Filed under: Customer Experience, Customer Service | Tags: client experience, customer experience, customer loyalty, Customer Satisfaction, Customer Service, Donald Wayne McLeod, listenup, secret service, Secret Service Summit, the customer service blog
LISTEN UP doesn’t just teach you how to network, we look at networking as a science. You will often hear us talk about bringing the Orchestra. What that means is to remember and use the hundreds of tiny skills required to truly and interpersonally connect with others. The ability to blend the entire compilation of said skills into a flawless presentation of oneself is in itself a skill and one that you very rarely see.
I want you to think about The Cleveland Orchestra. If you’ve ever had the pleasure of hearing them I am sure you will agree they are spectacular. Here the conductor has a wide variety of professionally trained individual musicians that can be brought into the mix. The conductor directs and blends all the different components of the orchestra right down to a single triangle to create a masterpiece. If you have ever studied a conductor in action you will notice how hard they need to concentrate. They are concentrating on every detail in order to make the presentation perfect and it shows.
How do I relate this example to Networking? In order to successfully Network you need to bring the entire, well practiced, perfectly conducted, professional orchestra. You need to not only understand the multitude of skills required you need to practice them. You need to conduct them with energy, style, grace and in a flawless manner.
While networking instead of musicians we conduct people skills that are at our disposal. We have greetings, handshakes, eye contact, energy levels, listening skills, manners, goodbyes and body language that are all being judged by those we come in contact. How we talk, walk, dress and interact with others to name a few are all constantly being perceived and evaluated. Are your interpersonal communication skills polished and ready to go?
Think about it, when was the last time someone WOWED you? The problem is a lot of individuals are giving presentations that sound less like The Cleveland Orchestra and more like a grade school concert band. They are going through the motions but the music is almost unrecognizable. Don’t let that be you… practice, practice, practice.
We have no idea who we will meet today who will change our lives forever. Also realize that everyone we meet is listening both consciously and unconsciously to our inner orchestra. Do we sound sincere, gracious, positive, energetic and optimistic or do we sound negative, insincere, uninterested, bored or self absorbed. My question is what kind of music are others hearing coming from you?
At LISTEN UP we are not teaching rocket science. A lot of what we talk about is common knowledge but it is common knowledge that isn’t common. A lot of people believe they already know how to communicate and network with others. The problem is many people are networking unarmed for the task. They are playing at a grade school level and never even realize it. It is not what you think of your presentation but rather what others think about your presentation that truly matters. We want you to be playing beautiful music and when you talk we want others to LISTEN UP.
About the Author
~Donald Wayne McLeod founded LISTEN UP LLC, an interpersonal communication consulting company, in 2007 after witnessing people’s inability to connect with one another and realizing his unique ability to facilitate them in that regard. Donald has been featured in Inside-Business Magazine, The Cleveland Plain Dealer, The News-Herald, WEWS Channel 5 and WTOE Radio. Donald Wayne McLeod can be reached at www.listenup.biz, or at 216.210.5420.
Filed under: Customer Experience, Customer Service, John DiJulius, What's the Secret? | Tags: client experience, customer experience, customer loyalty, Customer Satisfaction, Customer Service, customer service conference, customer service consulting, customer service process, John DiJulius, the customer service blog, The DiJulius Group
Marriott World Center Orlando
Recently I was a keynote speaker at a company’s annual conference held in Orlando, Florida. Their meeting was held at the Marriott World Center, the largest Marriott property in the world. When I arrived from the airport at around 10:00 am, I requested of the nice bellman to please have my luggage sent directly to my room so I could meet with the meeting planner and then deliver my keynote.
Unexpected Surprise
By the time my presentation and book signing were completed, it was now 5:00 pm. I was free, but I had a productive night scheduled. My plan was to run up to my room, change out of my suit and tie and go work out. I would then come back to my room, order room service and get caught up on several days of piled up email.
Well, things didn’t work out as planned. When I got to my room, I searched for my luggage, but it was nowhere. I then called down to the front desk, informing them that the bellman never delivered my luggage as requested. Shortly after, the front desk called me back and said they were unable to locate my luggage, but would try to as quickly as possible. So here it goes again: yet another horrible customer service experience!
I sat in my room, in a robe, like a prisoner. I had no workout clothes, couldn’t go to the gym like I had planned, my evening schedule was being compromised, and everything was getting pushed back. Why me? I was working myself up, getting stressed over the inconvenience, and imagining a horrible night’s sleep as a result.
Opportunity to be a Hero
What seemed to be hours later (actually only 10 minutes at most since I called the front desk looking for my luggage), the phone in my room rang. “Mr. DiJulius, this is James. I am the head bellman. I want to apologize for your inconvenience. We haven’t found your luggage yet, but I promise you we will soon. Can I ask you if there was anything in particular you needed that I can send up to your room?”
I responded with, “Just my work-out cloths. I was planning on getting a work out in.”
James responded, “Mr. DiJulius, I apologize. If we do not locate your luggage within the next 15 minutes, I would be happy to get you a pair of workout shorts, tee shirt and tennis shoes from our store outside our spa. Can you tell me your sizes?”
I responded that he didn’t have to do that! I could easily flip -flop my plans and get my emails done first, and hopefully by then my luggage would be found and I’d work out then.
James said, ”Are you sure? I promise you, I will personally find your luggage and get it to you ASAP! You are the last person we want to inconvenience, and I am truly sorry.”
I responded, “James, I appreciate your effort, really. I am fine. There’s no inconvenience. Thank you.” Within 15 minutes James brought my luggage to the room, and I thanked him and gave him a big tip for his effort.
Attitude Adjustment
What happened here? One moment I was an angry guest, working myself up, feeling sorry for myself: poor me, why does this have to happen to me, my entire night is screwed up, not realizing that I had an option of rearranging my plans. The next minute I was feeling bad for the bellman, telling him I was fine with plenty of things to do, it wasn’t an inconvenience at all, stop with the fuss. Why did this attitude transformation occur? (I went from being a potentially angry dissatisfied customer to telling them they were making too much of a fuss.) Because this particular Marriott properly trained their associates to recognize when something goes wrong, empathize immediately with the customer, and instead of focusing on the problem, (missing luggage) to focus on the inconvenience and offer solutions and alternatives. As a result of James’ sincere empathy to my horrible situation (exaggerated in my mind), the situation flipped and I was feeling badly for him and how hard he was trying to please me.
While they may complain about the Service Defect,
They are going to rave about how we handle it!
World-Class customer service companies train their employees to be Zero Risk. Commandment VII is anticipating your service defects and having service recovery protocols in place to make them right. We can’t eliminate things from going wrong, but what we can do is reduce errors and be better prepared to be a hero when things do go wrong. With over 2,000 visitors per day, just on that sheer volume, Marriott is going to misplace a small percentage of luggage from time to time. They know this and they are prepared.
- Have you recognized the reoccurring service defects in your operations?
- Have you trained your employees on how to show empathy and recognize the inconvenience versus the problem?
- Do you have protocols in place to turn your potentially upset customers into even more loyal evangelist?
~John DiJulius is a best-selling author, keynote speaker, consultant and the President and CVO of The DiJulius Group.
Filed under: Customer Service | Tags: client experience, customer experience, customer loyalty, Customer Satisfaction, Customer Service, customer service consulting, customer service process, Nicole Flesher, revolutionist, secret service, the customer service blog, The DiJulius Group
Because of my 5 year old, I have become very familiar with this question. For the last two and a half years, I have been asked WHY about every possible thing there is. After about a year I realized how effective the question really is. It really gets you the answer you want! If you start thinking like a toddler, you’ll get your answer.
As a service provider I started asking my guests WHY. (My way of incorporating Secret Service into their experience.) I would ask questions and I would get answers. It is important in building a relationship with a guest. It became an effective tool in getting to know my guests. Vacations are a perfect example of where you can ask WHY? 
WHY they chose that destination is always so interesting to me. It tells so much about them. For example, if a guest tells me she just got back from Hawaii and I respond with how exciting that had to be; I then ask her WHY she choose Hawaii. She tells me it was her honeymoon spot. A simple question opens the door for so many more opportunities to build the relationship and deliver Secret Service. Then wedding talk comes, and it’s a whole web of information. I then record that info. I know when she got married, and where she went on her honeymoon. By recording that info into our database, it gives other service providers the opportunity to deliver Secret Service as well. It’s a great start to building a relationship and a loyal guest. It makes the guest feel very special.
I started to notice I was doing this in all parts of my life. It wasn’t intentional –it just became my way of thinking.
One of my favorite WHY stories took place during a haircut with a new hairdresser. It was my first visit with Brian and during a very normal conversation I asked WHY he chose this industry? He gave me an answer he was so sure of!! It was refreshing to hear for two reasons.
- he really knew exactly what it was about this industry that he loved, and
- because he reminded me WHY I love this industry so much.
Brian’s answer: “Nicole, ya know what? I love this industry because of the opportunity we are given to change a life!” It most definitely was not what I expected to hear coming from a 22 year old guy who rides a crotch rocket and has only been doing hair for a few years. I didn’t have to ask WHY after that because he just kept going.
He touched on the relationship building part of our business, and how important it was to him. He told me he built a steady clientele within his first year on the floor.
Everything he said was impressive to me. It was a reminder of WHY I loved this industry and it was a reminder of how crucial it is to build a relationship with people. He gave me a wonderful hair cut, but the reason I will continue to get my hair cut by Brian is because of his passion for what he does. I don’t mean his passion for cutting hair. I mean his passion for changing and impacting lives. It’s his purpose.
My service ended, I started to ask myself a few questions. WHY being one of them, big shock coming from me right?
Brian didn’t build that clientele in his first year because he gave a good haircut. It sure helped, but it wasn’t WHY his guests returned. (You can get a good haircut a lot of places.) He built that clientele because of the way he made people feel. He is passionate, and he makes each guest aware of that passion. He comes to work and works from his heart. He is compassionate and empathic toward each guest, and he does everything he can to make sure they know they are the only thing that matters to him at that moment. When a guest leaves a service provider who provides those qualities, their outlook changes. They walk away looking good, but they also walk away with a feeling of importance. He truly cares about making a difference in people and their lives. That is what this industry is about. It’s about changing a life, changing the way people look, changing the way people feel, and giving others the confidence to do whatever their heart desires. We all become a little robotic at times: we come to work and we do our thing. Sometimes our “purpose” can get away from us. Asking Brian WHY got me out of that robotic state and back to my purpose.
Ask yourself WHY. Ask others WHY. WHY can help you deliver an experience that keep your guests coming to you, and WHY is sure to help you get out of a rut we all get in. It is also an effective question to ask yourself when things are going well. Ask yourself WHY are things so perfect right now. Answer that question and you now know how to keep things that way, or how to get them back if things happen to go the other way. Making the WHY game part of your everyday life is sure to get you what you want, and where you want to be.
Filed under: Customer Service | Tags: client experience, customer experience, customer loyalty, Customer Satisfaction, Customer Service, customer service conference, customer service consulting, customer service process, John DiJulius, secret service, the customer service blog, The DiJulius Group
Without execution, systems in manuals are nothing more than ideas on paper. This is where most companies fail – the execution of these systems.
The two most important words in the success of implementing systems are consistency and continuity. Nearly every company has more ideas than it knows what to do with. Here’s a scenario familiar in every company: Some executives attend a fantastic seminar, get dozens of great ideas, and return to work all fired up to start executing. A month later, not one idea is being executed even 10 percent of the time. The managers are either preoccupied with a crisis or have moved on to a new focus. Managers are not short on ideas; they are short on strategy that will result in successful implementation.
Select a path and stick with it
I can’t tell you how often I hear the same thing from the companies I consult: “A few years ago, our theme was ‘fish,’ last year our theme was ‘raving fans,’ and this year our theme is your book.” It’s no wonder nothing sticks. There’s no continuity from one generation of employees to the next because they joined under a different theme. There is nothing wrong with using any of those books and concepts as themes. What I am saying is pick a path.
The world-class customer service companies focus on one concept and build their training program around it. Over the years, every new employee goes through the same training, learns the same underlying concept and theme, reads the same book, and hears the same message. That doesn’t mean the training doesn’t evolve. But you have a consistent foundation on which everyone has been trained. And it can’t just be new employees who go through intensive training; existing employees need to be retrained and re-energized on at least an annual basis. Beyond that training, world-class customer service companies advertise superior customer service to their employees on a daily, weekly, monthly and quarterly basis.
Implement slowly and properly
Let’s assume you have just successfully completed the Customer Experience Cycle Workshop with your entire organization. You should now have the buzz. Stop right there. This is when the train wreck so often happens. The workshop was easy; the hard part is implementation. Yes, you are excited about the buy-in to being world-class. Yes, you want to maintain the enthusiasm and the momentum. But now you must crawl before you can walk. A worst practice is to allow managers to roll out the implementation on their own or to introduce many new concepts every week. If you do either, in about 45 days, all of those great ideas will be a distant memory because not one of them will stick. The only result will be a loss of credibility. Employees will feel that all their work was just a bunch of rah-rah and hot air because nothing ever came of it. Customers will be disappointed by the inconsistency between your promises and their experiences.
Both your front-line managers and employees already have too much on their plate to digest and manage the execution of more than a few things at once. You need to create a roll-out calendar of new customer service systems. Never introduce more than two or three things per 120 days to any one department. This may sound like a slow process, but wouldn’t you be doing cartwheels if I told you that a year from now, you will have introduced 10 new initiatives that are all being executed consistently?
Manage the Experience
It is imperative that every manager is uncompromising about the execution of your standards. Your employees have to know that they cannot pick and choose. That is why it is very important NOT to have too many standards for every stage of interaction. Less is more, so keep it realistic to achieve. As soon as employees start to think no one is really paying attention or cares, the standards go from nonnegotiable to optional. To avoid this, managers have to routinely do audits of the standards and recognize when they are being executed and immediately coach when they aren’t. You can have the greatest customer experience on paper, but it is the leadership’s responsibility to make sure every employee is well aware of the importance of consistent, continuous execution.
Filed under: Customer Service | Tags: client experience, customer experience, customer loyalty, Customer Satisfaction, Customer Service, customer service consulting, Jeff Nischwitz, John DiJulius, revolutionists, the customer service blog, The DiJulius Group
To better introduce you to our new Revolutionists, I am excited to share with you an article by Jeff Nischwitz. Find out how your industry can benefit from Jeff’s airport experience. ~ John DiJulius
5 Hours of “Service” ~ By©Jeff Nischwitz
Recently, I had the “pleasure” of traveling back from a long weekend in Charlotte and I experienced the “best” (apparently) that the air travel industry had to offer. Unfortunately, my day ended with a missed flight out of Philadelphia, and I was forced to spend the night at the Philadelphia Airport. But that’s not what I take issue with. I understand that stuff happens. My issues are with the various “experiences” that I had along the way.
The shining moment actually came right at the beginning. I was checking in at the Charlotte Airport, and my bag was under the weight limitation. I told them that I wanted to put my jacket in my bag (if it didn’t go over the weight limit), but my jacket put the bag one pound over the limit. To my pleasant surprise, they said “Go ahead; we’re not sticklers.” A little thing, but a pleasant surprise to have my desires accommodated rather than following the one-pound over rule. However, everything thereafter took a turn for the worse.
As I approached a confusing intersection, I asked one of the airport employees (who was clearly tasked with directing people) which way I needed to go to get to my gate. Seeming annoyed, she gave me a quick explanation, and I started to head off in that direction. When I immediately saw a sign that suggested that I was heading the wrong way, I went back and asked her to confirm her directions. With a sarcastic and edgy tone, she responded, “Didn’t I tell you to go that way?” A swing and a miss for this employee whose job it is to help people find their way. Apparently, there’s a one ask rule in effect.
Later during my travels I learned that my flight was going to be delayed, which put me at risk for missing my connection out of Philadelphia. Obviously, I was concerned and asked the service (interesting word) representative if she thought I would be able to make my connecting flight. After asking me what time my connecting flight was, she responded simply, “You might not make it.” Nothing more. She did not check what gate my flight was leaving from or ask where I was flying. It was a simple statement that I might miss my connection with no further input or assistance. Another swing and a miss for this airline.
After a longer delay than even expected, we finally boarded the plane to Philadelphia and the pilot told us, “We will have you at the gate in Philadelphia by 9:45 p.m.” This was hopeful news to me, since my connecting flight was scheduled to leave Philadelphia at 9:50 p.m. I was optimistic that I might make my flight. Unfortunately, the pilot had apparently been telling us what he thought we wanted to hear, rather than the truth. We arrived at the gate in Philadelphia at 10:00 p.m. At the time, the pilot certainly knew how long it would take his crew to ready the plane for take-off and he knew where he stood on the take-off priority list. I understand that delays happen, but I would rather get accurate information than be further disappointed when they do not meet their stated commitments. Yet another swing and miss when it came to the service experience.
Lest you think me merely a complainer, let’s look at the opportunities to easily get this right.
- The first airport employee could have politely (and with a smile) repeated her directions, or perhaps clarified them, to make sure that I understood. After all, my need was for directions and that was her job.
- The desk person could have asked a few more questions to better understand my challenge and offered to check to see if my connecting flight was on schedule. Several little things that would have demonstrated to me that she cared about my plight even if she couldn’t fix it.
- Instead of giving me an overly optimistic estimate of our arrival time, the pilot could have given me a realistic estimate so that I would know that making my connecting flight was not a likely scenario. I understand that delays happen, but I don’t like to be misled.
Five hours of mostly horrible service which all could have been averted with some simple, common courtesy and just a tad more proactive attention to me, the customer. None of these “fixes” would cost more money and at most they would have taken a few more seconds to execute, but it would have changed everything regarding my experience.
But what’s the airport experience have to do with MY business you might ask?
- Who in your firm has the most contact with clients regarding mundane or basic topics (e.g., directions, schedules, basic follow ups, etc.)? Do they ever have a bad day or a day when they’re bored with the job … which might result in clients feeling like they’re “bothering” your team member? I’m just saying…
- When clients or prospective clients call into the office, do your front line team members ask questions to understand their needs (to see if they can help), or do they quickly transfer the call to someone else?
- Do you or your team members ever provide overly optimistic time frames which result in your client being disappointed because something didn’t go as promised?
No matter what your business, we all have opportunities to connect with and engage our clients based upon the experience that we provide. We also have the same opportunities to “miss” with our clients, which may cause them to feel like they don’t matter.
What are your customers and clients experiencing that’s causing them to feel neglected, unimportant, and not cared about? More often than not it’s the little things that matter the most in how your customers and clients “see” you and your value. When it comes to the customer experience, you must sweat the small stuff. The cost of missing the small stuff can be substantial.
Filed under: Customer Service | Tags: client experience, customer experience, customer loyalty, Customer Satisfaction, Customer Service, customer service conference, customer service consulting, secret service, the customer service blog, The DiJulius Group
John DiJulius
We are excited to share with you that The DiJulius Group has added two Revolutionist, who can help us on our mission to Change the World by Creating a Customer Service Revolution.
We take this extremely seriously, which is why, in the last few years, we have dramatically broadened our reach and resources. We now offer public seminars, called the Secret Service Tours, that are held in different cities throughout the US. We do this to make it more affordable for companies to bring their management teams to experience our World Class Customer Experience workshops.
We also have our annual Secret Service Summit every November. This is an exclusive two-day event solely focused on the world-class experience, featuring over 10 speakers who are leading authorities, best selling authors and brand executives of world-class customer service companies, and we’ve added Secret Service Certification. The certification course now enables companies to send someone on their staff to be trained by John to present the Secret Service keynote and also facilitate the Customer Experience Cycle workshop.
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However, we realized that still wasn’t enough. Given the economic climate these past two years, the value of customer service has never received more attention. As a result, The DiJulius Group has grown exponentially — in spite of the recession! Companies have realized that there is no greater asset in any economy than customer loyalty. And the ones not only surviving, but thriving, in these times are the organizations committed to truly providing a world-class customer experience.
The only way we can handle this increasing demand is by bringing aboard two Revolutionist! These speakers/consultants can provide the necessary depth required by our attendees, and help with the increased demand on The DiJulius Group from so many companies that already recognize the benefits from adopting our program.
These revolutionists not only can help provide an alternative when John DiJulius is booked and unavailable, but they have lower price points, which allows more companies the opportunity to receive The DiJulius Group’s resources and systems.
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Who are these Revolutionist?
We have been extremely selective in whom we have added to our team.The DiJulius Group Revolutionists are outstanding presenters certified in Secret Service Systems and the facilitation of the Customer Experience Cycle workshop. In addition to their certification, they have also undergone extensive personal training sessions with John DiJulius. Both have an extensive background in customer service, not only as a service provider, but also as a trainer and presenter. We have spent the last two years training them on our philosophies, concepts and systems.
It gives us great pleasure to announce The DiJulius Group’s Revolutionists: Jeff Nischwitz and Nicole Flesher. Find out more about our Revolutionists
Filed under: Customer Service | Tags: client experience, customer experience, customer loyalty, Customer Satisfaction, Customer Service, customer service consulting, John DiJulius, the customer service blog, The DiJulius Group
John DiJulius
Are we starting to come out of the recession? Is the worst over? Am I the only one a little sad about this? Don’t hate me for saying this: I know it has been a long recession and I know it is not over yet. But I truly believe there have been so many benefits to this recession that have made all of us much stronger and our organizations much better today — and especially in the future.
The recession is a horrible thing… to waste
Customer service is finally getting the attention it deserves
Okay. So this might sound a little self-serving coming from a customer experience consultant. However, good customer service has been considered a “nice to have” amenity by the majority. So many of those companies are no longer around. The rest of us have both appreciated our commitment and realized that customer loyalty is an organization’s greatest asset in any economy.
The recession is like a business enema
Less competition
Most industries have 1/3 fewer players today. I truly believe there are very few victims of the recession. Most of the businesses that failed to withstand these times were benefiting from a tidal wave that they were not responsible for creating. They were bringing down the professional reputation of our industry.
There are two factors which determine a company’s size and growth:
- Size of market – a.k.a. the size of the pie. How many customers are out there to fight over, and what they can spend.
- Market share – the amount of the pie we have.
This is repeat customers, loyal customers, customers who refer us, customers who are not looking for the best deal and shopping us to the lowest bidder. We have little control over size of the market. If it shrinks due to economic constraints and government regulations — it shrinks. But we do control market share. That is driven by the customer experience that produces customer loyalty, which results in price becoming less relevant.
Show me you care about my business rather than just getting my business
People are creative and working harder than they ever have before, and sometimes for less! Business is earned. Nothing is on autopilot. Professionals are returning phone calls, people are following up, demonstrating they care, customers are being thanked. There is a genuine authenticity happening.
Organizations have also had a rally cry that has forced employees and departments to come together, support each other, and fight the battle to survive. This has created teamwork and a renewed sense of purpose.
Get yours before it is too late
We may have seen the worst of the recession. It probably will be awhile before we are fully back, but the clock is ticking, the opportunity is fading, and the window is closing.
Ask yourself, have you truly benefitted from this recession like others have?
Filed under: Customer Service | Tags: client experience, customer experience, Customer Satisfaction, Customer Service, customer service consulting, the customer service blog, The DiJulius Group
John DiJulius
I was speaking to a doctor recently about customer service and I said, as I always do to anyone in the medical industry, that many times doctors provide the worst customer experience. The doctor took exception and replied, “I have asked at least a hundred people would they prefer a doctor who diagnosis the symptom and cures the problem, but maybe doesn’t spend time chatting, or would they like a very polite, outgoing, engaging doctor, who cannot resolve their medical problem? And every single person said they would like the competent doctor over the friendly non- competent doctor.”
To which I replied, “Why can’t it be both?”
Positive side affects of the recession
The recession has been a very positive thing. As a result of the economic downturn, customer service (as a tangible, financial asset on the balance sheet) has finally gotten the recognition it deserves.
can result in as much as a 7 percent increase in cash flow
While the gap has widened between the haves & have-nots with regard to companies investing in delivering a better customer experience than before, there are more companies getting worse and the “average” is disappearing.
As a result, we no longer have to accept a knowledgeable attorney who never returns calls or a dry cleaner who does great work, yet the counter people have bad attitudes. Why bother with a receptionist who determines how soon you get your appointment based on the mood of the day, or an award-winning hairdresser who makes you feel like you are on an assembly line.
I always say I am glad I have a qualified CPA who knows how to utilize the accounting laws and saved me $25,000 last year. However, I am pretty sure there are a number of excellent accounting firms with well-trained, up-to-date CPA’s who know the same changes in the accounting world. So whether it is financial brilliance, medical, legal, or whatever, the following statement applies. (Add your own technical expertise to this sentence)
