To serve, with love

I asked the waiter whether I can be served fries instead of mashed potato and he said "Sorry, this dish is with fries only"; When I asked the customer service desk why they have added late payment charges on my credit card when I received the bill after due date, they insisted that I was lying; I dialed customer service number and had to go through 6 reconnections for 15 minutes to complain about late service. A flip through the log book of any organizations dealing with customer satisfaction and the above "dissatisfactions" will be the most frequent complaints mentioned over and over again by upset and unhappy customers. In a world where products and services are becoming easy to see, examine, hack, copy and replicate the only distinguishing feature that will remain in the memory of customers is the way people are approached, greeted, treated and served.
The division between manufacturing and service industries is a misleading divide. Most people perceive that for a tangible product its look, feel, design, colour and performance are what will make it attractive for the buyer. True. However, ultimately the product has to be sold through people and especially people who are the front face of selling the products at the point of purchase. Take the example of trying to buy a shampoo of a big brand in a store. You may love the brand but the man behind the counter has the power to influence you to buy it, reject it, or buy some other brand. On the other hand more and more of the world is moving towards services especially in the industries that deal with intangibles like banking, consulting, advertising, etc where the level of service is the level of business.
Traditionally the service assessment is done when the first face to face contact is made. In more contemporary times it is the total customer experience that makes or breaks the image of a particular brand. The experience starts with the need trigger in a buyer's mind and a desire to seek information about it. A person trying to buy internet connection for his or her house and calls various internet service providers. The experience of ease of getting information will be part of service. Many companies have made elaborate automated systems to help people answer their queries. Sometimes the system is so long and elaborate that by the time the customer reaches the right number, the right connection, the right person he or she is already furious and frustrated. What people want is an on click system that immediately responds to their needs. Similarly once connected how helpful or unhelpful the service center people are, how welcoming or unwelcoming they are. The tone of their voice, their ability to own your problem, and their considerate or inconsiderate response will make or break the deal right at the enquiry level.
Organizations feel that once the order is in the customer is hooked the job is over. The post purchase experience is not given the same attention as pre purchase behavior. Typically airlines don't bother about the total experience. Many people lose faith in an airline due to the indifferent behavior of the person at the check in counter or the nonchalant attitude of the staff during the flight. However it is these encounters that build up the customer experience. Any one point of interaction that is unpleasant can mar the whole service chain. Following are the golden rules of serving with care:
• Prepare for a genius customer: Never think your customer is a fool. Always prepare for a customer who is a genius, who knows, who is finicky, who is demanding, who is difficult to please, who is cribbing, who is meticulous, who is a perfectionist, who is detailed, who is tough. The more you prepare your service with this person in mind the more you will go beyond expectation, the more you will be prepared for every eventuality and the more solutions you will have for every situation.
• Small things make a big difference: The assumption that all customers want some big discount offers and would not relent otherwise is a general assumption. The ability to smile and greet warmly can melt the most stone hearted of an individual. The famous Singapore smile was a big example of how Singapore Airline became a top choice for flyers. The fact that the names of the passengers were remembered and called and any delay was apologized and compensated for created life-long loyalty for customers despite being more expensive than other airlines.
• Own up the problem: Nothing irritates people more than being told sorry I am not the person who can solve this problem and refer you to some other department. Even if it is not the relevant person train your people to listen carefully and then arrange for the relevant person to attend to them in the shortest span of time.
• Respectful and courteous: Nothing puts off people servers who are rough and unready, who are gruff and grumpy, who are always trying to be smarter than you, who want to win all arguments. Instead those who are attentive listeners, ready to apologize, keen to appreciate and quick to lend support are people who become part of those famous folklore barber shops and tailoring houses where people who have shifted abroad come back just to have a haircut or get their clothes stitched from these people they love and trust.
Social media has made service flaws almost fatal. The minute some mistreatment happens customers make videos and write reviews and blogs to discredit the whole business. Recent videos from United Airlines of passengers being mistreated almost caused a boycott of the airline.
In this instant world the difference between genuine and fake service gets viral in seconds. Service like most acts of personal interactions can only succeed if they are labour of love. Just trying to do a job will never create service standards that are unforgettable, where moments of truth reveal genuine care and concern, where what matters to the customer is supreme for the people who serve. As Damon Richards put it "Your customer doesn't care how much you know till they know how much you care".
(The writer can be reached at [email protected])