June 4, 2009
How do we experience the world? What experiences stand out in our mind and why?
How can you positively impact your customer’s experience to make your offering or brand both memorable and meaningful in their lives? What steps can you take to create great experiences to differentiate your brand from others?
Let’s put the antenna up high and see what we find.
Join the dialogue and come with me in the Search for the Great Customer Experience.
February 8, 2010
Much has been written about the problems of the Big 3 auto companies – and while the future still looks dicey, Michigan has been portrayed as a place the recession hit a long time before the financial meltdown. Having lived in Michigan much of my life, it’s not been easy to watch.
Still, small experiences and interactions tell you a lot more than what you can learn from a sound bite about a company, an industry, or a region. While many dining establishments are struggling for business, it’s interesting to me to find both the pulse of everyday Americans and those in customer service at your local neighborhood breakfast place.
On a recent morning, I stopped into a local Ram’s Horn restaurant in the heart of Motown. As I ordered the “hearty” breakfast of eggs, sausage and he first of a few cups of coffee, I watched the morning crowd slowly build. My waitress was exceptionally courteous and professional, as was the bus boy/support staff. My order was delivered quickly, and Karen stopped several times during my meal. “Is everything to your liking?” ” A bit more coffee?” “Yes!” seemed to be my frequent answer. At one point I turned the question to Karen, “you do a great job and make customers feel welcome, feel at home.. what’s your secret?”. She smiled, and said, “you know, there are a lot of people worried and hurting right now. If I can make their time over breakfast one they enjoy, that gets everyone’s day going well, including mine!”
As I thanked her and thought about it, I thought about these servers not just as servers, but as people… who make the difference in whether I’ll stop by this or another Ram’s Horn the next time I’m in the mood for eggs and sausage. I was impressed that the bill had a customer satisfaction survey printed on it. Of course, I filled it out with high marks and hope the manager reads it.
I recently rode an airport parking shuttle with a nice driver. As we chatted a bit, I learned he had recently been called back to is job at National Steel, where he had been laid off eighteen months earlier. He was hanging on to his shuttle driver role – in this case on the very late night shift – partly to hold the financial line until he had re-established his engineering job, but also because he wanted to support his parking shuttle company, who had been supportive and had seen him through his difficult time. This driver, having walked the gauntlet of layoffs as many in the area and across the country have, was grateful to have both his old job back, but also to have worked in a very different capacity and in an appreciative way for his temporary company.
Having had my own “Up In The Air” moments and journey this past year, I reflected on how the effects of a difficult job market might impact customer service industries. In these two instances, the connection I felt with these people was one of shared hardship – but also a renewed appreciation for being employed – for dedicating yourself to quality work, but also to good service. Moving from what only a year or two ago seemed a time of abundance to a time of shortfall, I think you can find that employees will be more focused and determined in getting the job done- but I urge you to also look at the web of issues clouding their professional and personal lives… and to take the opportunity to demonstrate why you are the company worthy of their dedication. An old boss of mine used to harp, “You must inspect what you expect.” True enough, but I think you also need to “inspire what you expect.”
It will pay off for all involved.
By the way, don’t believe everything bad you read about Detroit. The people of Motown and Michigan are pretty darned resilient.
January 19, 2010
There are a number of great movies out for the holiday season and I indulged in seeing George Clooney’s latest movie, “Up In The Air”. In this unique tome about the transitory state many are experiencing as a result of corporate downsizing, Clooney’s character, Ryan Fitzpatrick, (hired to announce to different firms’ employees they’ve been downsized), crisscrosses the country at 30,000 feet accumulating thousands of miles and resulting points and perks in major travel loyalty programs, for which he is keenly a master and revered member. Those of you who have traveled for your business know the unique ins and outs of airline and hotel loyalty clubs, for better or worse.
I believe loyalty clubs are about more than accumulating platinum status. Many people find benefit in such clubs for a different sense – a sense of belonging. I had the chance awhile back to visit several wineries in various parts of the country and the world. Wine is becoming a fun passion for me, and I’m intrigued with the small business that is the family winery. Like many of us who have small businesses, these wineries are owned by people who come to the business with a love and passion for the product, the industry and the client. This is a challenging and tough business – one that often stretches and stresses the artful dreamer pursuing the business to the extreme. I’ve noted that for many of the family wineries, the Wine Club or Loyalty Club is a frequent and great channel for building a following for the winery.
An example of the Wine Club done well is by a small winery in the Finger Lakes of New York called McGregor Wines. At McGregor Winery, the tastings are a little different – instead of standing at a long counter, you sit at indoor picnic tables, with your hosts coming by with wine and cheese. Tasting with you, your hosts come to feel like a friend who is sharing in the appreciation of not just a wine, but an experience that is a unique but familiar connection. Kind of like connecting with a long lost friend you went to school with. At the end of the tasting, which last almost an hour but seems to pass too quickly, you’re invited to join the wine club.
As you might expect, their club is actually called The Clan. And while you don’t get a plaid kilt to wear for your membership fee, you do get a couple of great wines six times a year. With each carefully packed shipment comes a letter from the McGregors, John and Stacey. Together they share a perspective of the wine in notes from John and Jeff, the winemaker, on “the voice of the grapes”, that sense of climate and land and place that is terroir – that so reflects their philosophy of winemaking. Also, they include several great recipes of Stacey’s for pairing with the wine. As a clan member, you are always invited to special events at the winery – picnics, harvest celebrations, first barrel tastings and of course, an annual winter celebration of the birth date of legendary Robbie Burns! These gatherings draw quite a number of “clan folk”, and the photos included always convey the laughter and joy of the day or evening. And while my Asian ancestry would belie my new Scottish affinity, I’ve come to feel like a kilt and bagpipes guy when I enjoy a bottle of wine from McGregor – that I’m proud to belong. Check them out on the web at: http://www.mcgregorwinery.com/ or visit them on Keuka Lake in the Finger Lakes area of New York on a great weekend getaway!
I’ve told many friends and family about my experience at McGregor – and those that have followed with a visit and eventual entry into The Clan agree: they do a unique job of cultivating a sense of belonging, a sense of community. The stories that I and my friends who have become Clan kin spread to others is exactly what your small business seeks – positive word of mouth. In the face of dozens and dozens of choices – whether they be about wine or food, shopping or manufacturing, true advocacy features customers who not only stay with a firm, but recruit others for a business because they feel valued. And while bad news about a service experience is always easy to spread, a positive advocate is like true gold and lightning in a bottle. True customer advocacy is a customer excited to tell a story about belonging into a community of clients and sharing in a product, service and or experience. People want to share a positive story about being connected. They want to be the one with the latest story about being a club member with a unique benefit. Give it to them!
How do you cultivate membership?
When you think about your loyal customers, craft a strategy to keep them coming back for more, with an eye to giving them something special to spread – a positive message about being in membership with you. Create connection. Cultivate membership. Capture loyalty. Join the Club.
January 15, 2010
As we swing into the holiday season, there are a wealth of opportunities to see and feel the power of customer experience in full force. As business people, we know that our customer service will be tested, but also create a lasting impression in consumers minds. In my work with clients building their brand or customer strategy, one of the approaches I use is an “Urban Safari”, where we tour retail and electronics stores, hotels and restaurants to observe customer experience in a living laboratory – everyday life.
So as you take to the streets, malls, planes, trains and highways this holiday season, let’s put up your antenna and make note of how we create experiences. Hone your powers of observation: What do you see? What do you hear? Smell? How do they impact your perception of the store, airline or restaurant? More importantly, what do you notice about how staff and consumers are interacting?
Shopping:
As you head to your favorite stores or shopping venues, here let’s look at the following:
Store layout: is it easy to figure out where to go in the store? Are signs helpful or confusing? Do you feel anxious or excited entering he store? Does the sound or music help or irritate? Why? Make a note also of how people study the products they will choose to buy. Let’s use electronics as an example: Let’s say you are shopping for a new laptop or computer or portable music device. If you go to Best Buy, Radio Shack or the Apple Store, you’ll have three distinctly different shopping experiences. In all three cases, the staff are usually very helpful, and not overbearing.
In Apple, the overall traffic and buzz are noteworthy. Checkout the product placement approach – every product is set up on a table at a height you can stand at, and it is designed for you to use and interact with. What’s interesting to note is that if you stand back and study the customers near the display tables, you’ll see some using the products, and others observi
ng the people using the products. This is a distinct design element of the Apple Store – it’s called creating the “envy” factor – and it has been a key in building the power and lure of Apple products like iPods, iPhone and iMacs at in-store, online and in public venues. The staff is “uniformed” in colorful t-shirts – and they are approachable but low key – you know they can answer a question or help with product fit and selection. 
A couple of additional things to note in the Apple Store: in addition to paying for purchases at the checkout counter, you’ll also see Apple staff roaming the store with mobile checkout devices, and able to help customers make card-based purchases anywhere on the floor. No long lines, so we can get on with even more shopping! Nice.
For Your Business:
Make a note or two, and build up your experience strategy!
January 15, 2010
Travel. Holidays. Ugh – the thought of it conjures up a pretty stressful experience. Let’s start with air travel, a ripe place for observation. Interesting swing by Southwest Airlines at the other airlines by promoting “bags fly free”. What’s really interesting is that they do not have to offer something new, or of added cost, they just have to be less greedy than the others and they are differentiated! Amazing.
Next, let’s talk about the actual experience. Check-in? More and more people are getting used to self service check-in. It’s a system that has benefits for all involved. It helps reduce lines and is really good for those carrying on luggage. But here is a warning and lesson for those utilizing self service kiosks in other settings, such as grocery or hotel. When the volume of passenger or customers is elevated such as the holiday season, take the extra step to overstaff, including the self service area. These systems work well when customers get familiar and comfortable with them. Mixing high volumes of infrequent travelers (lots of them at holiday time) who are not familiar with self service with those that are is a recipe for frustration and even disaster.
Put extra staff on the floor to help check clients in and do it happily. The impression created, either positive or negative, will last for both new and loyal customers, and can change your brand reputation in an instant.
On plane: A couple of years back I had the pleasure of traveling Virgin Blue. Sir Richard Branson, founder and Chairman of Virgin, simply gets customer experience right. In my case, it was a small thing that made for a better flight. Entering the plane, there was small message stenciled on to the outside edge of the door way. “Thanks for traveling with us. We appreciate your business. Sincerely, Richard Branson.” As I was reading this, one of the flight attendants greeted me at the door – asked for my boarding pass, looked me in the eye and said, ”welcome Mr. Lee – we’re glad you are flying with us today.” She was genuine, simple, and smiled. Amazingly, I and the other passengers she greeted this way smiled back. In that simple instance, the attendant had made a surprising impact on the emotional tenor of that flight. Contrast that to flights you have had where the “cow herd” mentality turns to angry cats as people are anxious about stuffing the overhead bins and ongoing encouragement from the overhead speakers to hurry up and sit down so we can make our on time pledge. And a last idea – with all of the families traveling through the next few weeks, you could build much goodwill for traveling families AND the people traveling around them by having a complementary “goodie bag” for very young travelers – to keep them snacking, entertained and occupied! This strategy works well for any business where harried parents have small ones in tow…. Give it a thought!
So, your homework assignment through the travel season:
Your watchwords for the holiday travel season: observe and be merry!
December 8, 2009
I’m excited to write about the intersection of two of my favorite topics: customer service and a program at National Public Radio (NPR) that I’ve found inspiring this year called This I Believe.
This I Believe is a revival of a 1950’s radio program hosted by the esteemed newsman Edward R. Murrow. He began the program at a time when there was significant turmoil in the United States. Through the program, people from many walks of life wrote essays about their guiding principles in life, and hoped to help the listeners gain context for many of the pressing issues of the time – the Cold War, McCarthyism, the brewing of racial divide and tension. In the revival of the program, NPR executive producer Dan Gediman hopes the same can happen in our time. “The goal is not to persuade Americans to agree on the same beliefs. Rather, the hope is to encourage people to begin the much more difficult task of developing respect for beliefs different from their own.”, he says.
I’ve been touched by many of the essays – they are on a vast array of topics, but all are thoughtful and inspire some reflection. I was surprised to get a newsletter yesterday after I published my entry on “A Kinder , Gentler Holiday Season”, that has several essays that focused on the similar topic of customer service and the relationship between staff and customer during this time of the year.
This excerpt from the newsletter has links to a few great essays that I hope you will check out:
From This I Believe Newsletter, dated December 7, 2009
Clerks, Cashiers and Servers
‘Tis the season for dashing through the shopping mall to find the perfect gift, and every item you buy brings an interaction with a store employee. Even during the busy holiday season, the cashiers, clerks, and servers hope you’ll give some thought to who they are and what they believe.
Click the links below for a sampling.
Forget the cake and presents. Seattle attorney Harold Taw has his own unique birthday tradition–one prescribed by a Burmese monk. By faithfully following it, Taw believes he’s helped his family to prosper.
“When I was born, a blind Buddhist monk living alone in the Burmese jungle predicted that my birth would bring great prosperity to the family. To ensure this prosperity, I was to feed monkeys on my birthday. While this sounds superstitious, the practice makes karmic sense. On a day normally given over to narcissism, I must consider my family and give nourishment to another living creature. The monk never meant for the ritual to be a burden. In the Burmese jungle, monkeys are as common as pigeons. He probably had to shoo them away from his sticky rice and mangoes. It was only in America that feeding monkeys meant violating the rules.”
Click here to listen to Mr. Taw read his entire essay.
To sign up for the This I Believe podcast and download this audio file, please click here.
December 7, 2009
As many of us head towards the holiday season, I’m wondering how that delicate balance of holiday spirit, gift buying stress and end of the year craziness will play out. Seems that television is full of stories about how people are cutting back on purchases given the economic turmoil of this year. For some, the abundances of the years prior to 08 put pressure on the tension between the meaning of he season and getting the latest and most exciting stuff. I’ve just finished Daniel Pink’s book, “A Whole New Mind”, where he puts forth a case that the abundances of the Information Age are transitioning to a time when a greater focus on meaning is occurring.
Still, gifts are an expression of gratitude, of well wishing during this time of year. How might that play out in the stores we’ll encounter over the next few weeks?
Past history would remind us of over worked and highly stressed retail staff. Which surely impact the service and experience we might have as customers. This can be a make or break time of year for retailers both in sales as well as in customer service and brand image. Hopefully, they are well prepared.
But here’s a thought for you: as we think about the swirling cycle of tension created by long lines and pressured service, think also about our role as customers. And how to be a good customer.
“Pay It Forward” with an extra smile or two. One for the person serving you. One for yourself.
Do as your mother taught you, and be sure to say please and thank you. Take that extra step for good service during this time and let the person and their management know you received good service and appreciate it. The ripple effect for that service person, the next customer, friends and family welcoming them home after a long day in the store will thank you.
Do a good turn in everyday and unexpected ways. Pay It Forward. It will come back to you. Enjoy!
November 2, 2009
It’s cold. It’s windy. Really windy. But Chicago is one of those cities that is a magnet for visitors and residents alike. Never mind the city did not win the Olympic Games bid. It is one of those places that, regardless of latitude and climate, it does a stellar job of creating memories and experiences for people across the Midwest, the country and the world.
I propose that art, culture and design have played a key role in the experience creation. But not just as a business would do, the collection of parks, museums, retail, sports, food and bars all go together to create a true City as Experience-scape.
A great example is what the city has done in the creation of Millennium Park. Bounded by Michigan Avenue and Lakeshore Drive, the park is a magnet for visitors – adjacent to the Art Institute of Chicago, it’s a natural follow on to exploring art. It’s Frank Gehry designed amphitheatre is home to the Chicago Symphony for its outdoor gigs. The “Bean” – an enormous silver kidney bean, a la Tiffany, seems to draw people of all ages , shapes and sizes to come and touch, make fun-house faces, and pose for pictures for friends near and far. Bigger-than-life size, the Bean and the other art in the park accentuate scale and infuses its visitors with fun and joy just by being.
And visitors take joy in lingering, laughing and being well. There is a man made granite lined stream, were people take off their shoes and sit on the staired banks dangling their feet in the stream, as if they were in the country, as opposed to Michigan Avenue. There are wonderous gardens, complete with a maze, from which you always hear shouting and laughter.
And while there is nothing to buy, the gifts and value in spending time in such a place with people calls together the spirit of what gathering and parks and we hope cities are. A place for human kind to drink in life in a shared way, as part of a larger ecosystem, larger than the individual.
Design. As art, it surfaces emotion and perspective. As a central part of creating gathering spaces for people in cities and villages, it is magic. It is power. It is experience.
What role does design play where you work or live?
October 22, 2009
This summer I was in Union Station in Chicago, waiting for my daughter to arrive on the train. 99.99% of the time there’s nothing interesting or nice to say about public bathrooms in places like train stations or airports, but on his day and in this place I was struck by an interesting device hanging on the wall in the men’s room.
This was my first encounter with the Dyson Air Blade, brought to us by the inventor and maker of some of the coolest vacuum cleaners in the world. I hadn’t heard anything about the Air Blade, and was intrigued by it.
The traditional air blower you find in most bathrooms are noisy, blow water off your hands and on to the floor, and only work if you rub your hands together quickly while it is blowing; then wipe your hands on your pants since they are not dry after using the blower! You know this experience, and it is not good.
The Air Blade is a clever and cool design that has you insert your hands and arms into what looks like a chute that is open on the sides. It senses when you have placed your arms inside, turns its blowers on and effectively and efficiently dries both sides of your arms simultaneously. As you move your arms up and down, water is blown away, but not onto the floor. Your arms are actually dry, your shoes remain dry, your pants are dry and you are left wondering how we could go so many years with products that were all variations on an inferior design that didn’t work. The Air Blade uses sheets of clean air traveling at 400 mph to dry hands in twelve seconds. It uses 80% less energy, and is certified hygienic by the NSF.
It is third of the major product lines of Dyson and its leader, James Dyson. Makers of innovative, bag-less vacuum cleaners that achieved market leadership in the U.K. 22 months after launch, and now blade-less cooling fans, Dyson is a leader in applying true innovation to the necessary tasks in life. He and his company is showing us that leadership in innovation, design and engineering can all combine to improve the way our lives work, and contribute to customer experience, sustainability and the bottom line.
Checkout the Airblade on your next trip to the rest room. Especially if you visit the paragon of modern design, the Museum of Modern Art in New York. No, it’s not on display, though it should be. Instead, it’s hard at work.
What other parts of life can be improved with a customer experience centric view and true innovation in design?
October 22, 2009
“Right Brainers Will Rule the Future” – so claims Daniel Pink in his best seller “A Whole New Mind”. I’m just digging into it now, but as I’ve looked for new ways to nurture some of my creative tendencies, I’m struck by the power of creativity and especially design in impacting the experiences we have as consumers (or that mater, as human beings).
Over the next few entries, I hope to bring a series of thoughts and ideas together around design and it’s impact on customer experience. Hope you’ll join in the fun!
September 24, 2009
Following a week of dog sitting for my “niece” Fergie, the Portuguese Water Dog (yes, the same breed as the First Family Dog), I explored a bit of the California Wine Country for a few days. Previous trips took me on the now heavily populated roads such as the Silverado Trail in the Napa Valley, and along the Russian River of Sonoma Valley.
This time I decided to explore the beautiful Dry Creek Valley in Sonoma County. As autumn is just arriving, the warm days linger and light the hills that special shade of gold. In Dry Creek there are many smaller vineyards, and September is the beginning of the harvest, so an exciting time. But the crowds of the summer have dwindled, so a visit to the tasting room is a relaxed chance to sip and explore the wine. It’s also a chance to talk more with the staff. I had the great fortune to stop and spend some time at Dutcher Crossing Winery on the northern end of Dry Creek Road. Stepping out of the car, a beautiful garden envelopes you as you walk toward the tasting room. The views of the valley and surrounding hills beckon you to drink in the scene as much as the wine. There are tables perfectly positioned under a pergola to make a picnic memorable.
Inside, huge windows frame the stunning view. I joked with the staff that having that view all day is a great perk of the job, and they agreed. The Dutcher Crossing wines are great – luscious Sauvignon Blanc, rich Zinfandel, finely balanced Syrah – a reflection of the handmade and small lots care that goes into the wine by winemaker Kerry Damskey and assistant winemaker Dan Glover. The staff are engaging, excited about their products, excited about you being there.
What is interesting about these smaller wineries is the story behind them. Displayed in a couple of spots around the room is the story of Dutcher Crossing. I learned much more about it in the tasting room from Leigh Behrens, the quintessential host. It is the fulfillment of a dream for Debra Mathy, the owner. It is a longtime dream she shared with her father, Charles. Sadly, he died shortly before they were to open. Her tribute to him is evident, from the logo of the high-wheeled bicycle, his last gift to his daughter, to the special tribute wine, the 2006 Charles Mathy Syrah.
Exploring the stories behind these family wines, you get a deep sense of the commitment – to making interesting wine, to building a new life that in many cases is a new journey from previous careers. There indeed is a romance to this idea of wine making – a romance that includes the land, the people – a sense of place.
Similar the many smaller businesses, the culture of a family winery shows through in the experience they create for customers. The staff feel and act as family. They wear many hats. There is a sense of shared commitment to excellence between ownership or management and staff. The ups and downs of business are real and deeply felt by each employee.
It is interesting that in the midst of much consolidation in the wine industry, many of the smaller family wineries I met are focused on making enough wine to fill the needs of their wine clubs, and pulling back from the retail distribution race. These clubs are a great example of loyalty marketing. They communicate through newsletter, blogs and 2.0 technologies. Word of Mouth marketing is very powerful in growing the clubs. Many have special events spread throughout the year to bring club members together at the winery to continue that connection. For Debra at Dutcher Crossing, it is about the high wheeled bicycle and the journey it symbolizes. A journey she invites customers and friends along. For wine club members, receiving the bi-monthly shipments of wine is like receiving a gift from an old friend. I suppose it is a sense of belonging they cultivate. A sense of membership. A sense of family and the romance of wine. Cool.
Check out Dutcher Crossing the next time you are in Sonoma. You can find them on the web at: www.dutchercrossingwinery.com
