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Spring Training: Start with Fundamentals
Author: Bill Cusick
April 6, 2010
Just got back from a few fun days in Arizona with my 12 year-old son for White Sox spring training. Super fun! Bright blue skies, bright green field and a relaxed atmosphere. It’s great to watch professionals up close as they go about the work of preparing for the season.
It struck me that, as these players – the very best in the world, making millions of dollars each year – work back into playing shape, it’s the simple things that they focus on. Each day you see them stretching, then lobbing the ball back and forth. They hit off a tee, then start swinging at softly pitched balls. It’s the stuff of little boys, and yet it’s for a very specific purpose. They understand that – even if you are one of the elite – you can’t walk into a real game situation and expect to hit a 90 mph slider, or throw a ball from deep left field to homeplate. Instead you start with the basics and work up to a high performance level.
So, I’m wondering, why do companies, when trying to improve performance (specifically around customer metrics), often over reach, spending thousands – even millions – on quick-fix solutions like CRM systems or training programs. Why not, instead, start with the little things. For instance, take some small steps aimed at improving employee engagement. Then incrementally increase the efforts to improve customer experience as you get your employees on board.
Major league players understand that trying to hit a home run in your first at bat of spring training will probably just lead to a pulled muscle and a stay on the disabled list. Businesses should realize the same thing.
Small things matter. And if they’re done right, the small things lead to big things.
Are Frontline Processes Ruining Your Customer Experience?
Author: Bill Cusick
January 13, 2010
Without processes, it’s tough to run a business. Things fall through the cracks. So you create processes (or as you’ve probably seen, they create themselves).
But as you think for a minute about your customer processes, here’s the question you must ask yourself:
“Are our processes designed to empower good employees, or to control the damage of bad employees?”
Great customer service companies have processes. But, as a rule, those are typically designed to help their employees exceed customer expectations. They provide options and flexibility, they let great employees be great.
So take a look at your customer interactions. If it’s possible for employees to use processes as a crutch (”I’m sorry, sir. Our system doesn’t allow us to do that), you’re probably not a great customer service company.
The 4 Keys to a Successful Customer Strategy in 2010
Author: Bill Cusick
January 4, 2010
If you’re going to dedicate any time and brain power on a real CRM strategy in this fresh, new year, here are 4 questions you need to ask yourself. The answers will determine if you’re going to be successful, or just spinning your wheels:
1. Is It Integrated? - A CRM strategy that sits on its own shelf is destined to fail. Unless you can weave the elements of the strategy into your business plan, through the operations and budgets of your various business units, don’t bother. Silos suck, but you need to figure out ways to latch them together for the benefit of your customers. Integrate or die!
2. Is It Engaging? - Without employees who actually “get it,” and give a damn, you’re CRM strategy is so much dust in the wind. Employees will see the value in the mission, and figure out ways (on their own) to deliver the brand promise, or they won’t. And if the brand promise and CRM strategy aren’t compelling, you’re done before you started.
3. Is It Incremental? - Another reason employees often don’t embrace real change like a customer initiative is that is smells like the “flavor of the month,” especially when it’s touted as “The Year of the Customer” or “Corporate Paradigm Shift” or other such tripe. You need to prove it’s real. To make it feasible and not some sort of pipe dream, the plan for improvements must be incremental. Any large company can’t turn the boat on a dime. Accept it. As you stay focused and win small victories, you build credibility, and you win advocates.
4. Is It Measurable? - “That which gets measured gets done.” It’s now a cliche but it’s also true. Build discipline around customer behavior and results. Why wouldn’t you? Retention, cross-sales, referrals, average revenue per customer, customer lifetime value. They are the key to growth and profitability. And beware satisfaction measurements. Often they don’t translate to bottom-line results.
So go forth and make your company a better place for your customers. They’ll reward you for it!
We wish you a fantastic holiday season!
Author: Bill Cusick
December 23, 2009
Just wanted to be sure I wished all of you a fantastic holiday season. After a recent trip to the mall (and watching some spectacularly rude customers), it’s hard to remember what this time of year is about. So here’s hoping you get to spend some relaxing days with friends and loved ones, and not stuck on the road between Oak Brook and Woodfield malls.
Enjoy, and we’ll see you in 2010!!
With the wrong people, don’t bother with the training
Author: Bill Cusick
August 27, 2009
This may sound harsh, but in my experience, this is the fact: if you hire people with the wrong attitude, you’re done before you’ve started in terms of providing a positive customer experience. Customers are irrational and emotional, and they act based on those emotions. If you’re not making positive emotional connections, they’ll leave in droves.
If you’ve been in business for awhile, you know that I’m right. Have you ever hired somebody with the right technical skills for a job, but also with a holier-than-thou air? It’s over. Spend money on training, spend money on processes, and you can improve the customer experience slightly, but with that attitude, your employee will be able to “overcome” those efforts to create a negative customer impression.
Think about the companies who take customer experience seriously - Zappos, Southwest, Union Square Hospitality Group. Do they all spend time and energy on processes, technology, and training in order to create a memorable customer experience? Absolutely! But first, each focuses on unique and time consuming methods for assuring that they’re hiring the right people. They understand that the foundation for exceptional service and experience is the people. The other stuff just helps those great folks to deliver what they want to in the first place.
How’s your company set up? Do you have employees that touch customers who don’t naturally seek out ways to connect with and help people? If so, you better take a hard look at your hiring processes. It’s the key to customers who - whether they know why or not - keep coming back.
Emotionally Connecting With Customers Through Social Media
Author: Bill Cusick
June 18, 2009
Yesterday at a conference, I was peppered with questions about WHY small and growing businesses should enter into social media. This video from a few weeks ago helps answer some of those questions. But it’s important to note that it’s always wise to think of the WHY prior to jumping into the HOW.
Are Some Companies Tyrants?
Author: Bill Cusick
June 16, 2009
So I’ve been thinking about tyranny lately.
It’s typical for a tyrant to host “fair and free” elections, and then simply adjust the results to proclaim victory. Hello, Iran.
This got me thinking…how many companies are actually tyrants when it comes to how they treat their customers?
According to Wikipedia, a tyrant, in the classic sense, is a harsh and cruel ruler who places his or her own interests or the interests of a small group over the best interests of the general population which the tyrant governs or controls. How is this different from those companies that exhibit the following behavior when dealing with their customers?
1. You’re Mine Until I Say You’re Not Mine
Cell phone companies are easy to pick on in this category. They require customers to sign up for contracts for coverage which are impossible to get out of without big fees. Often, the contracts for coverage outlast the phones themselves. The customer has to choose between 3 totally undesirable options:
· Buy a new phone at a huge cost and play out the remainder of the contract.
· Extend the contract so the phone is reasonably priced, but only by committing to more time with a company that doesn’t care.
· Leave the carrier for another with big fees for leaving and no rewards for loyalty.
This is essentially a big ol’ “Screw You; We Got You” to the customer.
2. Now That You’re Mine, I Need to Find a Better Model (of YOU)
Just like Henry in England grew tired of his wives and looked to upgrade, companies seem to think if they hang on to you, they can treat the next customer better and you won’t care. The latest example of this is the new iPhone debacle. Current AT&T customers will pay (a lot) more than those who just walk in the door. The Twitterverse has been abuzz with this fact – causing major customer dissatisfaction…even petitions circulating around.
3. We Can Change Expectations. Customers Will Have To Deal With It.
It seems some companies are interested in finding loopholes – or worse – just changing the rules of engagement without warning or concern for customers. Retail is particularly notorious for this type of behavior. For example, a store proudly displays a banner announcing “Double Coupons All Week!” and then doesn’t display the fine print there is a limit of 3 or 5. So the very customer who made a special trip to the store for the double coupons feels deceived that only 3 of her 10 were doubled.
Should we even talk about the airlines? How many expectations have they changed in the last few years? No wonder customers are miserable.
Unfortunately, I believe that tyranny as part of the customer experience is the norm more than the exception. The irony is that those companies who decide to be above the tyranny are the ones who are building loyalty, creating great customer experiences, and showing results to prove it.
Yes, Southwest Airlines recently lost their long streak of consecutive profitable quarters. Compared to the other airlines, Southwest has consistently outperformed them. Southwest has made a business of treating people well – and exceeding expectations.
Zappos is also a company known for their unbelievable customer service. Their liberal return policy – up to 365 days after purchase – is just one reason many customers shop with them.
There are ways to serve the company’s leadership and stockholders without sacrificing customers. So I say…END TYRANNY NOW!
4 Ways Real Companies are Dealing with Customer Experience TODAY
Author: Bill Cusick
June 11, 2009
Let’s not whitewash it. It’s a scary world right now. Everyday, we’re absorbing news via all our devices and witnessing low quarterly earnings, uncertain futures, and friends and family being laid off. It’s easy to just keep going through the motions of cutting expenses, limiting focus to “critical” activities, and just making sure the boss is content.
And yet some companies are innovating right now. Here’s a sampling of how some of them are working on the customer experience (and action you can take) TODAY.
1. Take one small step. A client of ours is focusing on their e-commerce strategy. With limited resources, they are making small changes to their e-commerce process to ensure customers have a better, faster checkout process. This has led to improved conversion, cross-sell and up-sell numbers via the web site.
2. Unite! One organization asked us to come in and rally the troops around customer experience. Summer is their big season, so we are helping every person at the organization - from the CEO to the janitorial staff - understand their place within the customer experience. It’s helped them create a common language and improve their own service standards.
3. Focus on the future. One client in a very hard-hit industry is creating a 3-year plan to get ready for the future. Dabbling in new ways to connect with customers, testing theories, and gathering feedback, they’re able to set the stage for success instead of stagnate where they are.
4. Communicate. Many industries have been hit hard, resulting in difficult times for customers and employees. The focus right now for a client in such an industry is on engaging their employees to deliver a superior customer experience. How? By implementing ways to stay connected through dialogue and communication that’s honest, compelling and relevant. They’re asking employees to celebrate each other and their little victories in new ways. Engagement is up and customers are remaining loyal, even through bad news cycles.
These aren’t costly, cumbersome projects. These are lean and flexible in response to the times we’re in. Anything you can take away here to get started? Let me know.
Not “Technically” Fraud
Author: Peggy Entrop
April 23, 2009
I shop online. A lot. This makes me somewhat paranoid about my credit card numbers being stolen. I know that most online sites are secure, but I still check my accounts daily to make sure nothing fishy is going on.
This morning I saw a charge I didn’t recognize, so I called Bank of America and spoke to an extremely helpful fraud claims rep. She immediately identified the claim with no help from me. “Are you calling about the $14.95 charge on April 21st?”
Yep!
She told me some things that shocked me.
(1) It’s not technically fraud. YES - I didn’t authorize the charge. But, what most likely happened was that I bought something from Company A that sold my credit card number to Company B who started charging me monthly for a service that I knew nothing about. And, I technically authorized the charge by doing business with Company A.
(2) She gets calls reporting these kinds of charges every single day.
(3) She told me that if I called the company and asked for a refund of all charges, they would immediately give them to me because, “They know you didn’t ask for their services.”
(4) She advised me to ask them which company gave them my credit card information so that I can be cautious when dealing with that company in the future. This kind of charge happened to her once, and it was Best Buy that sold her card number.
(5) All this is legal.
So, I called the company, told them I wanted all my money back and no future charges. They folded immediately and gave me the refund. They told me it was YourCableStore.com that gave them my number. (I bought a stereo headphone adapter from them a month ago.) And they sent me an oddly delightful cancellation confirmation email:
The irony of this situation is that even though my “membership experience” was based on what I feel are duplicitous practices, it was much easier to resolve the situation with them than it was to cancel my AOL membership, or my 24 Hour Fitness membership. And, at least their exit communication was well written and even gave me the opportunity to provide them with “comments or suggestions.” (I remember my AOL confirmation email as essentially saying, “You are dead to us.”)
The real losers in this scenario are the companies that are getting my business honestly with their right hand and quietly scamming me with their left. What kind of customer relationship does that build? Will I ever buy from YourCableStore.com? No way. And now even Best Buy is even looking fishy to me, because my friend at BofA warned me.
Happy Customer Loyalty Month!
Masters of Customer Experience
Author: Bill Cusick
April 14, 2009
Through serendipity and a great friend of mine, I lucked into a chance to attend the first two practice rounds of the Masters Tournament in Augusta, Georgia last week. If you’re a golfer, I don’t have to tell you that that is an opportunity you don’t check your calendar for; you just go. If you’re not a golfer, well, congratulations.
The Masters is a special tournament, and Augusta National is a special place. You get that sense of history and tradition on television, but to go there is to truly feel the “experience” in the best sense of the word.
There are no corporate logos at the Masters, no sponsor signs on the course, no corporate tents, no ads in the course guidebook you’re handed (for free) on your way in. If you’re hungry, you can buy an egg salad sandwich for $1.50, a Coke for a buck. It’s like, as you step on the course, you’ve walked back in time about 25 years.
The course itself is immaculate, with thousands of blooming azaleas, dogwoods, 150 year-old elms, and Magnolias everywhere on the course and around the low-key plantation-style clubhouse.
Given the prestige and the rich tradition of the tournament, they have no trouble selling tickets, which they cap for both practice rounds and the tournament. There’s a lottery to grab the practice round passes, and they closed the waiting list for actual tournament passes in 2000 (9 years ago!), and still haven’t needed to open it back up.
So it makes me wonder. As we talk about customer experience, and what companies should focus on to create a memorable, positive one, what can we learn from Augusta National and the Masters. I think it’s two things.
First: Commit. At Augusta, they are committed to providing both players and spectators with the very best, traditional golf tournament in the country. To do that, they say no to quick money from additional sponsors, they leave money on the table by not increasing passes to an exorbitant amount, and they keep the number of spectators to a manageable number (again, bypassing more quick money) so everyone can move around and see their favorite players on the most famous holes. At the same time, they spare no expense in preparing and maintaining an immaculate course, tweaking it each year to make it challenging for the players, but retaining all the memorable aspects of individual holes, creating a sense of nostalgia.
Second: It All Matters. At Augusta, when you buy a sandwich, it’s wrapped in green plastic. The reason is so that, should you commit the cardinal sin of dropping it on the hallowed ground, it won’t be a distraction to the players or patrons, as it will blend into the background. That’s just one of the countless details that the members of Augusta National take into account to assure that each year, the tournament experience delivered is top shelf. They understand that the experience is made up of everything. It’s not just which players are entered, or the tee setups, or the traffic patterns to enter the course. It’s those things certainly, but it’s everything else as well.
As you think about your customer experience, do you understand what your company is really trying to accomplish? Are you willing to commit to the vision of your customer experience? And then, do you take into account all aspects of the experience, and how each might impact the customer’s perception of the experience?
If not, you have some work to do.
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