| Copyright (c) 2007 Close Quarter Limited | | | | "It's great that it's free � but is it useful?" |
| It must be one my personal business nightmares, if you | | | | The hotel gave me a nice free breakfast but I would |
| can imagine having just flown to New York to meet a | | | | have preferred a shaver & some deodorant! If I think |
| new client and the airline has lost all your clothes! So | | | | about a number of the budget hotel chains in the UK |
| what can one learn from such events about delivering | | | | where they are happy to give you free shaver, foam, |
| great customer service experiences? | | | | combs, deodorant etc. if you've forgotten them, there's |
| "The best laid plans of mice and men often go awry" | | | | much their my American hotel & airline could learn |
| To give you the background, I'd just been to California | | | | from them. |
| and had arranged to meet the COO of a potential | | | | A great technique for managing these unfortunate |
| great new client in New York on my way back home | | | | experiences was pioneered by Jan Carlson (former |
| to England. I'd visited them a few weeks before and I'd | | | | CEO of SAS Scandinavian Airlines) who coined the |
| felt as though I'd wandered onto the set of "The Devil | | | | expression "moments of truth". A "moment of truth" |
| Wears Prada" (or should that be "Ugly Betty"?). So not | | | | occurred whenever an employee interacted with a |
| wanting to be left too far behind the "New York Chic | | | | customer; Carlson said that these moments left an |
| look" of my hosts, I'd gone out and purchased the very | | | | impression � good bad or exceptional. |
| best of shirts & ties that London has to offer (OK | | | | Carlson applied 4 guiding principles for managing these |
| anyone from Milan is allowed a note of scepticism at | | | | "moments of truth" positively: |
| this point) combined with my new Italian suit & cuff | | | | � Everyone needs to know and feel they are |
| links, I knew I'd look the part ;-) | | | | needed |
| My plane was several hours late into New York due | | | | � Everyone wants to be treated as an individual |
| to "unexpected delays" � I was little nervous as I'd | | | | � Giving someone the freedom to take responsibility |
| arranged to go out to dinner that evening. Still with my | | | | releases resources that would otherwise remain |
| Platinum Frequent Flyer card my suitcase had qualified | | | | concealed |
| for a special "Priority Handling" label so I was looking | | | | � An individual without information can not take |
| forward to getting my suitcase quickly and rushing off | | | | responsibility whereas an individual given responsibility |
| ahead of the pack to the taxi rank. Sadly, after all of | | | | can not help but take responsibility |
| the luggage had disappeared off the carousel there | | | | The technique is fairly straightforward to implement. I |
| was no sign of my case, so I made my way to the | | | | guess a start is to get your service operations team |
| airline's baggage handling office. I was joined by | | | | together and ask them to map out the service |
| another passenger who had experienced a similar | | | | experience from the customer perspective. Whenever |
| fate. The Airline staff assured me that my suitcase | | | | you come across a "moment of truth", you can then |
| had landed and recommended I went back to check | | | | work out with your team just how best you can |
| the carousel again. This experience was repeated | | | | handle that sticky situation. I like to use the high-tech |
| another 3 times. | | | | toolset of 2 sets of Post-It notes in different colours |
| From my interactions with the airline staff, I managed | | | | for such work � available from all good stationers ;-) |
| to get the impression that losing one's baggage was | | | | Use one pack of Post-Its to map out the service |
| not a completely unusual experience. My heart sank | | | | experience from a customer perspective, and then |
| as I looked at the back wall of the hall which was filled | | | | use the other pack to define the main alternative |
| floor to ceiling with damaged suitcases in glass cases | | | | events that can occur at each "moment of truth" and |
| awaiting collection from their owners. | | | | the best options for your own staff in how to deal with |
| After an hour and a half of going back & forth from | | | | these. [For a more extensive and sophisticated |
| the luggage carousel to the airline desk, the airline staff | | | | approach try the "moment mapping" technique |
| finally conceded that perhaps my bag was lost after | | | | described in "Building Great Customer Experiences" by |
| all and I was given a claim form to fill in. I was given an | | | | Colin Shaw & John Ivens]. I guess an even simpler |
| 0800 number to contact and a tracking reference | | | | approach is the Nordstrom approach; their employees |
| number and that was it. I had a sense of | | | | are given the freedom to decide for themselves and |
| disappointment and unfinished business but I had to | | | | have the single rule "do whatever you think is right for |
| move on and let other passengers register their lost | | | | the customer". |
| baggage too. | | | | "Don't let disappointing service lose you your most |
| "There's no such thing as a free breakfast" | | | | valuable customers" |
| I headed off to my hotel (minus any luggage) and | | | | And the end to this tale. Well my suitcase was located |
| checked in. The receptionist noted down my comment | | | | during the morning and arrived over at my hotel. I was |
| that my luggage had been lost and hopefully it might | | | | able to locate my special shirt, tie & cuff links. [On a |
| arrive in the next 24 hours. The receptionist realised I | | | | fashion point here � I'm convinced English mens' |
| was a Gold member of their hotel loyalty system, so | | | | shirts are more stylish than American shirts]. It made |
| she kindly gave me vouchers for free breakfasts for | | | | my day when the client's PA complimented me on my |
| my stay in Manhattan. Sadly, by this time it was too | | | | cufflinks (OK � it's a small pleasure but still a delight). |
| late for the dinner out I'd planned, so I went off to bed | | | | On the business front though, one of the key lessons |
| to dream the night away with visions of lost clothes, | | | | is that a poor service experience is one of the key |
| deodorants and shavers! I guess I wasn't too worried | | | | drivers for customers switching suppliers. The |
| that I could replace my lost items in the morning, after | | | | disappointing experience causes customers to shop |
| all America is the land of retail plenty. And as I was | | | | around other suppliers and they may well find a better |
| staying just off 5th Avenue, which is lined with clothes | | | | value option losing you a very valuable customer. Best |
| stores, it wasn't going to be too difficult to get | | | | to make sure that your "moments of truth" are well |
| replacements in the morning. | | | | managed. |
| In the morning, fortified by my free breakfast, though | | | | As for me, I'm now minded to try out Silverjet Airways |
| looking a little rough, unshaven (or should I say with | | | | the new low-cost all business class airline � they |
| designer stubble) and with crumpled clothes, I headed | | | | offer fantastic service (flat beds, 30 minute check-in |
| off to the shops and quickly purchased everything I | | | | and even fly Carbon neutral) with much lower prices. |
| needed. I guess as they were happy to process my | | | | I'll update you on the experience hopefully after my |
| credit card without phone verification I can't have | | | | next trip to New York :-) |
| looked too bad. So at this point, it was an opportunity | | | | For over 25 years, John Corr has with the senior |
| for me to think through the series of events as an | | | | executives of service businesses who are |
| interesting example of managing "the customer | | | | uncomfortable with their current level of revenues, |
| experience". My airline goes to the trouble of writing | | | | margins and customer service including companies |
| hand written thank you notes each time I fly with them, | | | | such as: AOL, AXA, Barclays, Capital One, EDS and |
| and yet when it loses all my belongings � all they | | | | Nationwide. |
| give me is a piece of paper and that's it. | | | | |