How to Create Exceptional Customer Service By Walking the Path from Sea Level to See Level
Posted by admin at 07:12 | Filed In Customer Service Tools
The customer experience is all about what your customers see, hear, taste, touch, smell and feel at ground level or sea level. However to make that experience exceptional demands a walk to see level or what some call the 30,000 foot viewpoint. Have you taken that walk lately?
To improve customer service, many organizations hired outside secret shoppers to experience what their customers experience upon entering their places of business. This is Sea Level where people see only the trees and not the forest. Viewing your business from Sea Level is necessary to ensure consistency of service; however it does not provide for the bigger picture.
Management has the ability to see at the 30,000 foot viewpoint. Unfortunately, many times this viewpoint is obscured by clouds and existing knowledge that may be fairly old. Until management has the opportunity to experience both Sea Level and See Level, their decisions may be disconnected from the purpose of business that being building loyal customers or what I like to call ravings fans.
The Seal Level viewpoint is really about the people systems in your business. From these systems are the points of connection that your customers see, hear, touch, smell, taste or feel. In many cases, the point of connection is conflicts with the operating systems and this creates unsatisfied customers. Let me explain.
During a recent outing with my daughter, we went for lunch at a theme restaurant. After receiving and returning two adult beverages with \"floaters\" in them, the manager apologized and said that I would not be charged for either of them. She then asked what I would like to drink and said a glass of wine would be fine. The meal was served and it was better than average. However, when the bill came, the first thing I saw was a charge for both of the returned beverages. This point of connection upset me because I could not believe that they were charging me for two returned drinks that they acknowledged were not satisfactory.
Then as I scanned down the bill, I saw a credit for the two drinks, but I did not see a charge for the glass of wine or a credit. So I called the manager over and asked her to explain. She said that for accounting reasons (point of potential - operating systems that being procedures) the drinks must be accounted for.
I understood this reasoning, but asked about the glass of wine. She quickly responded that came off her master receipt. So, I asked then why could she not take both returned drinks off her card? Her reply was the standard that is not our policy - another operating system. This manager did not understand that this unresolved problem was not resolved to my expectations. I will not be returning to this restaurant.
NOTE: Even though this sounds trite, it truly was not. Just think how many times something small and potentially insignificant caused you to take further action? For in life, it is many times the small stuff that really bothers us the most.
One week later, my husband and I go to another national theme steakhouse. We tell the server that we are celebrating our anniversary. Again, the meal was served and it was very, very good. At the conclusion of the meal, the waitress brings out a dessert compliments of the manager in celebration of our special day. When the server brings the check, she carefully explains that the dessert was listed as a charge, but there is a credit on the bottom of the bill. We need to keep track of our food sales, but I wanted to explain it to you so that you would not think you were being charged. We thanked her again and gave her a 25% tip.
This server understood the points of connection that being the receipt and wanted to make sure that we understood the other points of potential the policy. Even though she was not management, she truly understood that both points are critical in developing the exceptional customer service experience. For her action was proactive and a possible unresolved customer problem never reared its ugly head.
Before we left, we had the opportunity to personally thank the manager for his unexpected generosity. I shared how much I appreciated the waitress explaining the receipt. He said that she was one of his top trainers.
Management does need to walk from Sea Level to See Level if they truly want to build loyal customers who rave to their family and friends about their products and services. And when they can share this perspective with their employees such as the waitress in the second experience, then they know that they are true to the purpose of business that being customer loyalty.
Do you know how to walk in the shoes of your customers? Learn more about how to develop customer loyalty.
Are you seeking a motivational speaker for your next conference or sales meeting? Leanne can share her message of Building Raving Fans to Increase Sales with a Click of a Mouse. Give her a call at 219.759.5601
Leanne Hoagland-Smith, Chief Customer Officer, helps organizations through business training coaching services to return to the purpose of business that being building ravings fans while increasing productivity and profitability. With offices in Chicago, Indianapolis and colleagues nationwide, she can help you become the Red Jacket in the Sea of Gray Suits. Call 219.759.5601 to schedule a free business coaching consultation.
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