When we arrived at the Fort Lauderdale rental car area, the only company that had a long line was Budget. Every other carrier had 2 or 3 people waiting in queue. My first thought was, “Hey, the low rates must be working.”  My second thought was, “How long do we need to wait?”

After about 5 minutes, we realized that although there were 40 plus people on line, there were only 3 or 4 agents on duty. Everyone waiting started saying things like ‘this is ridiculous’, ‘I heard people have been waiting an hour’, etc.

Patience is not one of my strongest virtues and I was eager to start my vacation. I left my wife on line and approached the Hertz counter where there was a line of 2 or 3 people. The rates I received were even lower than what Budget had quoted my wife. I called my wife to join me and we were quickly on our way to our hotel.

My last thoughts were…Budget has a reservation system, they have been in business for decades, they know when people are scheduled to pick up their cars…why would they not have their counters staffed appropriately?

Obviously, Budget will no longer be our first car rental choice. But, it didn’t have to be that way.

I couldn’t have agreed more when Micah said, “Attitude, rather than technical skills are what’s most important in a prospective employee.” And he further describes the range of how much or how little a single employee can contribute to an organization.

In this ever-changing era of multi-channel communication, customer choice means that the customer chooses and the company needs to respect their decision. To me, one of the key points was when Micah so eloquently stated “To have a live customer on the phone is, indeed, something to be valued.”

It’s a well-written book with great ideas. Micah’s passion for customer service radiates from one chapter to the next.

Every Business Needs To Read Micah’s Book

The keynote addresses from both Scott Monty of Ford Motor Company and Anne McGraw of Nissan were both thoughtful and thought-provoking. During the conference, Chad’s 2012 Customer Experience Management Benchmark Study was released. One of the findings received a great deal of attention and created discussion: Forty-nine percent of the participating companies said the traffic to their traditional channels (phone and email) had increased over the last year, reinforcing the need to heavily support those channels in addition to investing in social media and mobile communications.

I have provided a recap of the tweets that were sent during the conference. There are some great nuggets of information. Enjoy the read!

First time at #crsummit – @ExecsInTheKnow puts on a fab conf: valuable learnings, honest experiences and high level “nice” execs

#crsummit – panelist says when there is an empty chair in the room – they say “what would the customer say about that”

#crsummit 1 panelist aver cost $2 handle chat $2, $7 for phone and $30 for a social media trans (however #sm might be viewed by millions)

#crsummit – pro-active #sm works when it’s timed right and of value to the customer

#crsummit – when companies show that they care – customers are more apt to want to interact via the phone – that’s a good thing!

“Let’s talk to our customers the way they want to talk to us” Brilliant @abmcgraw You are right on! #CRSummit #custserv #cx @ExecsInTheKnow

#crsummit – #sm allows you to find dissatisfied users & turn them into lifetime customers – Anne McGraw, Nissan

#crsummit 23% of Facebook users check their page an average of 5 times a day Anne McGraw – Nissan

#crsummit many people like to use chat vs phone @ work so their bosses don’t know they are using their computer 4 personal use

Only half of companies listen and proactively respond to social media #crsummit

Mobile display ad spending expected to grow 180% in 2013 #crsummit

#crsummit Charlie Ciaramitarto from @FedEx says in emerging mkts people may never see a pc – they will only know/use smart phones.

Listening to @ScottMonty talk about trust and business at #crsummit We trust people not brands as Edelman trust index shows. I trust Scott!

Nice mention by @ScottMonty for @getLittleBird, a tool for influencer discovery founded by @marshallk. #CRSummit

Everybody is now in Customer Care, marketing and even PR @ScottMonty #crsummit

#crsummit Scott Monty from #ford says 24 hr response time for #sm is not acceptable

#crsummit interest stats – 49% of #benchmark co’s say their traffic 4 traditional channels has increased over the last year

1. People who cut into line and the company does nothing to prevent it

2. You find out that the person next to you on the plane paid $200 less than you for the same flight

3. You unsubscribe to an online site that emails you twice a day, and they totally ignore your request…..forever

4. Something goes wrong with a piece of equipment and it’s one week past its warranty date and the company doesn’t even say sorry in a nice way

5. You try to get a new license and you need to visit 5 windows to complete the transaction

6. Your cell is listed on the “do not call list” and you get an annoying sales calls while driving your car

7. The restaurant automatically adds a 20% tip for crummy to fair service

8. You are on a long line waiting for a bank teller, with only one teller window open, and 5 managers are in the background doing their paperwork

9. Your cleaner tells you the spot that showed up on your new outfit was already there

10. The waiter takes away your plate before others in your party are finished

What are your biggest pet peeves?

Well, we don’t have one bad story. We have 20 good ones. From the beginning, our contractor, Michael, would tell us, “We have a problem, but don’t worry. I have two solutions and you get to choose which one you want.” He might say, “One option might cost a bit more, and the other one might take more time.”

We love Michael because he doesn’t leave us with a problem; he leaves us with solutions.

In the world of business, many business partners and company associates communicate problems without being trained to think about potential fixes. It’s clearly possible that the resolution might cost too much or has been tried in the past and did not work, but the process of developing creative problem-solving ideas, coupled with communicating the issue, almost completely takes the anxiety out of concerns that arise every day.

Try it. It definitely works!

Satisfying customers is clearly an important element of customer retention. However, delivering satisfaction and even exceeding customer expectations, still leaves your company vulnerable to the competition. Companies need to build relationships with their customers from day one.

One of the best ways to create a relationship is to make a connection. Many of our clients have been in business for nearly a century. When a client enters our offices, I want them to immediately feel comfortable and welcomed. I also want them to instantly realize that our staff values their long history of creating brands that have lasted a lifetime.

Since 1995, I have been collecting antique advertising memorabilia that our clients have produced over decades. During an 18-year period I have amassed an amazing collection of signs and products that I have found in small antique shops, large antique fairs and of course perusing EBay. We have these products displayed throughout our offices, which are impressive to our clients and enable our associate’s see our customers through their unique histories.

Having your customers listed on your website is a good way to promote your company’s success. Having a bit of your customer’s history on your walls, in your display cabinets and on your associate’s work stations, helps to create a different kind of connection; a connection that helps to create an instant bond between your clients and your staff.

Start searching for pieces of your clients’ history today. It will be both fun and rewarding!

The problem:

As happens sometimes, the company had released several new brands and Marketing promoted them via an extensive advertising campaign. However, they failed to notify the contact center in a timely manner. As a result of the promotions, the contact center’s volume of calls doubled within a month. Instead of consumers waiting less than one minute to reach a representative, they were now experiencing delays of as much as 15 to 20 minutes. Of course, after numerous attempts to reach the department, some consumers just gave up and never did connect to the company.

The experiment:

Our client asked us to conduct research to assess the effect of the longer wait times on brand loyalty. We created two sample populations: one where consumers eventually got though to the department and the other where the consumers never connected to a representative at all.

The findings:

One of the major findings of the study was quite surprising.  The satisfaction and impact on loyalty for those consumers that waited on hold for awhile but eventually got through was high, and nearly matched the levels the department achieved prior to the campaign being released.  Though not very surprising, those consumers who gave up at some point were very dissatisfied and a small percentage had actually stopped purchasing the brand altogether.

I am not proposing that hold times do not matter. However, it’s so much more important to make sure that when a customer or prospect for one of your products does interact with one of your representatives, they are provided with excellent customer service.

This means:

• The agent makes the person feel welcomed, important and appreciated from the minute they answer the phone
• The representative acknowledges and apologizes for the longer than usual wait time
• That the agent not only responds to the consumer’s direct question or concern, but provides them with additional useful information along the way

I have written before about the importance of setting expectations and I also strongly recommend utilizing technology that estimates the wait times. In my opinion, even up to a 10 minute wait time could be satisfactory if the consumer knows about it upfront, and eventually reaches someone who is a good listener, knowledgeable and treats them as a person first and a customer or prospect second.

Reaching a representative in 60 seconds or less is nice and appreciated, but don’t get so hung up on the hold times that you staff your department with extra agents who know little or nothing about the product, and rush the customer off the phone to take the next call.

In the world of ecommerce, besides Amazon, companies like eBay, Google, and WalMart have moved towards same day delivery in selected markets. However, I’m still amazed at how brick and mortar stores provide great service when you purchase your items that require delivery, and then turn over the entire delivery experience to another department or third party that can’t even spell service correctly. It’s obvious to me that delivery is an integral part of the customer experience, but many businesses fail to replicate the service in the store with the subsequent delivery process.

Shortly before Christmas, my wife and I were sent an email by our sales person, who sold us a wall unit in October. He notified us that our piece was in. He had told us it would take 12 or 13 weeks and his email confirmed that his estimated delivery date was correct. We were so happy to have the unit installed before the New Year. That’s when our delight turned to disappointment. Here’s what happened next:

Our sales person told us to contact the delivery department to tell them that our unit was in and to arrange a convenient delivery date. We then left a message for one of the customer service representatives he mentioned in his email, and naturally expected a return call.

After 3 hours, we called again and finally reached Ann. She had no knowledge of our order and it took her several repeated tries to find it even after we had given her our name and telephone number, the order number, the sales person’s name, etc. She finally told us that the unit would be installed on the 28th of December, which made us very happy.

Two hours later we received a call back from Ann that she didn’t realize that our furniture required a different team of delivery personnel and that they were not available on the 28th, so she would need to reschedule. We were disappointed, and did not understand why she didn’t know that during our first conversation.

We waited one week and never heard back. It was the week between Christmas and New Year’s and we assumed that was the reason for the delay. We then reached out to our sales person who sent the delivery department an email that we were in delivery limbo (my term).

After two days and no call back, we proceeded to reach out again to the customer service department and left another message. After 4 hours, we once again placed a call and did reach our assigned representative, who acted as if she had no idea who we were. During the conversation she did find the paperwork and set up two delivery dates; the first would be to deliver the unit and the second to assemble it.

When the delivery department called to tell us the four hour delivery window, I asked them what tasks would be preformed on the first day. I was then told they don’t know. The gentleman said they will definitely deliver the unit, but was not sure how much time they would have to complete all of the tasks.

The unit was delivered and partially assembled on the first day and we were told to expect them back in two days to complete the final installation. We love the piece, but can’t believe how disconnected the sales department’s service standards are from the delivery process.

If delivery time is the next service differentiator in this highly global and commoditized society, many companies still need to get their acts together to make deliveries in a normal and expected timeframe, and provide communication along the way that makes the customer feel welcomed, important and their business appreciated. The delivery is probably the most important part of the process, leaving a lasting impression that either enhances or damages the initial excitement of ultimately finding that perfect piece for your home.

Let’s start with my wishes for customer service in 2013:

Care about my business: In my experience, most frontline associates don’t seem to understand the concept of showing appreciation for the consumer’s business. Maybe an easier concept is to train your associates on the concept of showing the customer that you care about their business. Make the customer feel that you care that they are purchasing goods and services from your company versus your competitors. Try to communicate a clear message to consumers that your company wants to do business with them not just today, but into the future too.

Tell me what you can do: The word that consumers hate the most is “no”. “No it’s not in stock.” “No, it’s not our policy.” “No, it’s two days after our return policy.” Don’t tell the consumer what you can’t do, tell them what you can do.

Check first, then communicate: There is an old saying for carpenters; “Measure twice, cut once.” Don’t tell your customers it should be in stock, on the truck, coming in soon, etc., without checking first. Checking before responding will help to communicate the correct answer the first time.

Make it easy for me to reach your company: Whether it’s reaching a live person or finding the “Contact Us” page, make it easy and make it visible. Companies who intentionally make the option to select an operator a maze of menu options or hide how to contact the company via their online site don’t understand the concept of reducing customer effort.

Encourage longer talk times when appropriate: Consumers appreciate when they feel as if associates are giving them their full attention, listening to what they have to say, and being patient. Longer talk times are frequently necessary for securing loyalty, satisfaction and repeat business if they solve problems and make the customer feel the associate is more interested in them than saving the company money.

Make me feel welcomed: Every customer should be made to feel welcomed on every interaction. If the customer’s first impression is “hey, this person is treating me like a friend or a neighbor” from the interaction’s inception, it sets a really good tone for the entire conversation.

Answer more than my question: Don’t just answer the customer’s question. Think of other useful information you can add that can be potentially valuable to the customer and will communicate that you feel the customer is important and valuable enough to spend that extra time and guidance.

Think outside of the box: Some of the best ideas for improving customer service can be found outside of your industry. Don’t look at what your competitor is doing well, look at the top 10 companies for delivering superior customer service across all industries. You will be amazed at the ideas that can be replicated for your company.

Let your associates make mistakes: Frontline associates who can make the customer happy (within limits) will make your company look good. Empower your associates to use good judgment. Some customers may take advantage, but the majority will return for life. In turn, your associates will feel much better about working for your organization. It’s worth taking the risk.

Which other customer service wishes would you like to add to the list?

Setting expectations – the right way

I consider myself very lucky to live in Manhattan and I take full advantage of the subway system. Many of the commuter lines now have signs that tell you exactly when the next subway will arrive. It takes much of the anxiety out of commuting, especially when you just miss a train and the display says the next one will arrive in 3 minutes. It also helps you to make a decision about waiting for the next train if the one that arrives is filled to capacity.

Setting service expectations just makes sense. In these busy times, people generally hate to wait. But knowing how long the wait will be makes the entire experience much more palatable. First impressions are key to any experience. Setting the customer’s expectation creates a great first impression!