A good example of why ALL touchpoints count

The winner - Linksys E3000 RoutherOne of my ‘holiday’ projects was setting up a new wireless internet router in my home office.  The project began with high hopes which gave way to immense frustration until I finally achieved success.  My technical adventure also illustrated the importance of considering all of the ways your product or service might ‘touch’ a customer when designing your marketing and service programs.

High Hopes
The first step was visiting my trusted resource for all things tech, PC Mag.  They had two recommendations that fit my needs.  The first was a router made by D-Link that was rated as a top performer.  The second was made by Linksys that was touted as being very easy to set-up.  I decided to purchase the D-Link router since I felt confident I could handle the tech stuff.  How wrong I was!!

Frustration
My experience with the D-Link router was a disaster.  The box contained a CD with step-by-step instructions, but these didn’t get me connected to the internet.  I tried searching for help on their website, but the product information they had posted online was outdated and didn’t match the instructions on my CD.  Finally, I called tech support, but their rep was unable to fix the problem.  She did offer to email me a software patch for the router, but I’m still waiting on that email to arrive.

The problem could have been resolved at any of these ‘touchpoints’.  Instead, I encountered conflicting information and no solutions.

Success!

I finally came to my senses and took the D-Link back to the store to exchange it for the Linksys router.  Just as advertised, it was up and running in a snap.  I had a few questions about its advanced features, but I easily found the answers on their website.  What a difference!

Empty customer service phrases I can do without

I received an email today from a conference organizer.

Deadline Extended! There's still time to secure your sponsorship package.

The sender probably wanted me to think, "Wow, that is so nice of them to extend the deadline and give me more time." What did I really think? "They're desperate."

My next thought was there are a lot of customer service phrases that often have the opposite effect of what's intended. Here are a few of my not-so-favorite examples. Please drop a comment and share yours!

Empty Phrase #1: We are the leaders in customer service.
Translation: Our empty service slogan is about as good as it is going to get.

Empty Phrase #2: Your call is very important to us.
Translation: Please don't hang up - we'll get to you eventually.

Empty Phrase #3: It will be my pleasure to assist you.
Translation: My employer doesn't trust me to be polite, so they gave me this awkward script.

Empty Phrase #4: Is there anything else I can help you with?
Translation: You're done, right?

Empty Phrase #5: Have a nice day.
Translation: Beat it, slappy!

Yes, these phrases are sometimes delivered with full heart and meaning, but not often. I'm always much happier with someone who is genuine, caring, and infuses a bit of their own personality into the interaction.

Avis update: all is well that ends well (I hope)

A big "Thank you" to all my friends and colleagues who asked me for an update on what has happened with my Avis Rental Car adventure.

Background
I started this blog experiment after I had unsuccessfully tried four times to resolve a problem with Avis. I signed up for "Preferred" status so I could bypass the rental counter, but I had to go to the rental counter anyway. Finally, I started blogging about my efforts to resolve the problem and my offer for a resolution: give me a free weekend rental and make sure I can bypass the counter on my next rental. Surprisingly, I was contacted by an Avis customer service supervisor named Ray who had read my blog. After some back and forth, Ray emailed to let me know the problem had been fixed and he mailed me certificates for four free rental days.

The Next Rental
My next rental was right where it started in Portland, Oregon. The free rental certificates came in handy since I combined a business trip with an anniversary weekend in the Willamette Valley wine region with my wife, Sally. The sad, sweet irony was that I had to go to the counter to redeem the certificates. Argh.

The Next, Next Rental
A few weeks later I needed to rent a car in Boston during the week of Thanksgiving. It was a last minute trip so I rented with Avis because I didn't have time to search for a new rental car company. Lo and behold, my 'Preferred' status worked like a charm! The shuttle driver dropped Sally and I off at our car and we were on the road in a hurry. The extra time came in handy since we were able to get to the Boston Unversity vs. New Hampshire hockey game and snag two tickets just minutes before they sold out. (BU 4 - UNH 2, ha!) That never would have happened without 'Preferred' status!

What's Next
For now, I'm willing to forget the whole ugly chain of events and become a satisfied Avis customer if the 'Preferred' status continues to work. I have a couple of trips coming up, so I'll let you know.

Lessons Learned
Here are a few take-aways from the whole thing.

• Customers can sometimes have inertia, even when they are unsatisfied. I know I didn't switch to another rental company because I was worried the experience wouldn't be much better.
• Companies can turn things around. This story really has turned out better (so far) than I expected.
• It pays to blog. None of this would have been resolved if I didn't blog about it. (Caveat, if you are going to blog, be fair and be honest. Nobody will be sympathetic to a chronic complainer.)

Why service silos are silly

I recently emailed Apple's iTunes support team because a movie I had rented from iTunes stubbornly refused to leave my iPad. A short while later I received an email response from Stanley. It was a long (obviously canned) email but the main point was "That's an iPad issue and I don't handle that; you'll need to contact the iPad people."

Arrrrgh!

I don't blame Stanley. He's probably doing his job exactly the way he's been told to do it.

I do, however, blame the corporate architect who decide to build and reinforce customer aggravating silos. The service procedures were designed to be efficient since Stanley only needs to know how to resolve iTunes issues while someone can be an iPad expert. The problem is the customer has to pay for that 'efficiency' by spending more of their time on the problem.

As long as the company is still called Apple, I'd expect a bit more help when I contact Apple to resolve a problem with an Apple product. In the end, it took me about five more minutes of searching through links and discussion boards to find the answer to my problem. Yes, that's not a lot of time, but it also left me feeling that I'm not important enough for Stanley, Apple Representative, to spend five extra minutes finding the answer to my question.

Consider carefully before you build a silo in your company!

PS. I still love my iPad, but I just bought a PC instead of a Mac.

10 ways to get better service during the holidays

It's time again to share my annual list of ways you, the beleagured holiday shopper, can get better customer service this holiday season. Why should you be miserable while wading through crowds at the mall, firing off emails to track your online order, or waiting on hold for 20 minutes? These are the happy holidays, right?! I'm pretty sure the following aren't the only good ideas in the universe, so please leave a comment with your own suggestions for getting outstanding service.

Idea #1: Make the first move. Go out of your way to greet the people who serve you. Yeah, they are supposed to come to you since you are the customer, but why waste time being upset if they don't? You are more likely to get cheerful service if you initiate cheerful contact.

Idea #2: Use names. Calling someone by name is a great way to establish a personal connection. Service providers are more likely to give a little extra effort if they feel a bit of rapport.

Idea #3: Give positive feedback. If you've never worked retail during the holiday season, let me sum it up for you. Long hours, low pay, and pushy people. Ode to joy. Say "thank you" or compliment someone serving you and watch them get magically re-energized.

Idea #4: Plan ahead. We feel stress when we are pressed for time and stressful people tend to be difficult to serve. Give yourself a little extra time and you'll be less likely to get upset at the slightest service transgression.

Idea #5: Don't follow the crowd. Do your shopping on weekdays or in the morning when the crowds are smaller. Fewer shoppers generally equals more attentive service.

Idea #6: Enlist their help. The people who work there know all the secrets, so tell them what you are looking for and ask for their suggestions. People love to be experts, so you are likely to get a little extra help if you ask for their opinion.

Idea #7: Don't be THAT person. The teenager working their first job at Toys R Us DID NOT ruin your Christmas because the store was out of stock of that toy little Johnny just had to have. When I worked retail (in stores and in a call center) during the holidays, it was only human nature to try a little less when the Grinch or Mrs. Scrooge started screaming and fist pounding. If you need help, ask for it calmly and politely. And, if they don't have what you want, ask for options (see #6).

Idea #8: Focus on the solution you want. Problems can and do occur, but it's always best to focus on solutions. Getting upset or playing the blame game will make it less likely for your service provider to go above and beyond to help you out. Instead, propose a clear and reasonable solution.

Idea #9: Never lie or exaggerate. It's well known that customers tend to lie or exaggerate when they get upset so their anger can seem more justifiable. Try the opposite approach and be honest. I once booked a flight for the wrong day during the holidays and admitted my mistake to the Southwest employee. Lo and behold, he was able to waive some fees and find me a seat. (I'm quite sure that seat wouldn't have materialized if I blamed him for my error.)

Idea #10: Be merry! It's the holiday season, so be happy damn it! Spread some holiday cheer yourself and you'll like find others will return it.

So, what are your ideas for getting terrific service? Please leave your comments!