I once read an article in the Sun Sentinel Newspaper (Florida) that caught my attention and made me think of my readers. As is often the case, I failed to rip the article out before hitting the recycling bin but you will get the gist of the article.
DHL’s (the shipping company) rise to fame came as a direct result of fine-tuning their customer service efforts. Who would have thought customer service could indeed make a difference?
(Customer service is like flossing. 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 floss after the first or second episode.)
In short, DHL took the “lip-service” out of the CS formula, and put the “action” back in. Their exact phrase is “I’m on it.” What a great phrase! “I’m on it.”
How many times have you been passed on down the line, put on hold, lied to, and sent on a wild goose chase in the last few weeks, days, hours? From my side of the telephone or cash register, it is beginning to feel like an epidemic unfolding before my very eyes.
I for one have heard myself quoting from movie “Network” more than once by yelling at no one in particular, “I’m mad as hell and I’m not going to take it any more.” We can all take a lesson from the Ritz Carlton Hotel chain. Their directive to their employees is, “You hear a problem? You own it.”
How does The Ritz get away with charging over $400 for a pillow and a face cloth? You guessed it: by making the customer feel like they are important. They don’t pass the buck. They “fix” things. Both the Ritz Carlton and DHL seem to have found the secret formula.
The challenge lies before is. We just have to work hard every day to earn the same reputation. Now it is your turn. “Get on it.”
Mike Marchev has plenty of stories, strategies and tactics to keep you on top of your game.
Mike will be conducting his 5th annual Travel Sales & Marketing Business Development Cruise, sailing the Freedom of The Seas from Ft. Lauderdale. Email him at mike@mikemarchev.com for complete details. Five cabins are still available.
Mike’s daily column is made possible by AmaWaterways.
