, was indeed not what she had waited all week for!  My husband and I wondered why better decisions could not have been made.  For example,  make the watermelon cake for the correct size the ice cream store makes it for and call it good. 

Of course, I called the manager the next day to explain what happened and to ask WHY?  I was told that not everyone is trained in cake details and probably the person I worked with did not have the cake training.  Well, no doubt about that!  Also the manager explained that the person I worked with was young and young people do not always make great decisions.  Hmmmm!  That explanation really makes you wonder.

I propose a few solutions to ensure great customer service:

1.  Train everyone on the cake details.  If that is not possible, how about ensuring a customer ordering a cake, is given to the “cake expert” in the store.

2.  Create a quick reference guide about the cake ordering process.  A checklist could be included to make sure all details are covered.

3.  Offer some training for employees on how to troubleshoot and solve problems.  It could be structured almost like a FAQ (frequently asked questions) document.

These are just three quick ideas.  What other ideas to YOU have?

One thing for sure, I am back to making cupcakes next year, when my daughter turns 13!

Driving Loyalty: Turning Every Customer and Employee into a Raving Fan for Your Brand

Posted on by Seniye Groff

Kirk Kazanjian does not offer a magic bullet in his book Driving Loyalty. His advice is straightforward: take care of your employees and your customers and your business will succeed. This book has a little bit for everyone. New managers will gain lots of new insight on how to reward and retain employees, while seasoned managers will learn how to implement a company mission and vision to reinforce the focus on employees and customers. The book details effective merger tactics, as well as using technology to delight customers and employees. Kazanjian also covers growth, partnership and sustainability. There really is a ton of information for a mere 272 pages!

“Never underestimate the importance of the role those on your team play in delivering on your brand promise.”

Driving Loyalty is easy to read given its vast amount of usable information and key points summary at the end of each chapter. Throughout the chapters there are tables, numbered lists and graphics to highlight the most vital ideas from each chapter. Highlight the significant concepts, test some of the ideas and implement what works for your business. I am pretty sure you will notice a change in both your employees and customers.

Customer Service

Posted on by Seniye Groff

Today’s customer service is way too transactional.  Companies expect you to scroll through a bunch of drop down boxes, narrow down your topic and then read through a frequently asked questions page to “resolve” your issue.  Is that really any way to treat a current, future or soon to be past customer?  A company’s revenue stream?  A company’s lifeblood?  I think not.  We are faced with customer service scenarios many times a day…some good impressions but most abysmal.  Yet some companies get it right every time.  How do they do that?  I think the answer is simple but first, let me share a few of my own recent examples.

 My realtor, Morgan Davis, hosts a referral party every year…15 years strong at this point.  This is a party where those that have bought, sold, referred or just because, get invited to an evening event with fun, frolic and good food.  Each year has a different theme..  This year’s theme was cowboy.  Given that Morgan is from Texas, I wonder what took him so long to come up with that theme?!  Nonetheless, he always chooses great venues, usually one that I am not familiar with.   This years was at Urban Pine.  Basically Texas dropped in the middle of eastside Portland!  On arrival, you were given a cowboy hat and vest, if you wanted.  You then caroused over to the open bar.  You were greeted by black-clad servers hauling around, nothing less than Texas toast with pimiento cheese.  The movie, The Good, Bad and Ugly was playing on two TVs, there was a photo booth (so  much fun) and a fabulous buffet.  Then a comedic skit was done and finally Morgan thanked everyone and recognized two separate people for their outstanding efforts on his behalf.  All in all a great night, that definitely solidifies that Morgan VALUES his customers.

 This party is on top of what he regularly does such as monthly perks, a referral guide and he  even stepped in when he recommended a contractor to me that failed miserably.  Morgan found another contractor and then paid for that portion of the project!!!  Wow!!

 Let’s now flip to the not so good side.  I recently upgraded my phone with Verizon.  I have been a customer for 10 years.  I spent an hour on the phone with the customer service rep.  Got my phone, loved it.  Part deux…I receive my bill and low and behold it is completely different from what she told me it would be.  When I called customer service and spent ANOTHER hour on the phone, he basically told me that the previous rep had misinformed me and he was sorry, but this is what it was.  Can we say DECEPTION!  I requested a supervisor and was told he would call me within 24 hours…can you guess it…no call yet….  Is that really how you want to treat a customer of 10 years that you are making money from each month???  Hmm, makes you wonder.

 So what can companies do to address this abysmal trend of lousy service?  Like most things, it comes from the top and needs to be pervasive in everything the company does…look at Zappos for example….the website, the policies and the interactions with the customer service reps, all scream, YOU, the CUSTOMER, are the most important thing.  But you don’t have to be big like Zappos to offer great customer service..  As a matter of fact, smile at your co-worker, offer to get something done for them and you have just provided great service.  It really is pretty simple.  But until most companies learn this, hats off to you, Morgan Davis and team and the few other companies that really get how important customer service really is.