Hotels Adding Small Touches That Add Up

While the hotel industry has issues,  an increasing number in the industry get some things really right when it comes to customer experience.

Sure, top end chains like the Four Seasons and Ritz Carlton wrote the book on customer service and high end hotels, but when I travel for business, I value less the pampering and want a hotel experience that “works”.

I just returned from a week in London, one of my favorite cities.  I’ve had the chance to stay in a Club Quarters the last two trips, and am happy to report an excellent stay in both experiences.

Things they get right for the business traveler:

• Excellent and spacious business lounges – makes a good base for meetings, as well as working when you can’t sleep on the time zone change
• Free wireless, plus wired connections
• Great coffee/espresso machines
• Free purified water machines on every floor with personal bottles for you to refill
• A “good enough” workout room
• Self service check in and checkout machines that are well designed and fast
• Nicely, not overly done rooms
• An excellent and fair value for price

Tip o’ the cap to Club Quarters – you are way up the list

 

 

Following the Journey Map to a Great Experience

Recently, I needed a new windshield wiper blade.  The day was a sloppy mix of rain and snow, and the driving would be a hassle if I didn’t take care of the problem.  I stopped into a local O’Reilly’s Auto Parts store, and picked out the basic wiper blade.  As I went to check out, the clerk, a pleasant, elderly gentleman suggested I look at the next blade up in quality (and price).  He vouched for them, saying he had great luck with them.  He walked me back to the display, helped me pick out the new blade, which happened to be on a two for one sale.  Going a few steps beyond, he offered to install the new blades for me!  Having mangled more than my share of new blades, this was a great but unexpected (and free) service. In five minutes, I was on my way, and thanks to my new friend John at O’Reilly Auto Parts, equipped with a clean windshield and ready to drive safely.

What had happened?  O’Reilly anticipated not just my purchase experience of a commodity product, but gone deeper into the journey of my experience – beyond purchase to installation and use.  It was unexpected, totally satisfying and worth a story for me to tell.

Sometime back, we were encouraged to look at our companies’ business processes, to get a better handle on what was efficient and inefficient in the way we did work.  Many a quality or re-engineering method had us looking at inputs, outputs, and the steps people and machines or computers took to produce goods or information.  And while many of these helped companies better understand cost and quality, it left us short on how to provide great service.

But many of these process maps take the view of how our company sees it… what about our customers’ view?  I’d suggest many an internal process improvement was never visible to a customer. Why?  Our view in many cases was “inside – out” – how we saw it.  On top of that, we tend to think of processes as “linear” – first this step happens, then that one.  All of us in customer service know it NEVER happens that way – there are always interruptions to our neatly honed processes when CUSTOMERS are involved!

OUTSIDE – IN

So, how can we take a customer’s view of our company?  I’d like to suggest a tool many in the Customer Experience Management community use – The Journey Map.

What is it?  The Journey Map is a way of looking at the experience a customer has with a firm, its products or services.  It goes beyond the step by step process map to envision how customers live, work and play – and to deepen our understanding of how our products and services can make a positive and winning impact as customers use them.

A few years ago, one of my favorite business leaders, Richard Branson, was introducing business class travel from the United States to London on Virgin Air, and competing with vaunted British Airways and the American airlines.  His competitors focused on in-plane features and amenities and relatively competitive fares for a lucrative route.  Virgin Air chose to go several steps beyond:  while competitors focused on the business lounge and the in-flight experience, Branson took a view of the FULL journey by a business person: he had his team look at the experience of a valued business traveler and what they needed to accomplish to have a successful trip.

• His view of the journey included the journey TO the airport – so Virgin Air business travelers were picked up by limousine and transported to the airport.  Bags were checked in as part of the pickup service.
• Once at the airport, the business class lounge provided a full meal buffet, not just snacks
• Upon arrival at Heathrow, complimentary use of showers, a massage, suit, shirt or dress pressing.
• Limousine service to your business meeting.

In this way, Virgin demonstrated it understood that business traveler’s journey neither started at the airport nor finished at the airport.  That the things that taxed a traveler could be addressed by Virgin as a travel companion AND as a business partner.  Impressive.

Let’s try on an example:

Let’s say you make a great add-on accessory case for a phone or portable music device.  You have some choices about the product design:  what material is the case made of, how it is packaged, how you promote the product and how you stand behind your product as customers use it.

A Journey Map would envision and document several aspects of the customer’s use of mobile devices and accessories:

• How do customers use their phone?  Is it carried in a pocket? A Purse or backpack?  On a hip?

• Product material – is it slippery or grippy?  Can it survive the “drop” test?
• Packaging – is it easy to open?  Or do you need a large pair of scissors or an acetylene torch to open it?
• How is your product merchandised in store?  Can the client try it out on their phone? Does the online information contribute in a positive way to differentiating the product? Is there a chat capability to help with product or usage questions?
• Customers exchange or buy a new phone every couple of years… can you extend the relationship by getting them to buy a new case of yours with a loyalty promotion or coupon or referral to a friend?

Around each of these areas of questions you need to answer about how your product would work and how the customer experiences your firm.  It would examine the emotional attributes of the buying and ownership experience, and build standard but differentiating service procedures into each step of the Journey. Build your website, call centers and other sales and service channels to anticipate the full customer experience – from research, to selection, to product usage, to problem resolution, to proactive service and deepening the customer relationship and building follow on business.

Lessons about the using the Journey Map to create a great experience

• Extend your view beyond the sale
  • Pre-sale
  • Sale
  • Ownership
  • Renewal
• Understand why and how a customer uses your product or service
  • What situations does your client use your product in
  • What can happen emotionally?
  • What would cause them to use your channels – both assisted and self service?
• Anticipate these uses and build them into your processes
  • Don’t miss an opportunity to demonstrate your excellence in service
  • Don’t miss an opportunity to build a deeper (and more profitable) relationship
  • Don’t miss an opportunity to differentiate

Invest in the effort to really understand your customers and how they experience your firm, your competitors and the market from their view – the Outside-In.  Like John and O’Reilly, you can create a clear view to a better customer experience.

 

One Step Further – Hertz Warms Up

The other night it was snowy and cold as I landed at the airport.  It was late – and I was late – about two hours beyond my scheduled arrival.  I had reserved a rental car at Hertz, with whom I’ve been a long time customer.  One of their “Gold” and “Presidents Club” members, I’ve found their service excellent over the years.  Their check-in is almost universally excellent, using handheld scanners and terminals that get you through the check-in process easily – really good for those of us who tend to cut it close.

On this night, I was concerned that perhaps they would take my reservation down, since I was so late.  Having sat on the runway for most of our delay, I wasn’t able to call and adjust the reservation.

As the bus pulled into the lot and up to the Gold Members display board, I searched for my name.  And there it was!  I walked to the numbered stall  under the canopy and found my car with the trunk open, awaiting my bag.  And what a pleasant surprise to open the driver door and be greeted by a wafting, warm air from the inside of the car.  They had started the car and its heater on this cold night, and what better way to take the chill out of the late night air.  Impressive.  Equally impressive was the time noted in marker on my rental folder – they had checked my flight and noted I was delayed, so were ready for me when I finally did arrive.  It was a nice way to improve my outlook after the “delayed travel blues”!

These small things are always improving my experience at Hertz – they do well to anticipate the things that make travel  challenging, and the anxiousness that comes along with it – and take those extra steps to let ou know they know about travel.

Learning Point for the Day

• What can you do to anticipate how your customers use your products or services?  Consider both “normal” circumstances, as well as those that arise when “stuff” happens.  Then put  extra touches into your processes and procedures that show your customer you are ready and will intercept the nagging or troublesome path things can often take.  I guarantee your customers will not only notice, but will tell someone about it!

P.S.     General Motors has been running an interesting set of television ads comparing their vehicles to others and challenging, “May the Best Car Win”.  The car I had this night was the Chevy Malibu…. in a word, wow!  A very pleasant surprise – nice lines, well appointed, comfortable and great handling – if you haven’t checked it out, take a look.  It may be a best car indeed!

 

Loyalty Clubs

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?

• Look over that frequent customer list and think about three things you could communicate with them about in the next thirty days. Lay out a four quarter plan for communicating through email or snail mail with your best customers.
• What “members only” event could you hold to show appreciation and give them a story to share?
• What “share your story” outreach might you do to gather stories and suggestions from frequent customers?  How could you use those      stories or feature and celebrate them?
• What perk could you provide to clients who bring three or four friends to experience your service or business?

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.



 

Winter Travel

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:

• Think about simple changes in staffing and customer assistance during busy times can pay dividends – for you and your customers.
• Recognize the stress and anxiety in the season and find ways to “de-compress” key service situations and watch your brand reputation soar in comparison to competitors.

Your watchwords for the holiday travel season: observe and be merry!

 

Design and Cities as Experience-Scapes

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?

 

Family Wine

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

 

Pecorino Prose

On the fourth day of making the world, God took special care to put a sheep (or two) on a hillside in Pienza, in the Tuscan countryside of Italy.  And while the area nearby has wonderful grapes turned to wines called Nobile and Brunello, a special treat is made and aged in the cellars nearby.  Today this treat is known as Pecorino cheese.  In the U.S., aged Parmesan cheese is revered, and Pecorino is a poor cousin.  But in Pienza, there are many cousins of several ages, and they are unique, of wonderful texture and flavors that bring a smile to your soul.  Sitting on a hillside overlooking a Tuscan valley, you daydream about how wonderful a simple life of wine, bread and, yes, Pecorino cheese can be.  Many talk today about local and slow foods – here in Tuscany the wine and food have gone together for centuries, and it is as if the flavors themselves have carried on through generations of the land and those who find a harmony with it and with life.  In the cheese shops of Tuscany, the aromas, and flavors and the life of Tuscany all find their way into your being.

I suppose somewhere in time, God saw that we on earth could make Pecorino cheese, and God smiled.

Here ends the lesson!

 

Share Your Summer Experience Story!

With the summer heading for Labor Day here in the U.S., it’s a great time to share a summer experience story.

Did you travel? Think about the research and planning – how did you choose your destination?  What appealed to you about the location and your hotel?  What was the journey like?

Think about an unexpected experience.  What made it memorable?

In this summer where many cut back, maybe your journey was closer to home – perhaps a concert or local music festival;  a camping trip or a good meal shared with friends.  Share a few nuggets on why your experience was good or bad and why you remember it.

Tell us your story!

Thanks, and check back often to see what others are sharing!

 

A Sense of Place

The French word terroir describes the combination of site, soil, sun, climate and farming techniques and the resulting character they create for a vineyard and its grapes.   On a recent trip to the Tuscany region of Italy, I felt a great example of how the these elements come together to produce wines that are magical.  Brunellos of Montalcino, Chianti Classico and the wines of Montepulciano all reflect distinctive and engaging wines from their landscapes and vineyards.

It’s also interesting that the word terroir can also be loosely translated as “a sense of place”.  This is a great description of what you feel when you experience Tuscany.  On a wine tour with my good friends David Jackson and Kathy Troidle of Ripertoli Wine Adventures (www.ripertoliadventures.com) I soaked in all that Tuscany has to offer.  I learned that not only are the wines special and unique, but that the people of Tuscany find great celebration in the unions created between food AND wine of the region.  And they are such an integral part of life there, it becomes essential parts of the culture.  You taste it in the wines and food. You feel it as you travel small roads through villages and past a multitude of vineyards and olive groves.  A sense of place.

We had the great fortune to spend time at several wineries, but one in particular stands out.  Castello di Querceto is a special place in Greve in Chianti. Querceto, which refers to “the small forest of oak” it resides in, is a quintessential Tuscan winery – home not only to vineyards and winery, but also home to the family who has been making wine in the region for decades.

Our tour guide was Marcello, a gracious man and son-in law of Alessandro Francois, head of the family and the winery.  The Francois family which has been in Querceto since 1897, on land along the Via Cassia Imperiale, built by the Romans in 123AC.  As we toured the grounds, their XVI century castle and home, the vineyards and wine production facilities and the richly historic wine caves, I couldn’t help but feel the passion he and many other winemakers have for  their product.  But more than the product, the wines reflected their lives – their history, their love of land and life.  The kitchen staff produced truly beautiful food – elegant on its own, but simply special with their wines.  As one of our other hosts along the trip explained, “the act of sharing wine and food with friends and family is what life is”.  Indeed.

A version of this experience played out in the many wineries and restaurants David and Kathy introduced us to across the Tuscan countryside.  Their Tuscan wine tour is special in its way of creating a deep connection of  newcomers with the Tuscany they love. They do it by focusing on key elements of experience design: finding special elements in a product or place.  Creating a context where people are active in their engagement and exploration and crafting a deeper, more powerful experience for themselves.  It helps to have a rich pallete to draw from in a special place.

Tuscany. A passionate people. A sense of history. A sense of union between a land and its people, reflected richly in its food and wine.  A sense of place.  Terroir.