Big Ideas: I’m on it | Travel Research Online

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Big Ideas: I’m on it

I once read a great article in the Sun Sentinel that caught my attention and made me think. But, as is often the case, I failed to rip the article out before tossing the paper into the recycling bin; but trust me, you will get the gist of the article.

DHL’s (the shipping company) rise to fame came as a result of fine-tuning their customer service efforts. Imagine that, who would have thought that customer service can indeed make a difference? Customer service is like flossing your teeth. Everyone knows they need to do it if they want to keep their teeth for a few more years;  but very few people find the time and make the effort to continue this worthwhile habit after the first or second try.

In short, DHL took the “lip-service” out of the customer service formula, and put in the “action.” The exact phrase that DHL made famous company-wide was:I’m on it.

What a great phrase!  I’m on it.

How many times have you (as a consumer) been passed on down the line, put on hold, lied to, sent on a wild goose chase, etc.  in the last few weeks, days, hours? From my side of the telephone or cash register, it is beginning to feel, look and sound like an epidemic.

I have heard myself often quoting from the movie “Network” by yelling at no one in particular, “I’m mad as hell, and I’m not taking it any more.”

To further drive the message home, let’s bring it a little closer to your home than a shipping company. Have you ever heard of The Ritz-Carlton brand?  At The Ritz Carlton, their motto is, “You hear the problem? You own it.”

That may help explain why the Ritz gets away with charging over $400 for a pillow, a bar of soap and a face cloth.  The simple way to profit, in or out of the highly competitive travel industry may just involve making customers feel like they are important. How is that for an interesting concept!

At the Ritz Carlton, at DHL and at every other organization worth emulating, they don’t pass the buck. They “fix” things. They “get on it.” The Ritz Carlton and DHL seem to employ, teach and motivate my kind of people.

If you are ready and interested in positioning yourself as something special, tell your clients and prospects that You’re On It.

Next, it is your turn. Get on it.

Mike Marchev has “been around the bases” more than a few times, and enjoys sharing his street-smart lessons with who ever will pause long enough to listen.

If you are interested in receiving his FREE 7-Lesson On-Line Marketing Course, go to www.marchev.net and sign in at the box.  It is as easy as saying Bada Bing, Bada Boom. DO IT! Now! www.marchev.net

  4 thoughts on “Big Ideas: I’m on it

  1. Kelly Chiusano says:

    Great article, Mike! I wrote an article about customer service last year after having a great stay at a Hyatt and, after reading about the recent Delta changes, am compiling another one soon. In today’s struggling economy, shouldn’t this be the first priority with companies? Thank you for publishing this.

  2. JPHart says:

    Great marketing points Mike! But a business stays in business only if the business makes a profit. Ritz-Carlton does that by charging $400 for those pillows. (All those rooms look the same once you close your eyes!) DHL is out of business because they tried to undercut FedEx. Pick two out of three — service, quality, low price.

  3. I think that you may want to look again jphart. Just a small search on the world wide web will definitely show you that DHL is not out of business. They are, in fact, quite in business throughout the world. Just to help out, here is there website: http://www.dhl-usa.com/home/home.asp.

  4. A note on your comments Mike, I wholly agree. I am an “I’m on it” kinda gal and I can’t begin to tell you the number of people who comment on how amazed they are about the fast response that they receive. I was raised in “old school” retail where customer service WAS the business. I am truly sad that we have lost that in this country. I vote heartily to bring it on back.

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