ChaosScenario

Customer service tip: Use your brain

It seems like I've had several conversations this last week about customers service:

Example 1: Women is one of the first people to get an iPhone when they originally launched, standing in line for hours. Recently, micro-phone breaks, takes it to the Apple Store and one of the "Apple Genius" takes the phone, tells her it's broken, that she should have bought the warranty, and that she can buy a new one for $400. Apple Genius does a lot of whispering, typing on the computer, shows no compassion.

Example 2: Waiting for a team uniform order a man realizes he made a mistake on one of the jerseys. Person who help him makes a large exhaling sound, exclaims that they cannot just make that type of change at the drop of a hat (despite the fact they were numbering shirts in the back) and that it would take up to three weeks because "your change will have to go back in the queue". This despite the fact that the team purchased well over $500 worth of items and the club probably spent tens of thousands in uniform orders that year alone. Customer service person fails to be understanding .

Example 3: As part of evaluating a software program, man downloads the demo, trys to load it several times on his computer but still gets "51-database error" each time. Sales person says, "that happens when server blah blah tech blah" and ask me to spend 30 minutes talking to tech support. Sales person does not respect time.

I'm sure that we all could write blogs and blogs about nightmare customer service examples. The problem in all of these cases is that the people in charge of the customer relationship failed to put themselves in the customer shoes. The were thinking about their own needs and emotions. There are stupid policies that companies use that customer service can't control. What they can control is how the react to the people they're servicing.

In the last example, it's important to point out that the website began the poor customer service experience. The website is more and more often going to be the first impression customers have. Don't fall into the trap of "it's an IT thing", or "nobody really goes to our website" or worst yet "we don't have the budget". That type of thinking is just as dis-respectful as the examples above.

- Paul Herring

4 Mistakes in User Experience Design

Your customers will spend most of their time online at websites other than yours. Therefore you must make the most of the time they give you.

Imagine that someone comes to your site. Do you envision it as a baseball player?

You approach the batting box. Now is your time to shine. This might be the only chance you ever get. As you wait for the pitch you contemplate the many ways you could turn this visitor into a customer. What will you do? How will you swing?

1. Will you show them a 30-second, full-screen video sequence that takes 2 minutes to load? Ah! Old school! Just like the TV days, but slower! Strike 1
2. Will you go "cutting edge" with a Flash microsite full of hidden navigation because the labels "clutter up the design?" It has pizazz, but no one can understand it. Strike 2
   
3. Will you try to reproduce the advertising campaign by displaying their magazine ads on their homepage at the expense of everything else? We'll make it "on-brand." That it's functionally useless shouldn't bother anyone, right? Strike 3. Batter up!
   
4. Will you demand the visitor's email address in order to access basic content about your services? Why should we give this stuff away for free? We wouldn't build this site except to get leads, anyway. Automatic disqualification. 

If you approach your audience in this manner, you may as well pack up your cleats and head back to the minors. You were more concerned about fulfilling your needs than those of your audience.

Here are some tips on how to avoid these 4 mistakes that will lose the game for you.

• Don't pitch them, delight them.
• Don't dazzle them with esoteric cleverness, dazzle them with service.
• Don't confuse advertising for branding. And under no circumstance should you assume visitors are falling over themselves to see your advertising.
• Don't ask for payment before you've convinced them that you can deliver value for that payment. And an email address is payment.

Don't entertain the notion that your audience is your adversary. Concentrate on building a site that is both useful and usable, and then win them over with your winning personality and service.

They came to you looking for a solution to their problem, not yours. Treat them accordingly. - Cam Beck

Build Relationships

If most traditional profit-motivated advertising is unwelcome and ignored, organizations wanting to build interest in what they offer are in for quite a challenge. This is especially true if what they offer, on its face, just isn't that interesting (such as those products that have a generic, store-brand substitute).

So what do you do? If you listen to a lot of people positioning themselves as social media experts, the answer has something to do with "conversations" and "relationships."

The problem with that theory is that large companies usually try to use the same scalability goals as traditional advertising to the "relationships" they build. They other ways to distribute the same old tired ads in a different form.

If it's pushed over a social networking site, somehow this makes the company more "hip."

But the sad fact is (to marketers) that most people just aren't that into common brands.

As a result, companies commonly resort to 2 strategies (and usually in this order):

• Mislead. "We'll call whatever we do--however ineffective it is--'building relationships.'"
• Give up. "Social media is a waste of time and money."

Companies typically have no interest in talking with customers. They want to talk at customers and pretend it's the same thing. Taking that approach, of course it's going to fail.

Falling prey to their own unquenchable thirst to talk about themselves, many companies fail to realize a critical truth about marketing in the age of conversation:

Initially, the modern marketing tools that make communication easy and cheap are better used for listening than for talking.

Here's why:

• Your talking gets in their way.
• They have other places to go.
• They have nothing but a click invested in you.
• They can live without you.

This doesn't mean you can't use social media and customer relationship tools. You can, and you should. This can be especially effective after you've received your customers' permission to communicate with them in some way.

But if the only permission you're seeking is the privilege of sending marketing emails, you may occasionally get their attention and inform them of a sale you're running. But you're missing the most important benefit of having any relationship -- the ability to learn more about the other party so that you can serve them better.

Attention is good, but insight is better. - Cam Beck

Related Posts
Part 1: Give Them Ads You Want Them To See
Part 2: Give Them Ads They've Asked To See   

Being Remarkable with Baby Steps

If you're a small- or medium-sized business wanting to become something great (however you define that for your business), it can be discouraging when you look at a company like Apple or Google, with all the fanfare they bring to their product launches, realizing that you don't have the resources to generate that kind of buzz and mania. However, being remarkable isn't only for the big companies with seemingly endless resources. Though it never hurts, it isn't about hyper-publicized product launches, and it isn't about extraordinary advertising. It's about doing the little things that make people happy. It's about going a step beyond the ordinary to delight (or save) a customer.

Take the case of two companies. One big, one small.

The other day a friend's truck broke down when he was about 600 miles past his warranty. It wouldn't even start. Because he had the truck in the shop for repairs 1,000 miles earlier, I suggested he call the dealership to see if they'd fix whatever the problem was as if his car were still under warranty.

Though their cost might be only $150 (or less, as it turns out), they wouldn't even consider it. Consequently, if he took it to the dealership it would cost my friend closer to $250, plus a $60 towing fee.

Through a series of phone calls and inspections, he discovered that the problem was probably his after-market alarm (which was about a year past its warranty). Towing the truck to the small alarm installation company would have cost him $135, so he called the company who installed his alarm.

At first the installer tried to talk my friend through the process of disabling the alarm, but he didn't have the tools to do all that was necessary. Instead, the installer agreed to drive the 30+ miles he needed to in order to get the truck up-and-running again.

Cost: $60. Reward: Lifelong appreciation.

Reflecting on the auto company that posted an $8.7 billion loss, I have to infer that their dealerships aren't exactly having a picnic. They need all sorts of customers. Repeat customers. New customers. Returning customers. One of the ways they will get them is if the people who are customers have great experiences with them and talk about those experiences with others.

Neither company was liable for the problem.

But only the smaller one walked away as a hero.

When the opportunity comes to go just a bit beyond what was expected, knowing that doing so will win you a great fan and ambassador, keep in mind that even though it may cost you a few bucks, the reward makes it well worth it.

In a market where iPhones and search appliances suck up all of the oxygen capture all the ink, as it turns out the underlying cause for all of that publicity is the ability to please people and make their lives easier. You don't need to climb high mountains, fund expensive expeditions, or take giant leaps to do that. Sometimes -- many times -- baby steps will do.  - Cam Beck

Watch What You Say or Watch Who's Listening

The recent Jesse Jackson dust-up over candid remarks he made about Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama reminded me of a story I heard. A client service representative got canned because he blew off some steam about a client (presumably clueless) after they finished a conference call. Problem was, the client was still on the line. Neither group bothered to hang up.

It's a big world. I'm sure this wasn't the only time that happened to someone.

If you're like -- I don't know -- everyone... you, too, have been in a situation where you've had to maintain a cordial relationship with someone you don't like or someone who frustrates you from time to time.

That's okay. We're human. And we don't approve of everything anyone else says or does 100% of the time. This can be frustrating. 

Sure, you could say what you think in the same manner the thought comes to you, but your judgment tells you (probably accurately) that it isn't in either of your best interests, as it could create a hostile environment and ultimately damage the relationship and your common official duties.

Sometimes, though, you just have to say what you really think to somebody or else you will go mad, so you reveal your true objections about this person to someone you trust.

Maybe it's about a coworker. Maybe it's about a boss. Maybe it's about a client.

The Franklin Method

If you truly have a problem with someone you have to get along with, look into the possibility of dealing directly with that person diplomatically.

Consider the way Benjamin Franklin advised his friend Thomas Paine concerning the publishing of the Age of Reason, after Paine sent Franklin a manuscript:

...I would advise you, therefore ... to burn this piece before it is seen by any other person; whereby you will save yourself a great deal of mortification by the enemies it may raise against you, and perhaps a good deal of regret and repentance. If men are so wicked with religion, what would they be if without it. I intend this letter itself as a proof of my friendship, and therefore add no professions to it; but subscribe simply yours, B. Franklin (Source)

(Notably, the defiant and impertinent Paine published the tome anyway, and the rebuke he received was so severe that, in spite of his contributions to whipping up support for the American Revolution, he lived the rest of his years as an outcast, and no American cemetery would accept his remains. The author of the most widely read pamphlet ever written at the time, Common Sense, would be buried in a farm field accompanied at his funeral by only 6 mourners.)

If you cannot approach your antagonist in this way, either learn to filter your thoughts before they escape your lips or confide in only the most trusted sources. And for goodness sakes, make sure no one else is in a position to listen in, lest they find out what you really think. - Cam Beck

No hassle. Just fly.

Airline travel -- especially these days -- requires people follow a bunch of rules. They are assigned seats on their tickets. They are told how many bags they can carry. Changes in their planned behavior accrue a fee, no matter how valid the reason or how easy it is to accommodate the traveler without compromising the safety of the airplane, the airport, or the other travelers. That's why it's so nice to fly on an airline that eases up on the rules a little bit, giving people a little less to worry about remembering when they have to fly somewhere.

It's hard enough to remember the litany of procedures required to get a boarding pass, check baggage (though the automated kiosks help) and find the right gate. But since 9/11, Richard Reid, and the establishment of the Department of Homeland Security and the Transportation Security Administration, no shoe is left on the feet of the herding travelers, and no bottle of shampoo is permitted on through the strict scrutiny and watchful eye of airport screeners.

I've lived in Texas for over 11 years now. I can't believe that yesterday is the first time I ever flew on Southwest. On the two flights I took yesterday, I discovered that:

1. There was no assigned seating. This allowed me to sit in the front row on the flight to Austin and in the back row on the flight back. I didn't have to keep checking the rows and figure out why there was an A, B, C, E, and F seats, but no D. I simply found an open seat and sat down.
   
2. Changing flights was no problem. And there was no charge. They had seats available on an earlier flights, so they just changed our tickets. No $100 or even a $25 surcharge. They just did it. It took just a few minutes and we were on our way.

Of course, we still had to go through security, and yes, that's still a pain in the butt. Even on a day trip, I still had to remember to:

1. Take my computer out of the bag.
2. Remove my shoes and place them in the bin.
3. Discard my drinks before entering.
4. Remove my watch, keys, etc. (Should I remove my wedding ring, too? Oh here, just take it.) from my pocket and put it in the round bowl.
5. Even when removing everything in my pocket, I must remember to put the boarding pass, which was just checked like half a dozen times, back in my pocket so that it can be checked again when I go through the metal detector.

I appreciate the effort behind it. Though I never supported the government's takeover of airport screening, 9/11 is still too fresh in my memory to dismiss the fear that drives it to this day.

Still, it's all the more reason to appreciate it when an airline reduces the number of rules you have to remember and the hassles you have to endure when circumstances demand you fly.

Thanks, Southwest.

The usability connection
The same principle we laud here is also applicable to designing a website or any computer interface. That is, the less we have to remember about how to use something and the more we simply recognize how to use it by virtue of its design, the easier it is to use. All else being equal, recognition is better than recall.

In the Southwest example, we recognize that a seat is for sitting. Allowing people to simply sit is better than  forcing them to remember how to find a specific seat in a specific row in a specific place.

Likewise, when building a website, a we recognize that an underlined word means a hyperlink, and we should not underline words online that cannot be clicked. Nor should we force users to remember that, though much of the rest of the Web shows a word is a hyperlink by underlining it, the site we built uses bold text, or else hides the hyperlink altogether.

Some designers scoff at conventions like these because they think they are anachronisms. They can't make links as pretty if they must underline them. However, on most websites, beauty is a secondary element of function, and any website that cannot be used in a way that adds value to the users (note: not "potentially add value if they take the time to figure it out") may as well not even be built. - Cam Beck

Image uploaded by Stephen Witherden. 

I Just Work Here

A few weeks ago I met a friend for lunch at a popular restaurant. When I arrived, a couple of the servers told me that a fire broke out in the kitchen and that, though the damage was minimal, they could not accept any customers until the city inspector came by to ensure it was safe. Though the employees were polite enough, as I watched them turn away customer after customer, it occurred to me that the restaurant missed a great opportunity to turn the mishap into a positive experience.

It was a hot day, which is typical for late May in Texas. I got there a little early, so I positioned myself under the shade of an awning until my friend arrived. As each car arrived or as each person approached the entrance, the friendly servers walked up to greet them and to tell them the unfortunate news.

All of the customers seemed very understanding, but they were noticeably a bit disappointed that they would have to make different plans for lunch.

While I waited and observed, they helpfully offered me a glass of water. I declined, but I suggested that they make the same offer -- water, lemonade, or iced tea -- to anyone who approaches. Their customers would surely appreciate it on such a hot day.

They chuckled a bit as if I were joking and continued to politely turn away customer after customer.

I never did have an opportunity make the same suggestion to the manager. He had bigger fish to fry at that moment. However, I couldn't help but think about the sad state of affairs that the employees did not feel as if they could take ownership of the customer experience to ensure the customers left feeling as if, though they couldn't get what they wanted, they could always expect to leave this restaurant more fulfilled than when they arrived.

Questions to Ponder

• Would you have handled a minor mishap any differently?
• Do you add value to your customers, no matter what?
• How do you enable your employees to take the initiative to do the same?

- Cam Beck

Image by cote.

Only the Fools Brand Lightly

Some people believe I am anti-advertising. I'm not. I just am often skeptical about the effectiveness of the executions. I understand that people need to know about products, services, etc. before they can buy them, and that there are plenty of ways advertising can help to build that awareness. However, we should call advertising what it is and not confuse it for "branding." That would a colossal mistake that could actually harm more brands than it helps.

A brand is a promise.

A promise implies both a promise maker and a promise keeper, which is often -- but not always -- the same entity. However, the person to whom the promise is made reasonably assumes that they are the same entity, or else the promise maker would have no standing to make the promise in the first place.

As such, the wise make promises only if the following conditions are met:

• They are capable of keeping the promise.
• They intend to keep the promise.
• Circumstances make keeping the promise highly probable.

In addition, the wise realize that a promise has implications beyond the promise itself.

• Always low prices does not mean it falls apart the moment you get it home.
• America's best warranty does not mean your car is always in the shop getting warranty repairs.
• We try harder does not mean we are always second-best.

A promise sets an expectation.

The unwise make promises hastily. They concern themselves with convincing -- by making the promises -- but they reject all responsibility for fulfilling the promise. That's the domain, they say, of operations or customer service. This lack of ownership and accountability is why most advertising fails.

To compensate, these companies sometimes resort to withholding any explicit promises that stand on their own legs. Instead they make fun of the competitors. (Think cable vs. satellite).

This is a shrewd way of making a promise without actually making one. The problem is that it sets an expectation either way, and failing to meet that expectation causes just as much harm as had the company made an explicit promise.

Expectations can be either met or unmet.

There are actually three relevant outcomes once an expectation has been set.

• The company does not meet the expectation. The brand reputation is damaged by this outcome.
• The company meets the expectation. The brand reputation is helped by this outcome, but unless the promise was so extraordinary that people want to talk about it, it is unlikely to generate a lot of word-of-mouth. There are certain things -- like good customer service -- that never get old, so much of your efforts should be concentrated here.
• The company exceeds the expectation. This is difficult to sustain because as you exceed expectation, people come to expect more, but is not impossible on a brand-by-brand basis, since so few brands actually make the attempt. Disney is a good example of this.

Sometimes, though, companies don't even get to set the expectation. This is especially true if they are an online retailer. Even if they are part of some obscure niche, Amazon sets the expectation for response times and, in many cases, fulfillment.

Nobody said life was fair. But that's the reality.

Advertising is not evil.

Maybe you do have access to one of the greatest tools around for your particular audience, and by right you not only can inform people of this tool, but if the tool makes life better, cheaper, more efficient, etc., you have a responsibility to let people know about it.

But don't confuse what you're doing with "branding." Advertising is one tactic of many you can use that can help build awareness and interest. If your company is not equipped to deliver on the promises that are explicitly or implicitly made by the advertising, fix the processes, change the advertising, or both. - Cam Beck

Marketers: Don't Prey. Pray.

Today is the National Day of Prayer in the U.S.

I originally did not intend to write a post about it, but as I drove to work, listening to the Focus on the Family broadcast, I reflected on something CK said to me once about how people have a distaste for marketers because they expect them to prey on people. If that's true, then marketers are seriously lacking in proper ethics and behavior.

Perhaps, I thought, this would be a good time to reflect on the things we can do to increase the likelihood that we behave in a way that brings credit to ourselves and our profession. I then was reminded, as I often am, on the wise admonition of George Washington.

Let us with caution indulge the supposition that morality can be maintained without religion. Reason and experience both forbid us to expect that national morality can prevail in exclusion of religious principle. - George Washington

If CK's assessment is right, then I'm convinced that we need less preying and more praying.

The verse that immediately came to mind was Matthew 6:5-6, but before I posted it, I decided to break out and dust off (yeah, I know) my old study Bible and look up today's memorization verse. It's a much more appropriate passage for marketers, given our fears and motivations, don't you think?

"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call upon me and come to pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. - Jeremiah 32:27 (NIV)

I won't go into a long analysis of what that passage means, but instead will ask you to consider and meditate on it. Also, if you are so inclined  -- and even if you are usually not much for praying -- I would greatly appreciate your prayers, not only for me, but also for our leaders and our countries. - Cam Beck

The Loyalty Trap

Assuming audiences who are predominantly affluent, marketers (particularly advertisers) salivate over two categories of audiences:

1. A captive audience
2. A loyal audience

Though there are still some who are in denial, in our attention-starved world, the first type is out of reach. The second type sounds good, but only until you consider what sorts of thinking this can lead to.

The goal of all marketers is to turn paying customers into loyal customers. But what does that really afford us? It is almost as if, upon bestowing upon a customer the title of "loyal," companies consider their work finished and move about trying to acquire new ones.

Loyalty is a crutch. Intentionally or not, it is used as an excuse to be lazy with respect to that loyal group's needs so that the company can focus on their own needs. Or at least what they think they need.

Don't fall into that trap!

Loyalty just leads to permission to behave in a certain way, including, if you're lucky, to communicate more frequently with the person than your competitors. That loyalty is good only for as long as you act in a way consistent with that permission.

Behave well, and you will have established a permission asset.

Be overzealous or neglectful, and you're almost certain to destroy it.  - Cam Beck