#346: Read, View, and Do: Delivering Customer Service at 30,000 Feet

Introduction

In 1982, SAS, the Scandinavian Airline, undertook a customer care programme for all its staff. They discovered that each day, throughout the world, there were over 50,000 occasions when staff interacted with customers. These included exchanges at booking flights, checking in, being served meals, having in-flight problems sorted, and so on.

Jan Carlzon, president of SAS, described each of these contacts as a "moment of truth", for each occasion brings with it the truth of how well the organisation manages its customer care.

01. Spotting Your Moments of Truth

A "moment of truth" between the organisation and the customer may be a routine procedure, an exchange which the customer makes first or one which the organisation makes first. They may be handled purely as procedure with no customer care overtones; on the other hand they can be opportunities to show how much you care.

There are seven ways we can enhance these moments of truth...

1. good wishes of the "Have-a-nice-day!" kind

2. unsolicited giving

3. attention to small detail

4. showing caring concern

5. thinking ahead

6. always say "Yes"

7. the power of understatement

02. Good Wishes of the "Have-a-Nice-Day" Kind

When front-line staff unconditionally offer us good wishes, even if on reflection they seem robotic and insincere, there appears at the time a magical value out of all proportion to their face value. We actually feel good.

Good wishes, such as a simple "How are you?" "Thank you" or "Have a pleasant journey", work even better when we are nervous, tense or feel stressed.

The trick of course if you are delivering the lines for the hundredth time is to say them as if it were the first time. Say them as if you really mean them; and the only way to do that, is to mean them.

03. Unsolicited Giving

Research at British Airways discovered that goodwill amongst passengers increases when they see staff doing things as extras.

These include...

1. the pilot coming through the cabin and talking freely to passengers
2. invitations to visit the flight deck
3. stewardesses sitting next to passengers who might need help, for example, a mother feeding her baby
4. spontaneous conversations.

Such unsolicited giving delights customers because it is seen as an extra. However, these treats should be rare enough not to be expected as a rule or taken for granted.

04. Attention to Small Detail

Paying attention to parts of the interface which don't involve one-to-one contact is an indirect way of saying "we care". It is a way of suggesting "we're working for you even when you're not around.“

Such detail could include...

1. sparkling washrooms that you could eat meals from
2. the welcoming flower on the pillow in your hotel room
3. notices and signs that respect you, not talk down to you
4. removing the coffee stains and ash trays in between sittings.

Pay attention to the small things that customers see.

"Elephants don't bite; it's the little creatures like mosquitoes that get you."

05. Showing Caring Concern

When your customer contact is public, there is a double value in showing caring concern. Firstly, you can actually help those who may need help, perhaps the old, the very young, the infirm, strangers, foreigners. Secondly, these acts send a message to other customers that help is available if they should need it.

Even private customer attention benefits from caring concern. Doctors, dentists, opticians and other health care workers are at the top end of the service treatment ladder. Yet surveys consistently show that patients rate highest those who, at the various moments of truth, make them feel as though nothing else mattered at that moment to the nurse or doctor but you, your problem and your treatment.

06. Thinking Ahead Through Anticipatory Scanning

In one survey of check-in operators at an airline terminal, customers were asked to rate the personal service they received from each operator.

The highest-rated operators had one thing in common. Not only were they are able to deal with the people at the desk in front of them, but at spare moments, they looked up and scanned the queue to anticipate problems ahead. They were thus able to register the arrival of the late businessman who needed some quick help, as well as the confused old lady who couldn't find her ticket.

In a similar show of foresight, Holiday Inns calculate that on average 17% of their guests forget to bring one of the small personal essentials with them for their stay. They therefore go out of their way to provide items such as toothbrushes, razors, combs and hand towels in a programme they call the "Forget Something" scheme.

07. Always Say "Yes"

Noticing when people have a problem and offering to help solve it is the mark of a customer care champion.

This is particularly true when the problem is not one of your making or one you have a contractual obligation to solve. Then your help is even more appreciated. For the customer, the hidden message is: "Your problems count: we want you to have a pleasant experience, not just be another plus on our balance sheet.“

Good customer carers say "yes" to all problems, even if they can't immediately work out a solution.

1. say "yes" to small jobs that don't seem worthwhile
2. don't charge for small jobs
3. if you can't do it yourself, suggest someone who can, even if it is your main competitor. Goodwill lasts longer than a quick sale.

08. The Power of Understatement

People who are newly-trained in managing moments of truth often over-emphasise their care and concern for their customers. This can sometimes be so embarrassing to the customer that he or she starts to apologise for the fuss they are causing. With experience comes the power of understatement.

Understating positive actions and positive phrases suggests that what you are doing is no big deal, isn't out of the ordinary, doesn't put you out and is perfectly normal. When you understate, you bring a touch of class.

You can understate anything you say or do. It sends a signal that you are not surprised and not put to any trouble. In particular, when you build rapport with a customer by listening to them and moving at their pace, you should do so in ways that the customer hardly notices.

09. Video: "Richard Branson Reveals His Customer Service Secrets" from Forbes

Forbes contributor and communications coach, Carmine Gallo, learned 7 valuable customer service lessons in a day with Richard Branson and the Virgin America team.

10. Exercise: "There Is Only Detail"

This exercise gets trainees to walk the customer journey at the training venue and assess where service is good and where it is bad.

1. Go into small team mode.

2. Invite trainees to walk through the customer journey by taking a tour of the building where the course is being held. They should arrive, come to the training room and leave as they would if they were a normal trainee. As they do, they should look for small details of good customer care and details of not-so-good customer care and note them down.

3. When teams re-assemble, ask them to present their findings to the rest of the group. Ask the team for suggestions for improving the not-so-good details.

Alternatives and variations:

If possible, ask teams to do the same customer journey in their own workplace environments looking for small details. If this is not possible, suggest that the teams do it in their heads.

What Next?

If you have found this article useful, you now have a great resource to add to your e-learning store.

And, with this as your starting point, you can now take things further.

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Thanks for reading this edition of the "People Skills" newsletter and good luck with your ongoing learning.

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