Go Wild! Go GREAT! The Journey from Now to WOWTM

Because Love is having to Say You're Sorry! Writing The Customer Apology Letter/The American Airlines Case Study

The Customer Service Apology Letter:

It was bad.  It was annoying.  It was frustrating. And Yes, somebody sure better apologize and American Airlines did!  This past week the airline saw canceled flights, stranded passengers (including one 93 year old grandmother, I know of, forced to camp 0ut in an airport for 15 hours) .  Well,  today I received the letter below in my e-mail  and even though I was one of the lucky ones last week and was not traveling, I received this formal apology letter as a frequent flyer and hopefully valued customer of American Airlines.

Okay, so the only pain I experienced was watching weary AA travelers on CNN. However, if I was traveling (and I'm usually on a plane every week) The American Airlines "I'm sorry Letter"  would make me feel better. What makes a good customer service apology letter?  I think you have the ingredients in the letter below:

--Be brief and include a heartfelt "I'm sorry" to the customer.

-Don't make lots of excuses but rather indicate clearly when the problem will be resolved and express  empathy for customer inconvenience.

-Most importantly, express your understanding that your business is important to us and cut the crap! Tell us "what you have learned" from the experience and promise that you will do better in an effort to keep our business.

Take a peak at the letter below---Does your Company say it's sorry when it needs to and is that apology letter good enough to take the pain away of your poor customer service?   

Rosemary Rein has authored the chapter on WOW Customer Service in a new book entitled "Blueprint for Success" with Dr. Stephen Covey and Ken Blanchard.  Order the book at www.gowildgogreat.com or bring Now to WOW Customer Service to your Organization---1 day Customer Service SAFARIS that bring your service levels from Now to WOW!TM

April 11, 2008

Dear Rosemary Rein,

As one of our most valued customers, please accept my apology on behalf of American Airlines(R) to you, your family and your fellow AAdvantage(R) customers for disrupting so many peoples' lives with the recent flight cancellations related to the inspection of our MD-80 aircraft fleet.

As you can imagine, American's decision to cancel thousands of flights this week was difficult, and it undoubtedly created concern among our best customers - even those who had no travel plans during the period.

If in your travels you were among the many who have been personally affected, I sincerely regret the inconvenience you have experienced. Our employees will continue to work around the clock to accommodate all who still need to reach their desired destinations. We anticipate returning to a full schedule by Monday.

While the media reports have documented the reasons why American took this action and the steps we're taking to re-accommodate and compensate affected customers, I've also attached an explanation of the events for your understanding.  It's a bit complex, but at the end of it all, please know this:

First, your safety and the safety of our employees remains our number one priority.

Second, we will learn from this experience and we will get better.

Finally, we wholeheartedly appreciate your loyalty to American Airlines, and we remain committed to earning your business each and every day.

Respectfully,

Dan Garton
Executive Vice President
Marketing

P.S. You may have already contacted us via AA.com(R) or by writing directly to Customer Relations.  Let me reassure you that we will respond directly to your contact just as quickly as practical.

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Oscar Worthy Customer Service--How Hollywood's Model can make Your Company a Service Star

The Oscar of Customer Service in 2008 Goes to USAA!

 

This year the national business award for outstanding customer service, considered the OSCAR of Customer Service  went for a second year in a row to USAA , the Financial and Insurance Provider to the U.S, Military. (Reported in the March 2008 Edition of Business Week)

The news was not surprising since last year alone the Customer Service Team at USAA attended over 240,000 hours of "Additional Training" beyond their "Basic Training"

As you listen to your service rep phone calls, (you do don't you? through call monitoring?); hear and see  employees in the hallways, who frankly look and sound  more like street thugs than valued and motivated employees;  as you read painful customer complaints, customer surveys and oh no, see that customers have told the world how bad your service is by blogging you;    Do you think maybe, those responsible for taking care of your valued customers might need  a little more training and recognition themselves?    Well, perhaps you need to say Hello and Hooray for Hollywood!

Rate Your Hollywood Star Power:

The first question for every CEO and Training Manager is how many hours of field training do you give your front-line staff each year to up-level their skills to achieve Oscar Worthy Customer Service Performances?  The second question is how effective is that training?  The third question is what, inspiring, recognition programs do you have in place to honor outstanding service achievements?

  As a Former Director of Customer Service Training, I followed the Hollywood OSCAR Model for Service Training and Employee Motivation,  using the format symbolized by Hollywood's Golden Man.   It produced results.  It inspired and motivated the team and much like the Oscars, was talked about, read about and even ignited friendly competition to be the best.  What else could you want from your a Customer Service Training and Recognition Program?   Here's how to Execute a similar Hollywood Style training model and Roll Out the Red-Carpet to your Service Team

Develop & Deliver Red Carpet Training & Recognition:

   1.  Define Award Categories for all the Areas of your Company that Impact Customer Service Performance, including those back office functions like technical direction, script writing, and outstanding achievement in special effects (service improvements).

  2.   Develop a Nomination Process and rules for and selection criteria for "Your Service Academy" that represents a cross section of your organization or departmental areas.  This  is a critical step requiring analysis of all contributing factors to the total customer experience for award integrity.

  3.   Acting Class for Customer Service Employees?  You bet! Why do actors say the right thing and project emotion?  They have scripts and use theatrical/communication techniques!    Great Hollywood Actors also understand the principles of directing the Big Picture!  Do your employees know what the big picture is for your company and your customers?    We use an engaging Hollywood theme in our customer service training.  Note/ Themes Build Team.  I usually held these spirited 1 days training sessions in the Spring, after the Oscars  to reinforce key service principles, introduce award winning customer scripts and even run screen tests with video-tape feedback by a customer service producer.   A fun "improv workshop"  helps employees improve body language, voice tone and most of all learn to laugh again and connect with the heart of the Customer/Audience.  It's all part of the work it takes to climb to the top of the service charts.

4.   Finally, start planning your Big Red Carpet Oscar Night.  Make It Big!  Make It Memorable!  Make it the Event of the Year that Everyone Talks About!  Make Winning a Service Oscar, the aspiration of every bright star on your team, who has worked hard the past year, to deliver consistent and a heart-stopping customer service performances.

Rosemary Rein, Ph.D is an award winning Author and Speaker on Customer Service and is writing the chapter on Best Practices in Customer Service, in a new upcoming book "Blueprint for Success" with Dr. Stephen Covey and Ken Blanchard .

Bring Rosemary's Customer Service Academy Awards Program to your Organization.  For a free training proposal and Oscar template, write Rosemary@gowildgogreat.com or visit her web-site at www.gowildgogreat.com

   

Customer Service: It's a Jungle Out There! Which Companies Rule and Which Roast Us?

"Rosemary's First Book published by Park University "Go Wild! Survival Skills for Business and Life".Look for her new collaborative work with Dr. Stephen Covey and Ken Blanchard entitled "Blueprint for Success" in which she defines Best Practices for Now to WOW!TM Customer Service. 

There a new  Must Read for any CEO or Service Executive:  The  recent Business Week Article that Ranks and  Identifies the Kings of the Customer Service Jungle,  against those companies who leave their Customers  for Dead!   Despite Discounts, Wallmart leaves us for dead!  But let's take a  look at the Cream of the Crop Service Leaders,  and what it is  they do to get their top ranking from customers. It was not surprising to me that the list included those companies who  walk their talk, by  taking care of and training front line employees. Key Point:  take care of and train your employees and  they will take care of your customers.

Here's the A List and Why:

# 1 Financial and Insurance provider to the Military,  USAA Leads the pack in the number 1 spot, with an investment in training of their front line service staff.  In just  1 year their customer service team went through  over 240,000 hours to reinforce basic training.

#2: L L Bean---I know I love their call center staff and here is part of the reason:  They put their private dollars into inventory, which leads to fewer complaints and more satisfied clients.  They also have excellent Call Center Retention due to positive workplace policies.

# 3: Fairmont Hotels:  This hotel chain  pampers their new employees who they allow to feel like guests including time with the golf pro and spa treatments!   It's not Rocket Science.  It helps if your service staff understands and appreciates the guest experience.

# 4: Lexus got hip last year with technology and live-chat rooms for customer inquiries on service problems.

# 5: Trader Joe's-- A commitment to pay their employees better...An average of $48,000 to be exact

# 6: Starbucks:  who has appointed a New  Executive Position: CCO "Chief Creative Officer" for the Customer Experience (My Dream Job--Caffeine and a Passion for the Customer )   

Read the full article at business week on Service Champs and  Give your Customer Service Team a Now to WOW! Makeover.

Visit www.gowildgogreat.com for information on our creative,  1 - day Love Affair with the Customer Seminar,  focused on the well-being, happiness  and satisfaction of employees and customers.  Re-ignite your company's passion for the customer--Fall in Love Again with  Customer Service.

http://images.businessweek.com/ss/08/02/0220_customerservice/index_01.htm

 

Negativity in the Workplace! It could be Killing Your Top Performers and Your Business

"If we really cared for the customer, we'd send them somewhere else"

De-Motivational Posters are  available at wwww.despair.com

If you want to really get into the heads of your corporate negaholics, check out this site.  Since I design and execute Positive Workplace Campaigns to end Negativity in the Workplace, you bet I did.  The company uses humor to sell it's quirky merchandise which captures the mentality of the evil twins who I guarantee you are hiding out in your office , transmitting depression.

Negative Contagion is caustic in the workplace and if not addressed, will eventually force out high performing/positive employees who frankly can't stand  spending 8 hours a day next to the bummer who is sucking the life right out of them.  These negaholics , by the way, are often tolerated due to management reluctance to address "issues of attitude" and it's costing customers and good employees who get fed up. 

In our Now to WOW 60 Day Positive Workplace Campaigns and 1-Day Training Seminars, we facilitate the development of Rules of Team Behavior and give Managers the tools to address "negative communication in the workplace".  We do use one Corporate sign in our training "No WHINING" that reinforces a key principle of a Now to WOW Workplace:  "For every problem you present, you must present at least one solution".  Goodbye Chronic Complainers.

Bring a Positive Workplace Campaign and Training to Your Company and watch your Team go from Now to WOW!  Now to WOW Campaigns are trademark protected.

Write us for a Free Training Proposal.  www.gowildgogreat.com

      

Customer Service Best Practice: Case Study: The Macaroni Grill

While recently dining at "Macaroni Grill" one of my favorite chain restaurants for not only great food, but a fun atmosphere and attentive staff, I found one more reason to give this restaurant top marks in Customer Service. 

"Eye Glasses" carefully lined up on the front counter, to facilitate menu reading of anyone over the age of 30.   A small courtesy so we don't have to go digging for our spectacles.  I realized how this small touch made a difference,  when I later  arrived at my hotel room that night  and received a map of buildings and room numbers.  Trust me, the type was so small,  only Superman with his X Ray vision could have seen it.  The result was irritation that I could not find my room and having to return to the front desk for help.  I advised the manager that while I usually charge for the advice, this one was on the house to help future guests.  Simply increase the font side!  Nothing worse than a woman traveling alone, struggling to find her room in the dark.  Oh yes, the signs for room numbers on the buildings was equally small.   Think small courtesies, Not Small Print.

Customer Service is designed to make things easier for us!  In fact a key component of improving customer service is the ability to look for pain and solve that pain.  One customer pain in every industry is "Wait Time" Take the Pain out of Wait Time! Macaroni Grill know this.  When they put you on a telephone hold for example, they teach you Italian.  They also bring the best homemade bread with olive oil to your table, so the wait time is actually a decadent indulgence.  Look at every place a customer waits and find ways to entertain them and take the pain out of wait time.  Bring out samples, provide Internet access for checking e.mail.  I have one client in which customers are now begging to be put back on telephone hold.  They simply added a jeopardy game and customers are saying "wait, put me back on hold.  I know the answer".

Provide a fun and entertaining environment and hire people with personality!  The servers at Macaroni Grill are amazing because the management follows a best practice of "hiring for attitude and training for skill".  Yes, the waiters at MG will sing Happy Birthday in Opera and they have great social skills!  It's evident as they  put a big bottle of wine on your table and with their crayons, artfully sign their name on your table,  explaining the customer  honor system for marking how many glasses you drink.     Unless you are running a mortuary, improve your customer service by creating an environment that is "alive" and well, frankly "fun".  Ask yourself, how do I feel when I walk in here? Am I in a better mood as I leave than when I arrived?   

Congrats Macaroni Grill for your continuing "Wow" Customer Service.

Continental Airlines Scores a Purple Cow

In an effort to post the good, the bad and the ugly of Customer Service, it is delightful to send a big hooray to Continental Airlines --in particular a flight attendant who epitomizes Customer Service (after more than 25 years in the business).

While recently returning home to Costa Rica, I encountered Norm Hoffman---He greeted young passengers at the Cabin Doors with a Bubble Machine Gun---Talk about multi-sensory delight and a ton of smiles from young ones.

I have traveled this flight plan more than 50 times and it was the first time, I appreciated the beauty and diversity of my journey  due to Norm's narration and true love of the geographic wonders along our path.  I realized I had taken for granted the beauty of coral reefs and magical shorelines that  Norm could still see after 25 years with childlike wonder and appreciation.  It is the way this Continental Airlines Flight Attendant  looks at life and  looks at each passenger. 

Thank you Norm for New Eyes Appreciation.  In Seth Godin's Purple Cow, a book I frequently reference in my customer service seminars, Norm is a true purple cow---providing us a personalized experience and service delight that makes us want to say "This is no normal cow.. Holy Cow, This is  a Purple Cow!"