Tastes Like Chicken
Today I had lunch with a buddy at one of my favorite Asian restaurants. One of their lunch specials was salmon with teriyaki sauce. We both decided to order it. We asked the server “Is the salmon teriyaki good?” She said, “It’s great. Tastes like chicken.” And, she laughed.
A few minutes later out comes lunch. It did taste like chicken, because it was. She came over to see how everything was. When we told her the salmon really did taste like chicken, she looked at our half-eaten meals and turned red with embarrassment. She was so apologetic and wanted to get us the salmon. We had a good laugh about it and told her not to worry.
Here is why this wasn’t a big deal. First, we liked the chicken. It wasn’t what we ordered, but it was still good. Had we not liked it, I’m sure it would have been replaced as quickly as possible. Second, and this is most important, the server had such a good attitude about taking care of us. From the moment she came to the table, she was friendly, fun, engaging and helpful. Her positive attitude overcame the mistake.
Sometimes customers will overlook problems if they know how much someone cares. Our server cared and had a great attitude. She was ready, able and willing to take care of us – and she had a great attitude, which is why, even after she made a mistake, we will not only go back to the restaurant, but also request her table.
Shep Hyken, CSP is a professional speaker and author who works with companies who want to develop loyal relationships with their customers and employees. For more information on Shep's speaking programs, books, tapes and learning programs please contact (314) 692-2200. Email: shep@hyken.com – Web: www.hyken.com – Click here for information on The Customer Focus™ customer service training programs (www.TheCustomerFocus.com).
Thursday, April 27, 2006
Thursday, April 20, 2006
Delivery Company Makes Good – Wants Customer Loyalty
Our overnight mail/delivery company made good on our problem. The supervisor at the customer service number said they wouldn’t reimburse us for the expense to reproduce workbooks that they lost, yet later found. When we said we might end our relationship, the supervisor said he could close out the account while we were on the phone.
We decided to call our sales rep. We were pleasantly surprised when our rep said that he would take care of everything. He couldn’t believe the customer service supervisor reacted to our situation the way he did.
I’ve written about this before. There was a lack of consistency about how a customer (that’s us) should be taken care of, and it almost cost the company our business.
Shep Hyken, CSP is a professional speaker and author who works with companies who want to develop loyal relationships with their customers and employees. For more information on Shep's speaking programs, books, tapes and learning programs please contact (314) 692-2200. Email: shep@hyken.com – Web: www.hyken.com – Click here for information on The Customer Focus™ customer service training programs (www.TheCustomerFocus.com).
Our overnight mail/delivery company made good on our problem. The supervisor at the customer service number said they wouldn’t reimburse us for the expense to reproduce workbooks that they lost, yet later found. When we said we might end our relationship, the supervisor said he could close out the account while we were on the phone.
We decided to call our sales rep. We were pleasantly surprised when our rep said that he would take care of everything. He couldn’t believe the customer service supervisor reacted to our situation the way he did.
I’ve written about this before. There was a lack of consistency about how a customer (that’s us) should be taken care of, and it almost cost the company our business.
Shep Hyken, CSP is a professional speaker and author who works with companies who want to develop loyal relationships with their customers and employees. For more information on Shep's speaking programs, books, tapes and learning programs please contact (314) 692-2200. Email: shep@hyken.com – Web: www.hyken.com – Click here for information on The Customer Focus™ customer service training programs (www.TheCustomerFocus.com).
Monday, April 10, 2006
What Would You Do?
We do business with an overnight mail/delivery company. We printed custom workbooks for an upcoming seminar and shipped them to our trainer to take with him to the program. The shipping company claims they made the delivery, but our trainer never received the workbooks. It turns out that the workbooks were delivered to the wrong address. Not knowing that at the time, we reprinted the workbooks.
Sure enough, the day before the trainer was to leave, the workbooks turned up. The driver admitted he made a mistake. So, now we have extra workbooks that we paid for, but don’t need.
We called the shipping company to tell them that because of the failed delivery, we incurred the extra costs to replace the books (which we can’t use). We requested that they reimburse us for this cost. After pleading our case, they said, “No.”
If you were me, what would…
Give them another chance?
Pull the account and go to a competitor?
Do something else?
Shep Hyken, CSP is a professional speaker and author who works with companies who want to develop loyal relationships with their customers and employees. For more information on Shep's speaking programs, books, tapes and learning programs please contact (314) 692-2200. Email: shep@hyken.com – Web: www.hyken.com – Click here for information on The Customer Focus™ customer service training programs.
We do business with an overnight mail/delivery company. We printed custom workbooks for an upcoming seminar and shipped them to our trainer to take with him to the program. The shipping company claims they made the delivery, but our trainer never received the workbooks. It turns out that the workbooks were delivered to the wrong address. Not knowing that at the time, we reprinted the workbooks.
Sure enough, the day before the trainer was to leave, the workbooks turned up. The driver admitted he made a mistake. So, now we have extra workbooks that we paid for, but don’t need.
We called the shipping company to tell them that because of the failed delivery, we incurred the extra costs to replace the books (which we can’t use). We requested that they reimburse us for this cost. After pleading our case, they said, “No.”
If you were me, what would…
Give them another chance?
Pull the account and go to a competitor?
Do something else?
Shep Hyken, CSP is a professional speaker and author who works with companies who want to develop loyal relationships with their customers and employees. For more information on Shep's speaking programs, books, tapes and learning programs please contact (314) 692-2200. Email: shep@hyken.com – Web: www.hyken.com – Click here for information on The Customer Focus™ customer service training programs.
Saturday, April 01, 2006
Self Serve Customer Service
Airline agent: Can I help you.
Passenger: I would like to go to Florida, but I want this bag to go to New York and this one to go to California.
Airline agent: We can’t do that.
Passenger: You did last week!
That was an old joke that I’ll credit to Bob Hope, although I’ve heard a number of great comedians tell it.
A couple of posts ago I wrote about a company charging for customer service. The problem was it was bad customer service. My buddy, Scott Ginsberg (http://www.hellomynameisscott.com/), wrote about how the airlines now charge $2 per bag for curbside service. This was something the airlines always offered up as good customer service for their valued passengers.
Is it worth paying the $2 per bag? Sure, if it makes your trip easier and convenient. But, consider this. Airlines now lose about 1% of checked bags according to SITA, a company that provides solutions to the air-transport industry. On average, the lost baggage that is found is eventually returned to the owner within 31 hours, or 1.3 days.
According to SITA, the industry needs "a better, more sophisticated system with greater use of self-service check-in through kiosks and on the Web." In other words, do it yourself. So much for paying an “expert” (airline employee) to make sure your bags arrive where they are supposed to.
Shep Hyken, CSP is a professional speaker and author who works with companies who want to develop loyal relationships with their customers and employees. For more information on Shep's speaking programs, books, tapes and learning programs please contact (314) 692-2200. Email: shep@hyken.com – Web: www.hyken.com – Click here for information on The Customer Focus™ customer service training programs.
Airline agent: Can I help you.
Passenger: I would like to go to Florida, but I want this bag to go to New York and this one to go to California.
Airline agent: We can’t do that.
Passenger: You did last week!
That was an old joke that I’ll credit to Bob Hope, although I’ve heard a number of great comedians tell it.
A couple of posts ago I wrote about a company charging for customer service. The problem was it was bad customer service. My buddy, Scott Ginsberg (http://www.hellomynameisscott.com/), wrote about how the airlines now charge $2 per bag for curbside service. This was something the airlines always offered up as good customer service for their valued passengers.
Is it worth paying the $2 per bag? Sure, if it makes your trip easier and convenient. But, consider this. Airlines now lose about 1% of checked bags according to SITA, a company that provides solutions to the air-transport industry. On average, the lost baggage that is found is eventually returned to the owner within 31 hours, or 1.3 days.
According to SITA, the industry needs "a better, more sophisticated system with greater use of self-service check-in through kiosks and on the Web." In other words, do it yourself. So much for paying an “expert” (airline employee) to make sure your bags arrive where they are supposed to.
Shep Hyken, CSP is a professional speaker and author who works with companies who want to develop loyal relationships with their customers and employees. For more information on Shep's speaking programs, books, tapes and learning programs please contact (314) 692-2200. Email: shep@hyken.com – Web: www.hyken.com – Click here for information on The Customer Focus™ customer service training programs.
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