Are You A Pioneer or a Broom

This is just a quick post to challenge your thinking if you are about to embark-upon a new adventure or a major change at work. It’s relevant for those of you working your way through a culture change programme. In December 2009 I took a trip to Italy and part of the vacation took a tour to Mount Etna to visit the Volcano. Our tour guide was very helpful and kept our interest as we made our slow ascent to the coach park near the summit of the mountain. One of the facts she mentioned got me thinking, hence my post.

What Can Jamie Oliver Teach You About Customer Experience?

So on a trip to Jamie’s in Bath on a warm June weekday I, along with my wife and two of my children took lunch, mystery shopping Jamie’s latest addition to his culinary empire. I approached the task using a process we use in formal client engagements which we call Walking Two Moons. The full process involves taking the journey customers take across several channels noting everything that has a positive, negative or indifferent impact upon the customer experience. You can find out more about the approach here. However on this occasion we (I’m training my off spring) used the principles to review our lunch experience.

The restaurant is located in a popular corner of Bath in Milsom Place around which there are boutiques and a few other eating places. Jamie’s has no overt branding on the outside, it’s just like any other bistro that one might come across in such a corner of this spa City. On entering the restaurant we were greeted by a friendly hostess who guided us to the first floor dining area. On the ground floor there is a degree of theming which has been set up to suggest an Italian style, hams and salamis hanging around the food preparation area which is on full view to the customers. There were a few crates of pasta and flour in corners again suggesting we were eating in the local bistro where we would experience an ‘Italianesque’ approach. On display were some of Mr Oliver’s books for sale along with other branded items. But the theme was only a suggestion, not sufficient to give a really  memorable experience, certainly no WOW.

Once upstairs we were promptly seated, our order taken and our meal and drinks delivered without delay. The experience was efficient, prompt and without fuss…but no more than a transactional experience. The point that was missing here was that in any experience it goes beyond just these basics it includes all the stimuli that reach our senses – sights, sounds, smells, tastes, touch. So it goes almost without saying that when we are sat in a restaurant these senses will be stimulated by what we experience and through these we begin to make judgments comparing the experience against what we expected. In this case I was disappointed with tables cleared but not cleaned immediately. Waiters with aprons hanging down around their hips almost to the point of slipping off. Shirts un-tucked, staff not engaging with their guests. Music not in keeping with the theme. All these elements are part of the customer experience. It’s not just about the food. If in Bath again would I make an effort to go to Jamie’s again? Well I might give it a second chance but only maybe.

Beaten by Bill’s

Contrast this to Bill’s in Brighton (Bill also has a restaurant in Lewis). Bill’s is a feast for all the senses. They have a unique proposition where the restaurant is part of a fruit and vegetable store along with a wide selection of other food – canned, bottled and packaged. Bill’s provides a unique and memorable experience. I have eaten their several times and so great was the experience that I made a special trip to their sister site in Lewis to compare the experience there…it was just as memorable. What makes Bill’s a more memorable experience than Jamie’s is the sensual overload. It’s impossible not be drawn in by the colours, sights, sounds, smells, tastes and textures of the restaurant and store areas. I’ve had several experiences of Bill’s now and the food has always been excellent, different and original. In many ways far better than Jamie’s. The service has been far more engaging and Bill’s theme (a restaurant amidst a fruit and veg store) rich and intense. Would I go out of my way to eat at Bill’s – without hesitation. Next time I’m close by I will make a point of it. No…. in fact I’d drive out of my way to go to Bill’s.

Always Follow Up Solutions to Customer Complaints

This post is the part two follow up to last month’s where I shared with you the very frustrating experience I had with MSC Cruises. If you missed the story you can read it here.

Things unfortunately went from bad to worse in the end. There’s actually a ‘part three’ but that’s for next time. For now however the story goes like this.

After having made contact with the brand’s UK Managing Director I was offered a sincere apology, much thanks for bringing our issue to their attention and for the suggestions on how to improve the experience for future guests. I was also offered a goodwill gesture for a future cruise whereby I would be given an additional 20% discount on any entitlements my Gold Loyalty Card entitled me to. (Whoa! I hear you say.)

It would appear on the face of it that this would be the end to the matter. So last December I reserved a family cruise over Chrsitmas. This was to be the first full family holiday we had had together for several years. My wife and I were also celebrating our 25th wedding anniversary, my wife her “xyz” birthday (big milestone) and my daughter her 21st, oh and it was Christmas.

We were told everything had been communicated to the ship, discounts would be applied and that there shouldn’t be any problems. I should have known better. Upon arrival on board I took a copy of the letter we had been sent from MSC Cruises in the UK with the details of our goodwill discount, and presented it to the Customer Service Desk aboard the ship. They took a copy saying they would give it to the Customer Service Manager. And we enjoyed our holiday; until the night before we were due to disembark that is.

Discount, What Discount?

So I’m standing at the Accounts Desk alongside of several other people all checking our bills the night before disembarkation. You’ve guest it, nothing that we were entitled to had been applied to our bill. No discounts. Nobody had received instructions about any discounts and furthermore unless they had specific instructions from their head office then there was nothing they could do. Not even when I presented to them the letter from the UK.

I’m not one to get annoyed in public but this was the last straw. What really got to me was the fact that the Customer Service Desk where I handed a copy of the letter at the beginning of our holiday was only metres away from the Accounts Departmen’s reception area, in full view. Talk about lack of communication.

What We Did Next

So broken promises, poor communication and yet more negative experiences for the customer. It didn’t stop there of course because we had to then go back to the UK and sort it out with them. This meant more emails and letters and then a dispute with them over exactly what we were due and what we weren’t. Having promised to keep the UK MD in the loop we have a third part of the story to share next time.

Now however let’s take the key messages:

• Whenever you apply a solution to a customer problem make sure you follow through and ensure what is supposed to have happened has happened.
• Follow up early on in the process. Don’t leave your follow up too long as you don’t have chance to ‘nip it in the bud’ if things go astray.
• Communicate, communicate, communicate. They say no news is good news. Rubbish, I’d rather hear than not hear. Confirm things back even if there’s no news. Keep the customer in the full knowledge that everything is going the way it should.
• Pre-empt what might go wrong. If it can happen it probably will with the customer that has already had issues.

Points For You To Consider

What you should consider from this:

1. To what extent do you follow up to make sure what should have happened actually did?
2. When was the last time your solution tripped itself up and how did it happen?
3. How good are you at communicating within your organisation those pieces of information that are critical for a successful customer outcome?

The Customer Will Always Have The last Word

Several of my readers commented on an earlier post of 2009 which referred to the service I experienced on a cruise ship from the MSC fleet. If you missed the copy here’s the link.

Well things didn’t go smoothly on every occassion. They have a gaping hole in the customer experience when it comes to above all, their Customer Information desk and their UK Customer Service team. My experience of how a very simple policy issue escalated all the way to the Chief Executive of this international multi-billion Euro shipping company would take too long to describe in this email. But a summary of my experience, shared below provides poignant reminders for anyone responsible for company policies. If you’d like the full description then read the letter I sent to Mr Pierfrancesco Vago, CEO, MSC Cruises, Italy.

Poorly conceived policies that impact upon the customer can have both revenue implications as well as word of mouth ones too.

My Gold Card is Meaningless

Having been on several holidays with this cruise brand over as many years my wife and I have been awarded a Gold Card from their Loyalty Programme. This entitles us to certain benefits such as extra discounts, access to certain events, fresh fruit in the cabin twice a week and a complimentary meal for two in one of the ship’s themed restaurants, as well as a free laundry service.

Unbeknown to us we choose to eat in a restaurant which didn’t allow this complimentary meal. When the cost of the meal appeared on our bill things just went from bad to worse. For those of you who want the full story then you can read it here. But the bottom line is that the ship’s Accounts Department refused to allow the free meal as it should have been take in a specific restaurant, on this occasion their Chinese Restaurant. After several conversations and endless frustrations we had to back down resorting to following it up upon our return to the UK.

The policy they refused to back down on ultimately cost the organisation revenue and customer bad feeling too. The cost of the meal charged was only 53 Euros but we could have taken a meal in the ‘appropriate’ restaurant where we would have easily run up a bill of significantly more.So the irony was that the meal we took cost them less than the meal we could have taken and they refused to let the lesser cost be offered. Is that logical? No it was their policy!

Now there’s a principle at stake here so it was the principle I was standing up for. We were after all the customer.

Four Seasons Restaurant - MSC Orchestra

What We Did Next

Given that we couldn’t resolve the issue on-board, there was one way of getting our money back and that was by withholding the discretionary service charge for our week long holiday which amounted to around 70 Euros. This was removed from our bill upon request leaving the company now 17 Euros down.

Also given the bad feelings we had due to this enforced policy concerning the meal we probably refrained from spending extras on various items preferring to keep it for another occasion upon our return home. Yet more lost revenue. So was this policy working for them in the longer run?

Although the ship’s Customer Service Manager on-board met with us he defended his company’s policy and refused to make the necessary changes. He just didn’t see it

from the customer’s perspective. Consequently upon return to the UK we began the process of complaint. First through the travel agent and then finally when they had received no response and were frustrated themselves I began the salvo of letters to the CEO in Naples and within two days I had a call from the MD of the UK arm of the organisation and a sincere apology. What we agreed and what happened next however I’ll save for another day because things just went from bad to worse and make for an interesting read in themselves.

Points For You To Consider

What you should consider from this:

• Are your policies customer focused or revenue focused?
• What’s worth more, keeping the customer in the longer term or sticking to a policy in the shorter term?
• Have you any stupid policies that might be working against you and alienating customers?

Christmas with Richard Branson and Gordon Brown

OK it’s cheesy – but it’s Christmas too! Have a great break. We hope it brings you everything you wish for.

Customer Experience Service for SME’s

If you are an SME and want a strategy that delivers to you a route map from customer acquisition to repeat purchase and advocacy then our SME Customer Experience Service is the right choice.

Our SME service has been designed for those organisations that don’t have their own CRM/CEM director but are committed to developing and implementing a customer centric strategy.We provide you with a dedicated strategic resource for a fraction of the full time costs you would incur appointing your own dedicated Director/Manager.

Our role delivers several valuable benefits:

• Access to your very own ‘Virtual Customer Experience Programme Director’.
• You gain knowledge on how you can grow your business through word of mouth and customer advocacy.
• An understanding of the principles of the ‘customer experience management’.
• Understanding of the key steps to take to ensure your strategy sticks and succeeds.
• Acccess to a range of programme tools and techniques that will give your departments a new way to maximise all referral opportunities
• 1:1 mentoring so you can build your own customer strategy and action plan.
• You will understand how to employ the Net Promoter methodology to measure customer loyalty as well as which customers to focus on most
• Access to tools and ideas enabling you to unlock the potential within you current practices and assets.

What You Get

• An holistic approach across your business that delivers the “joined up” customer experience management required
• A customer strategy route-map that summarises in one clear, unambiguous map the CEM strategy that fits your business
• Access to our online Customer Experience Management Tool-Box containing over a 100 individual, team and business development tools
• You’ll receive an initial on-site consultation plus delivery of a senior management workshop to understand and document your customer model and agree short, medium and long term goals.
• We run an initial online survey to assess you readiness against 60 key areas that influence the customer experience.
• We help with your strategy design and then present the agreed future customer strategy to your senior management team.
• You receive a quarterly conference call follow up to review the progress of your strategy, and confirm next steps.
• After each follow up call we produce a written action plan to help you move forward.
• Assistance by telephone for any strategy issues that arise in the meantime.

Delivery Schedule

• The programme rolls for 12 months with any additional support and resource being agreed afterwards.
• An on-site consultation/workshop and strategy design – 3 days.
• On-site strategy presentation – 1 day.
• Quarterly follow up via conference call plus follow up reports – 2 days

Cost

• Initial review meeting £600 + VAT + Traveling expenses.
• Then standard scope of services for 12 months £9000

WordPress Amazing

I am continually amazed at the power of WordPress and it’s freeware status. What an incredible tool. I am an advocate for this product and service. To think that in 2001 we launched a membership site that cost us £21k that we can now develop for nothing!

WordPress wins our Golden Shoe Award for an outstanding product.

How Personal Behaviour Impacts the Customer Experience

When my first child was born a friend gave my wife and I a poster that said “What we are and who we become is determined by those who love us.” A very true and poignant insight indeed for a new parent. I believe this can be extended and applied to the work place too.

“What we are and who we become is determined by those who lead us.” – that’s my quote by the way.

So I wanted to share with you two recent experiences, one concerning the new MD for BMW UK, Tim Abott and the other an involving Gary Richardson the BBC sports presenter.

Read on to find out how both these individuals impacted upon my customer experience of their brands in two very different but positive ways.

A Change of Leadership at BMW UK

BMW UK recently appointed a new managing director – Tim Abott. I know Tim but not well. Our paths have crossed on numerous occasions throughout our careers, we have what I would call a passing acquaintance – we’d acknowledge each other in the street, say hi and stop for a chat for a moment or two, but we’re no closer than that. So upon learning of his new appointment in the press I quickly penned (no that’s not right – keyed) an email offering my congratulations and swiftly hit the send button.

I guess I didn’t really expect a reply based upon previous experiences of sending emails to very senior execs. After all Tim and I are no more than acquaintances and the purpose anyway of my email was to wish him well not to trigger a response. I imagined Tim would have far more important and urgent correspondence to deal with given the crisis the automotive sector is in and the burden of taking on such a challenging role.

So I was very surprised to receive a message back from Tim within the day thanking me for my best wishes. For me this is a green shoot of hope. I believe Tim’s response truly is the measure of the man and gives some insight into the way he does business and what’s important to him. Surely if he can take the trouble to reply to me it indicates that he sees great value in communication, relationships and the value of a few moments to say thank you?

Those of you that know me well will know that I have been a regular supplier of consultancy and training services to the BMW Group for over 12 years so my experience of both BMW Group brands and what it’s like to work with the organisation is extensive. I sincerely hope that through Tim’s leadership others will follow and demonstrate that even in times of pressure and of economic uncertainty, a simple human connection can ensure a large blue chip organisation can stand out as a caring and emotionally grounded one. All those that Tim now leads including the influence he has over BMW and MINI dealerships must use every touch point with customers to demonstrate their brand promise. After all

“People may forget what you did, they may forget what you said but they never forget how you made them feel.”

If Tim can find the few minutes to reply and treat me in this way, what more will he do for those that he knows better, his employees, his dealers and his customers. I wish him well as he certainly has his work cut out given the economic state the market’s in.

“What we are and who we become is determined by those who lead us.”

The BBC Journalist and the 13 yr old

There’s no doubt about it Jonathan Ross screwed up big time and the press had a field day. But he seems to come out of it unscathed for the time being as the headlines focus on the credit crunch, global melt down as well as the bankers and their pensions.

But at the time it illustrated how a brand can be damaged by actions and careless words. And for a while I thought less of Mr Ross and of the BBC. How could they have been so misguided? But then along came that green shoot of hope we often look for to indicate all is well. An action that restored faith in the brand. Not from Mr Ross of course but this time it came from Radio 4 and 5 sports presenter Gary Richardson.

In September 08 Gary had spoken at my son’s school speech day. He talked to a packed hall of students, parents and teachers for almost an hour sharing his colourful stories of the sports personalities and celebrities he’d interviewed during his career and the events he’d covered over the years and of his recent experience covering the Olympics.

As it happened on this speech day the school’s choice of speaker was very relevant, for one boy at least, my 13 year old son. His ambition is to be a sports presenter so to meet one in person was a golden opportunity for him.

After the speech my son and I met with Gary and I asked him for some words of guidance about a career in his field. Gary’s response was a surprise. Bear in mind here’s a man who must be very busy, he gets up at 4.00 am to be at his desk from 6.00 am, he frequently travels the world to meet the sporting world’s greatest. He must have a very hectic diary indeed. Gary didn’t just give words of advice he offered the chance for my son to come and meet with him at the BBC and watch him prepare and then broadcast Sport on Sunday. WOW! what a great opportunity for an aspiring sports journalist of 13.

So back in November on a cold and frosty Sunday morning we did just that, we met Garry at 7.30 am at the BBC, had a tour around some of the studios, visited where they filmed various well known TV serials, had a coffee at Gary’s desk and then spent the rest of the time in the recording studio as he prepared and then broadcast his Sport on Sunday show. It was the morning after the Joe Calzaghe and Joy Jones Jr fight so there was plenty to report on.

Gary’s actions over shone those of Jonathan Ross. My faith in the BBC brand restored – no in fact strengthened because of the actions of Gary. Like Tim he took the time and trouble to do something that valued the human touch, that demonstrated a behaviour that built a positive impression of the brand.

In Conclusion Then…

What we are and who we become is determined not only by those who love us but in the workplace by those who lead us. The actions of Gary and Tim demonstrated a personal behavior that can impact upon others. It demonstrated that no matter how busy you are there’s always enough time to fire off a thank you note or to fit someone into your busy day.

1. When you next receive an email from some one that you don’t know at all or not well, how will you respond? It could be an acquaintance, a customer or a supplier. Will your response build a better impression of your brand or will you simply hit the delete button?

2. What could you do today to build a better impression of what others have of you and therefore your brand?

3. Who do you know that could use my examples as a way to make a point with their team? When you’ve worked out who they are foward this email to them.

How To Make Your Culture Change Programme Stick

In this article I explore the root causes of failure and how to avoid them based on work by John P. Kotter, a world-renowned expert on leadership and change management at Harvard Business School.

Eight Reasons Why Many Change Processes Don’t Succeed

John Kotter, has been the premier voice on how the best organisations actually “do” change. He is the author of the recently released hit leadership fable, Our Iceberg is Melting…well worth a read. His other international bestseller Leading Change, which outlined an actionable, 8-step process for implementing successful transformations, became the change bible for managers around the world.

Kotter concluded there are eight reasons why many change processes do not succeed which I’ve summarised for you below:

1. Allowing too much complexity.

2. Failing to build a substantial coalition that will support the programme of change.

3. Not understanding the need for a clear vision.

4. Failing to clearly communicate the vision.

5. Permitting roadblocks against the vision.

6. Not planning for short term results and not realising them.

7. Declaring victory too soon and failing to persist

8. Failing to anchor the changes in daily life of the organisation.

Further Books on Managing Culture Change

The 8-Step Process of Successful Change

To prevent making these mistakes, Kotter created the following Change Phases model. It also consists of eight steps:

1. Establish a real sense of urgency. Teams and individuals need to realise the current situation and what’s facing them. So help others see the need for change and the importance of acting immediately.
2. Create a strong coalition for the cause. Make sure there is a powerful group guiding the change-one with leadership skills, a bias for getting things done, has credibility, communications ability, authority, and sound analytical skills.
3. Develop a clear vision. Clarify how the future will be different from the past, and how you can make that future a reality.This is your chance to “Shape Your Future”.
4. Share the vision with passion. Make sure as many others as possible understand and accept the vision and the strategy.
5. Empower people to remove barriers that prevent progress. Clear as many barriers as possible so that those who want to make the vision a reality can do so.
6. Look for and gain some short-term wins. Create some visible, unambiguous successes as soon as possible.
7. Consolidate progress and keep moving forward. Press harder and faster after the first successes. Be relentless with instituting change after change until the vision becomes a reality.
8. Anchor the change time and time again. Hold on to the new ways of behaving, and make sure they succeed, until they become a part of the very culture of the group.

Download this list as a PDF

What Do the Conductor, the Alto and your Customer Have in Common?

I want to encourage you to behave as if your organisation were a theatre, for in essence it really is and explain what a Conductor, an Alto and your customers have in common?.

Work is Theatre

The statement work is theatre isn’t so crazy when you think about it. In fact a popular book published by Pine & Gilmore covers the whole subject in some depth and proposes that it really is theatre and I buy into that too.

This came home to me recently when I sat through a 90 minute concert with the University of Gloucestershire orchestra. I’d had a long day in London, was up at 5.00am and then had to drive to get to the concert in Cheltenham by 7.30pm. I was exhausted by the time I arrived there.

Now I’m not a great classical follower. I couldn’t tell Bach from Beethoven, or Handel from Holst however I do know a great performance when I experience it. Likewise your customers don’t need to be experts on the subject to know that the performance you’ve just given was either a great success or a flop.

In this case I was kind of making a distress purchase where I had to sit through 85 minutes simply to get to the one piece I’d driven all the way for, to hear my daughter Saskia (the Alto) sing just two songs.

As I sat fidgeting on my seat waiting for Saskia to perform toward the end of the concert, I started to reflect just how like theatre work really is whether work in a shop, a car dealership, hotel or a facilities management company. It’s all about the performance

The Conductor

The conductor (Ian Higginson) tapped his baton upon his music stand and the musicians began their tune-up, preparing themselves for their opening piece. It all sounded out of tune to me as they played random (?) notes to ensure their instruments were ready to play. They’d already been practising earlier but this was the tune up, that critical moment before the start.

With a swift movement of the conductor’s arms the concert began. As I sat waiting for my daughter’s appearance I jotted down ideas of how theatre compares to work. Here’s my thoughts:

• The musicians are the workers
• The theatre is their workplace
• The conductor is their leader/manager
• The concert is their performance
• The audience are their customers
• Their colleagues at the door selling tickets and welcoming guests are the support staff
• The charity for whom the fund raising event was for are the benefactors (shareholders)
• The father in the audience with a daughter singing, was the distressed purchase customer – putting up with the bits he didn’t want simply to get to the part he really did.
• The music scores or song sheets are the processes and procedures to follow
• Their musicians’ willingness to give of their own free time was their commitment

They also had to cover their costs, but aim to make a profit. They had to promote themselves and market future events. Even on the back of the programme the local Indian Restaurant had placed an advert for a special post concert meal offer.

The Alto

Saskia sang just two songs perfectly, a performance to be proud of. Suddenly for me, the paying customer, the pain of endurance on a hard seat after a very long day made it all worth it.

She reminded me of the employee who connecting with a customer can make the distress purchase feel painless. It takes perfect timing, being prepared to follow a well thought through process and a lot of practice.

I may not remember the 5.00 am start, the long drive from London, the uncomfortable chairs or even the boring bits, but I do remember how I felt when the part of the customer experience that was really important to me was delivered faultessly.

Your Customers

So here’s something for you to consider:

• How often do you gather your team like the master conductor, tap your baton and get them to quickly mentally tune up ready for their performance? If the answer is I don’t, then what could you do to harmonize the team for the performance of their lives – today? And the second part to the same question, how will you keep that pre performance tune-up meaningful on a daily basis?

• Have you worked out where the most painful parts of the transaction are and what it is that the customer is really looking for from your performance?

• To what extent do you focus on the whole performance and not just the script?

If you’d like to attend one of our management workshops entitled “Your Business is Theatre” contact us via email or call me on 0784 328 4310 to find out how to engage your whole organisation around delivering a performance to be proud of.

Experience Economy, The: Work Is Theatre & Every Business a Stage

By B. Joseph Pine Ii, James H Gilmore

The Experience Economy marks the debut of an insightful, highly original, and yet eminently practical approach for companies to script and stage compelling experiences. In doing so, all workers become actors, intentionally creating specific effects for their customers.

And it’s the experiences they stage that create memorable-and lasting-impressions that ultimately create transformations within individuals. Make no mistake, say Pine & Gilmore: goods and services are no longer enough. Experiences are the foundation for future economic growth, and The Experience Economy is the playbook from which managers can begin to direct new performances.