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Tag: customer service

The Flying Fish

 

When I speak to prospective clients I find that many are not quite sure what is meant by customer engagement and how they can incorporate this into their business.  A little history first. Customer Engagement is not Customer Service. This evolution has occurred primarily because of Social Media.  Wikipedia defines CE this way:

 

Customer engagement (CE) is the engagement of customers with one another, with a company or a brand. The initiative for engagement can be either consumer- or company-led and the medium of engagement can be on or offline.

 

Customer Engagement marries marketing and customer service together with the purpose of building the brand and creating loyal customers in a new and exciting way. When visiting Myrtle Beach recently, I had a fantastic experience at a local restaurant/market called, “The Flying Fish.” When my guest and I walked in, we were immediately greeted and asked if we wanted to sit outside or inside. Pretty normal so far. Next the server got our drinks and brought us out a complimentary fish dip with crackers. Nice and unexpected. The experience was great- overlooking the bay while dining outside on a warm summer evening. Everything was timed perfectly and the food was prepared as the menu described and came out the perfect temperature. 
 

 

The surprise came after dinner. After we paid our bill and began to walk out of the restaurant. We stopped to glance at the fresh fish in the case. After about 90 seconds an employee approached from behind and asked if we had any questions about the fish. We began a conversation and asked her some questions. She then asked what we had for dinner and we told her. She “engaged” with us for another 5 minutes – not selling us, just having a nice conversation. It was one of the very best experiences I have had in a restaurant in quite some time. I will always remember the experience and visit again anytime I am back in town. 

 

How about you? Can you remember the last time an employee actually engaged with you?

 
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One Small Change…..

 

I came across a video that made me think about the customer experience…..how can you take the mundane, make one small change, and completely change the way people think about it?

 

As you’ll see in the video below, the goal was to encourage people to take the stairs more often than the escalator. One simple change piqued curiosity and made that goal happen.

 

 

I recall Zappos making the online chat experience a bit more fun. While this dates  back a couple of years, I think it’s a good example of making the customer experience a little more fun. This in turn will make it memorable – people will talk about it, and they will certainly be back.

In this case, you can see a snippet of the chat between a Zappos rep and a customer. The customer, trying to have a little fun, was talking in the third person. The rep, without missing a beat, mirrored the customer’s “talk” and they continued the conversation in that manner, all the while serving the customer and getting his needs met.

 

As we go into the new year, think about your customers’ experience when they’re interacting with your staff or shopping. Think a little outside the box to decide what one small change you can make that may make a difference.

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What Message Do Your Actions Give Employees?

 

Actions speak louder than words, and in business, this is no exception. I’ve read many news articles since the election that revolve around companies putting layoffs into place since Obama was re-elected. The main reason cited in these articles surrounds “Obamacare” – simply put, these companies are stating that they will have to layoff employees or cut work hours of current employees so as not to have to cover insurance, stating that it will cost more than they can afford.

 

I can understand their frustration in this regard, if it is true. If companies are faced with additional cost, they may have to make some tough decisions. However, what caught my attention is that I read an article on Friday about a larger company who stated these exact sentiments, yet over the weekend I viewed several commercials with high profile spokespeople for the very same company. I know advertising isn’t cheap, and it is necessary, BUT…..

 

What message are you sending to your employees? We need to make cuts, but we’re not going to change our advertising spend. In fact, we’re going to cut your hours or completely eliminate your job. That sends a message that bringing customers in is more important than the employees a company hires.

 

It may not be that simple, or that cut and dried, but it does send a message.

 

In another newsworthy item this weekend, I came across an article that talked about a drug store chain that spent several thousand dollars on advertising to bring customers in to their stores. While it worked well, and people came in to redeem the sales in the ad, there were issues with redemption of the offer, and employees (and managers) were not able to honor the offer because of a simple glitch that no one had the authority to fix. From what I understand, it made many customers unhappy, some vowing never to return to the store.  While all of this money was spent getting people into the store, not enough funds were focused on employees and providing them training and tools necessary to fully assist customers. I’m sure it was not their intent, but they set up the employees to fail. That sent a message too, intended or not; the company was focused on increased sales without making sure their front line employees were able to be successful and provide the service customers expect.

 

The economy has been rough, to say the least, for the last several years, but your employees are the face of your business. While it’s true that they are valued, and you could not run your business without them, it’s wise to make decisions focused on thinking through what message you may be sending to your employees. Empowered employees with strong morale will help you meet your goals. After all, you can bring in thousands of customers a day, but if your front line isn’t able or willing to provide great customer service, everyone loses.

 

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