A large part of customer service success is creating a
seamless experience. Customer needs are anticipated; systems
are in place; employees are trained. The company runs like a
well-oiled machine. But what happens when the unexpected
happens? Customers have an "unusual" request or they simply
don’t know the rules of the system? The unexpected, I
suggest, provides the opportunity to stretch the system,
improve the system, or even forget the system and Wow a
customer.
I arrived late at a hotel in Cambridge, MA the night
before an 8 am training, dressed for the cold weather in
brown boots and heavy trousers. When I got to my room I
unpacked my lovely, gray suit only to discover that I had
left my black heels at home. I looked down at my feet and
had to admit the brown boots were not even an option.
I went to the concierge for help. It was after 10 pm.
Nothing was open. All of the shops in the area opened at 9
am, no help again. I was desperate. I pressed the concierge,
"There’s nothing that can be done?" Silence. I put on my
best pathetic gaze and repeated, "Nothing…?"
The concierge contemplated further then asked, "What size
are you?" Full of hope I blurted out my shoe size for all to
hear. The concierge stepped out from behind the desk,
pointed to the black heels on her feet and asked, "Will
these work?" I could have kissed her. She gave me the shoes
right off of her feet!
After conducting a program in Fort Smith, AR I wanted to
have a nice dinner. The hotel there recommended an Italian
restaurant, but neglected to mention that they take
reservations only. I arrived early at the restaurant, about
5:30 pm, and requested a table for one, non-smoking.
The first question in response was, "Reservation?" I
said, "No." The second question was, "Do you have a date
joining you?" I said, "Don’t rub it in." The gentleman
behind the desk was well humored and friendly and explained
the reservation situation. I confessed I didn’t know and was
from out of state.
He attempted to accommodate me in the schedule. The
non-smoking section was full so he asked one of his servers
about the smoking habits of the guests in the smoking
section, "What about the Jones’?" The server said, "They
smoke like chimneys. She wouldn't be comfortable there."
"What about the Smiths?" "They’re chain smokers too."
The gentleman disappeared for a few minutes and upon
returning produced a table for one in the non-smoking
section. I was reading the menu when a server seated a table
of five. They started to pull out cigarettes. I gasped
quietly. The server quickly reappeared and said, "I’m sorry.
This is the non-smoking section. Follow me." This happened
two more times with different servers. The gentleman had
rearranged the entire floor plan of the restaurant to
accommodate me!
For companies with excellent systems in place, the next
frontier in customer service is Wow, handling the unexpected
creatively. I have observed that companies and professionals
practicing creative customer service successfully have two
things in common.
The first commonality is that they care. Management
cares. Employees care. Everyone cares a great deal about
people. They like to help people solve problems. In fact,
not helping people would be like kicking a puppy. The
concierge at the hotel cared about my shoe predicament and
personally decided to go above and beyond. How much does
your company care? How much do you care?
The second commonality is that employees have authority.
Even when people care, if their hands are tied they can’t
help. In addition, employees who aren’t especially "caring"
might be motivated to be creative for customers simply
because it feels good to exercise their authority. The
gentleman managing the restaurant that night cared and had
the authority to accommodate a guest who didn’t know the
reservation rules. Do you have enough authority to be
creative?
With all of the advances in technology, doing a good job
isn’t good enough to separate from the pack. The prize will
go to the one creating new frontiers. How far will you go to
Wow a customer? Mary Sandro
