Indifference vs. Difference

It’s pretty easy to spot poor customer service and even easier to identify trends because we see the same mistakes made in retail locations everyday. In an article on HospitalityNet.org, Steve Curtin points out three behaviors that we all see on shopping trips and gives a simple explanation for why these unacceptable practices live on.

The behaviors are 1) employees checking text, emails and social media instead of attending to customers, 2) employees smoking just outside of the entrance of the store and 3) employees holding conversations with co-workers while helping customers. These conversations generally involve complaining about work, another co-worker or even a customer right in front of other customers. Curtin chalks this behavior up to indifference and questions whether the employees would act the same if they knew a division president would be making an on-site visit. He uses the tale of the, “Emperor’s New Clothes,” as an analogy for the apathy that enables these customer killing actions to proliferate.

On the flip side, consider the case of the King of Prussia Mall as documented in the Pottstown Mercury. This is a case where the Mall, not the mall tenants mind you, has hired a corporate trainer to help the customer service desk, mall greeters and maintenance staff improve customer service skills. The resulting stories of extraordinary customer service are exemplary. After training, a series of “mystery shops” were performed to judge things like friendliness and courteousness. The staff received a close to 100% score.

The King of Prussia Mall put an interesting tag on the program. They called it “Concierge Training” and made sure everybody who worked for the mall including the maintenance staff know what the expectation are. As a side note, it turned out that the maintenance staff is especially adept at applying the high standards.

The King of Prussia Mall is not afraid to say, as Curtin suggests, “The Emperor is Naked!” and battles the indifference though empowered and knowlegible employees who make a difference.

Customer Experience Program: “Where Do I Begin?”

Through our blog and whitepapers we’ve discussed examples and methods on how to improve your customer experience but every program needs a starting point. Your starting point is typically with training and education.

Jay Goltz for the New York Times published a great piece on reforming your customer experience program. Goltz boils it down to what we know is the key to improving customer service: employee training.

Customer experience programs are not simply great ideas drawn on the whiteboard or brainstormed in the boardroom. Solid customer experience programs are formed through training and education. The retail industry is constantly evolving. Our customers are changing their shopping behaviors, the economy dips and rises, and new technology regularly unfolds, all of which require ever vigilant attention to our customer experience.

Goltz summaries the three essential areas of customer service: Desire, Hiring, and Training. We’ve spoken in depth on the internal company desire, staff training, and customer experience program development in several blog posts. As Goltz points out, they are all interrelated to form a whole customer experience program. You cannot do one without the other. Great service is dependant on staff training. Staff training is dependant on measuring your customer experiences through metrics (mystery shopping) and knowing what improvements are needed. You cannot hire great staff unless your company values the customer experience as the primary focus. Customer experience programs are full circle development that continues on through the life cycleyou’re your business.

The single most important aspect to take away from any customer experience article is the training aspect. It takes management training to understand where the customer experience metrics can be used to improve processes. Management needs a quality and knowledgeable industry leader to provide the proper metrics and mystery shopper program with valuable training on how to use the information. The training continues down the chain to the customer service staff. Superior customer service staff goes through continuous training that develops and hones their skills when dealing with customers. Training and education are the fundamental keys in having great customer service.

To go back to our original question “Where do I begin?”, the answer is simple. You begin with educating and training staff. Knowledge is powerful, especially when it comes to knowing your customer and establishing great customer experience.

Why It’s Important to Train Sales Associates During Hard Economic Times

The Retail Consumer Dissatisfaction Survey, mentioned in this stores.org article, reveals that 33% of customers are unable to find a salesperson, 25% are ignored completely by assciates, and 6% leave because of lack of trained help. Poor customer service results in lower revenue. During hard economic times, retailers need to do whatever they can to make maximize revenue. Retailers need to make even more of an effort now to train their sales associates accordingly.

Does Your Green Customer Loyalty Program Stand Out?

Tom Ryan of RetailWire.com recently started a discussion on greening loyalty programs. From chlorine-free diapers to recycled trash bags, brands are coming up with creative ways to join the green movement. How can you make your green customer loyalty program stand out? One way to make your loyalty program stand out is by having exceptional green customer benefits.

Green Customer Benefits

Many brands will offer reward points through a credit card or debit card. Customers can then use these points to donate to a “green project” of their choice that the brand supports. However, this only appeals to a select group of customers. The majority of customers would rather use the earned points to reward themselves. How can you provide a green reward system that can benefit more customers as well as the environment? Offer eco-friendly products such as green home products or organic pet toys.