Recently a friend send me a link to a very good article by David Lazarus in the LA Times. It’s all about Customer Service experience – good and bad.
In summary the article is all about the difference in customer service a lady received when she had to change a flight reservation and a phone contract due to the recent death of her mother. Although different s industries, both times she had to speak to a contact centre agent and explain her situation. The article does not really go into the details of the process that the consultants had to follow – but rather focuses on the reaction and communication with the consultant. The subheading of the article reads” Why is it so hard for some companies to show a little human decency when a customer has a problem”.
(http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-lazarus-20110823,0,2211925.column )
While in both instances processes and procedures had to be followed, it was the way the consultant responded which shaped the experiences for the customers. The JetBlue consultant listened to the customer’s story, and heard what she said – while it seems that the Verizon consultant only heard what s/he was trained to work with. The Verizon consultant might have followed the procedure to the T, and based on this, believes that s/he provided excellent customer service. The customer however will always remember her interaction with Verizon as a really bad customer service experience – and in all likelyhood reflect this bad experience on the company as a whole. The line between good and bad service; between a good and a bad customer experience or between a good and bad company reputation is really fine … the line can not be defined according to processes and procedures, it requires a little bit of a human touch…and just the right kind...
The article reminded me of my recent experience at a South African Airways check in counter. Given my line of business, I travel on Stand by. After having said "good bye" to a special friend of mine, I was in a very tender emotional stage. I managed to hold it together and went to the SAA check in counter to find out when I could get a flight. The gentleman behind the counter greeted me with a big smile and asked how my day has been so far. Needless to say, this triggered me to loose "control" and my guard to come down, the tears started to roll down my cheeks… He was an absolute gem, looked at me and simply said: “it’s ok no worries – the flight does not look good, but let's see what I can do for you….”… I apologised for my tears to which he camly responded: ”.. If it does not kill us it will make us stronger.”… he gave me a tissue and a little later a boarding pass for the next flight out. I was eternally grateful that he did not ask too many questions, and that I got on the next flight out. Even if this probably was not the first time that he had a tearful passenger checking in, his response was personal and not scripted. For me, it stands out as one of those moments in life… an act of kindness from a total stranger … Did he bend the rules that day – very likely … did he stick to procedures… probably not quite ...but he showed a human side, he showed compassion. …., he did make me feel better and smile... to this day I remember the kindness in his voice and the great experience with a South African Airways representative…. they cared, SAA cared...... and is that not what we want all our customers to experience – that the company cares about them?
It shows how little it takes to shape a great customer experience .... and how quickly it could go wrong...
Do we provide our consultants with the insight and knowledge, the tools and training to be the judge of when is bending the rules and/or procedures ok and how far can they go...
Not a question I can answer, but one I think about quite a bit....
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