Superior Customer Service: Episode #181 Japan Business Mastery Show

Superior Customer Service: Episode #181 (Audio here) (Video here) Japan Business Mastery Show

Jan Carlzon many years ago published a tremendous guide to customer service.??He had the job of turning around SAS airlines and captured that experience in his book “Moments Of Truth”.??I was reminded of Carlson’s insights when I was recently checking into my hotel in Singapore.??While going through the check-in process at the hotel, a waiter from the adjoining restaurant approached me bearing an ice-cold glass of freshly squeezed juice.??Singapore is very humid and trust me, that ice cold beverage went down very well.??I thought this is really well thought through customer service by this Hotel.

One of Carlzon’s observations about customer service however was the importance of consistency of delivery.??For example, visualise the telephone receptionist answers your call in a pleasant helpful manner and you are uplifted by your exposure to the brand.??The next staff member receiving the transferred call however, is grumpy and unfriendly. Now both your mood and positive impression plummet. You are suddenly irritated by this company, who have just damaged their brand by their lack of an ability to sustain good service across only two consecutive touch points with the customer.??

So back to my story.??As I get to my room, in good spirits after unexpectedly receiving my ice-cold juice, I find out the television isn’t working.??After a forensic search for the cause, including a few harsh words with the television controller, I discover the power is not on.??There is a card slot next to the door that initiates the power supply to the room.??Yes, I worked it all out eventually, but the thought occurred to me that the pleasant young woman checking me into the hotel, failed to mention these two facts to me.??Sustainability of good service has to be the goal if you want to protect or grow your brand.

When you are the leader of your company, you presume that everyone “gets it” about representing the brand and that the whole team delivers consistent levels of service.??You expect that your whole team is supporting the marketing department’s efforts to create an excellent image of the organization.??After all, you have been spending truckloads of money on that marketing effort, haven’t??you?

But are all the staff supporting the effort to build the brand???Perhaps they have forgotten what you have said about consistent customer service in the past or they are a new hire or a part-timer who didn’t get properly briefed.?

As leaders, we should all sit down and draw the spider’s web of how customers interact with us and who they interact with.??We should expect that nobody gets it and determine that we have to tell them all again, again and again.??

First impressions count, but so do all the follow-up impressions, if we want to build a sustainable, consistent positive image with our customers.??Consistency of good experiences doesn’t happen automatically.??We have to look again at all of our touch points with our customers and ensure that everyone in the team understands their place in maintaining the excellent brand we have built up.

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About The Author?

Dr. Greg Story, President Dale Carnegie Tokyo Training

The bestselling author of “Japan Sales Mastery” (the Japanese translation is "The Eigyo" (The営業), “Japan Business Mastery” and "Japan Presentations Mastery" and his new books "How To Stop Wasting Money On Training" and the translation "Toreningu De Okane Wo Muda Ni Suru No Wa Yamemashoo" (トレーニングでお金を無駄にするのは止めましょう).

Dr. Greg Story is an international keynote speaker, an executive coach, and a thought leader in the four critical areas for business people: leadership, communication, sales and presentations.?He leads the Dale Carnegie Franchise in Tokyo which traces its roots straight back to the very establishment of Dale Carnegie in Japan in 1963 by Mr. Frank Mochizuki.

He publishes daily blogs on LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter

Has 6 weekly podcasts:

1.?????Mondays -??The Leadership Japan Series,

2.????Tuesdays – The Presentations Japan Series?

Every second Tuesday - ビジネス達人の教え

3.????Wednesdays - The Sales Japan Series?

4.????Thursdays – The Leadership Japan Series

Also every second Thursday - ビジネスプロポッドキャスト

5.????Fridays - The Japan Business Mastery Show

6.????Saturdays – Japan’s Top Business Interviews

Has 3 weekly TV shows on YouTube:

1.?????Mondays - The Cutting Edge Japan Business Show

Also every Second Thursday - ビジネスプロTV

2.????Fridays – Japan Business Mastery

3.????Saturdays – Japan Top Business Interviews

In the course of his career Dr. Greg Story has moved from the academic world, to consulting, investments, trade representation, international diplomacy, retail banking and people development.

Growing up in Brisbane, Australia he never imagined he would have a Ph.D. in Japanese decision-making, become a 38 year veteran of Japan and run his own company in Tokyo.?

Since 1971, he has been a disciple of traditional Shitoryu Karate (糸東流) and is currently a 6th Dan.?

Bunbu Ryodo (文武両道-both pen & sword) is his mantra and he applies martial art philosophies and strategies to business.