11/16/16
My business is all about improving the customer experience. As a result, my friends tell me about their customer service experiences-both good and bad. A few stories I’ve recently heard were about patient experience in healthcare and they brought to light the fact that little things matter most and can have the greatest impact on satisfaction! One story was about a friend’s mother who fell and broke her leg. She required emergency surgery and a couple days in the hospital. After day after surgery, she asked the nurse if she could wash her face and brush her teeth. The nurse said sure....
10/17/16
Employee engagement receives a great deal of attention. What is meant by that? Employee engagement is broadly considered to be the relationship between an organization and its employees. Employees who are engaged are enthusiastic about their work and actively support the organization. It makes sense then that employee engagement is linked to customer experience. Companies with engaged employees have been found to benefit by increased profits, decreased employee turnover and improved customer experience. According to a recent KPMG study, 70% of engaged employees report having a good understanding of customer experience versus just 17% of disengaged employees. In the same...
08/22/16
A few weeks ago, I was traveling for business and stayed at one of my favorite hotels. They provided the excellent service I’ve come to expect–staff was friendly and helpful, my room was clean, and my towels were soft. Unfortunately, I would give the hotel a low rating on this visit because one important amenity was not provided. I had a critical report to finish and continuously lost the internet connection. The front desk was unable to solve the problem. I was very frustrated and didn’t get the report done. As a business traveler, an internet connection is as much...
06/14/16
Businesses can expect to encounter occasional service problems with their customers. It is estimated that U.S. companies lose $83 billion each year due to bad service. Some of the losses are obvious like giving refunds and losing the sale. Other costs may be less obvious but have longer lasting and often more significant impacts. Consider the example of a company that marketed and sold its products and service as the best in the industry. The company had production problems for two consecutive quarters and couldn’t deliver on those promises. Customers received extremely bad service. The hidden costs of the bad service...
05/11/16
Allowing cell phones in movie theaters was unheard of just a year ago but is now being considered by a major theater chain. Why? Customers and customer expectations are changing. So, what do my customers want? Business owners should be continuously asking themselves that question. Research has found that 80% of businesses believe they are providing superior customer service, while only 8% of their customers agree. That is a significant disconnect! I think this disconnect can be a result of the lack of understanding of the customer journey, the total sum of experiences that customers go through when interacting with...
03/22/16
There’s no getting around it, bad customer experiences happen. How you handle customer issues have a huge impact on your business. Recently, I had a bad experience that made me think about actions businesses can take when things go wrong. I had a reservation at a high-end steak house for a family celebration. Upon arrival, the hostess told us that they didn’t have a table available. I asked why, and was told it was because they were busy. Which is, of course, the point of the reservation! We waited 40 minutes before giving up. We left hungry and angry without...
02/16/16
I like businesses that give me personal service and that little extra attention. I am willing to pay more at those businesses and I become a very loyal customer. Recently, I visited my local hardware store where I get that personal attention and service. With a little assistance, I got the supplies I needed and I headed to the checkout lane. I exchanged a few comments with the sales clerk, picked up my items and said, “Thank You” to which the sales clerk responded, “No Problem.” His response caught my attention. Of course it wasn’t a problem. “No problem” sounds...
01/28/16
When you walk into a high-end retail store like Nordstrom, you expect to be treated to one-on-one service. When you make your way to the grocery store to pick up your weekly necessities, you may be used to a different experience, dealing with some minor issues during your trip. When stores like your neighborhood Kroger can take those minor issues and create a positive, one-on-one experience, they’re sure to make a customer for life. Let me tell you about the Nordstrom-quality experience I had recently at Kroger. Minor issue at hand: I can’t find my beloved thin pretzel crisps! Every...
01/13/16
Are you ready for 2016? If you’re like most business owners, you reviewed last year’s goals and set new ones for the coming year. When you defined those goals, did you include customer experience? I believe that customer experience should be integrated into all aspects of business. Customers are the only reason your business exists. Customer experience goals don’t have to be costly to have big returns for your business. If you have just a 5% increase in customer retention, you can increase profitability by 75%! Improving customer experience begins with information and data. Begin by stepping back to take...
12/09/15
When it comes to serving customers, policies and procedures should be designed to guide employee actions.
