Now That's Customer Service!

No Running on the Pool Deck

A couple of weeks ago, I came home to a delightful little lake in my dark hardwood floored kitchen. Fun times. After spending about 10 seconds in disbelief, I immediately turned off the water valve. Two hours and many towels later, I dried the surface water off the floor.


Did Somebody Call a Plumber?

The next day I bought a new facet and had it installed by a professional plumber who searched the house for more culprits. This plumber was recommended by a friend and was at my house within 12 hours.

I thought the problem was solved.
The slight warping would dry out, right?

Wrong

A week later, I called my insurance broker to report the claim. An hour after our call, a local agent called to arrange things. Two hours – yes, hours – after my original call, a local restoration company was in my kitchen assessing the damage. It’s been three days of noisy fans and plastic mats but they are on the case.

Free Cable and Internet

If this doesn’t work – and most have their doubts – the entire first floor of the house will be repaired, sanded and refinished. This will require what resembles a full move. Everything must be moved out, the floor takes at least a week to repair and redo and it might mean hotel livin’ for a while. Like I haven’t seen enough of those things! But they are all over it.

Surprise 'em All!

It’s not done yet and I know this post is premature but from the broker to the insurance company to the restoration guys – it’s been an amazing string of excellent customer service.

USP: Step One

If you want a unique selling proposition – treat your customers well. You are not at their beck and call, you are there to solve a problem, fix the pain, better their lives, enhance their experiences. Be all over that.

The cynic in me is alive and well and will only rest when this is all over. Something else you should keep in mind when dealing with clients. If you don't think they know, you're sunk.

Are you all over it with your customers?

@knealemann
knealemann at gmail dot com

Let’s create experiences, not campaigns.

Serendipity

Two nights ago, I was checking in to my hotel and realized when I got to the room that I had forgotten something in the car. So I went back out to get it, and just as I was walking through the lobby I stopped to answer an email on my Blackberry.

When I got back to the lobby, I realized my phone wasn’t in the holster …or my pocket …or my other pocket …or that pocket …it was gone. So assumption dictated that it was still in the car.

An hour later after tearing the car to shreds, the hotel staff calling my cell constantly, I finally accepted that the phone had vanished into the time continuum. Or I had dropped it and a car had smashed it, or it was stolen by the world’s most masterful pickpocket.

While I was looking for the thing, someone yelled my name. It was a colleague I had worked with in radio who is now running the marketing and promotion department at a music label. He was picking up one of his bands and suddenly he and the band were helping with my dilemma.

When I finally had time yesterday to get a replacement, I immediately called my label friend to thank him for his help the night before. He then invited me to his band’s show in a few hours. So I went. The band is Thriving Ivory if you wanna check them out.

At the gig, it was great to see a bunch of people I hadn't seen in a while. Some say stuff happens for a reason and perhaps some say it to cope with stuff when it doesn’t go their way. In this case, it truly was Serendipity.

And the guy who was yelling "No! No! No!" 24-hours earlier whilst tearing apart his car was suddenly reminded - it was just a phone. We learn lessons from the strangest places and most of the time it is all for a reason.

km

Ode to Road Warriors

If you travel for work you may relate. Hotel life loses its luster very quickly. There are wonderful comfortable places to stay all over the world but there is still something missing. The little things become the big things.

If you travel, you become a master of tiny soaps and mini-shampoo bottles. Towels are in abundance and tossed in the tub. You leave for the day and return to a bed made and a fresh supply of towels.

But anyone who lives on the road more than at home should be commended, or perhaps committed? It's not as easy at it seems. I know of many very successful business people and consultants who have chucked it all for a more stable work enviornment.

With all the worry of the financial crunch we take advantage of technology in the form of teleconferences, PDAs and webinars, the airport is still a snarled mess on any given Monday morning.

Business travel can be a great way to meet new people and share different experiences. But it's not so exciting when you are toiling in your hotel room, eating another chicken sandwich, while the game is on. An activity shared with a lot of the people lined up at the airport that morning.

I’m sure most of us have experienced the unforeseen trip extension. Murphy’s Law #871: This is the trip where you packed ‘just enough’ for the original length of time. It's day five and you have to shop for clothes because you were supposed to be flying home on day three.

Maternal wisdom can prove paramount for the survival of any road warrior. Those immortal words ring true no matter what; “Take care of yourself, eat properly, and get some rest”. And bring some extra clothes just in case, I'm speaking from experience. Recent experience.

This does not solve the worst part of travelling - the travelling part.

km