Not a Customer? No Service For You!

Posted on by Scott

imageThe term “customer experience” entered the business vocabulary a few years ago, replacing “customer service” as the standard by which service is measured. “Customer experience” refers to the sum of a person’s interactions involving a particular organization. Every exposure to an organization – every transaction, every phone call, every mail piece, even the stories told by a friend – has an impact on the customer experience.

But what about the non-customer experience? Have you ever stopped to think about what non-customers think about you? A lot of us carefully craft the image we want prospects to see. We spend tons of money working to craft an image for the prospective customers we’ve targeted, hoping to influence their buying decision. But sometimes, it’s the little things that make the biggest impact.

Last night, my training partner and I went out to dinner after finishing up a coaching workshop. We’re in Dallas and located an Outback Steakhouse fairly close to our hotel. The parking lot was pretty full, so Eddie parked the rental car in the lot next door. The business, Espresso RMI, was closed; lights out and lot empty. A sticker in the door indicated they closed at five o’clock each day. It was around seven when we arrived, so any employees and customers were long gone.

We enjoyed a nice dinner at Outback and watched some of the NIT first round games on TV. Exiting the restaurant, we walked toward the lot where we’d parked only to find our car had been towed. Upon closer inspection, we found a sign notifying potential visitors that non-patrons were not allowed to park in the Espresso RMI lot. The sign had obviously been run over and was bent close to the ground, very hard to see in the dark by a couple of guys from out of town looking for dinner. Towing, the sign indicated, was enforced 24/7 – even though the business closed at 5:00.

We called for a taxi and made our way to the tow yard to reclaim the car. The experience cost us $27 for the cab ride and another $164 to get the car back.

I’d never heard of Espresso RMI before. I’m sure the stance they’ve taken on parking in their lot stems from a desire to provide the best possible service to their customers. However, I’m not a customer. I’ve never used one of their products or known someone who has. I didn’t even interact with one of their employees last night. But my non-customer experience with them is a negative one. As a result, I’m unlikely to ever do business with them. furthermore, I’ll be sharing this story with my clients for years to come, influencing their perception of the company as well.

For years, I’ve advised clients to look at their organization through the eyes of the customer. Going forward, I’ll also address the eyes of the non-customer. What they see and experience is just as important.

A Rare Southwest Service Failure

Posted on by Scott

imageWhen my Southwest flight out of Lubbock was canceled this afternoon, I was disappointed, but not surprised. A late winter storm had dropped a few inches of snow and ice over the south plains, causing school cancelations and numerous delays. The entire airport was shut down yesterday along with the stretch of interstate between Lubbock and Amarillo. So it made sense that crews were still battling the after-effects today.

I quickly rebooked for the only remaining flight out, the last one of the day. The biggest impact was to my priority boarding status. I usually purchase a “Business Select” ticket on Southwest in order to take advantage of the early seating. Being among the first to board allows me to locate an aisle seat toward the front of the plane, so I can stretch my long legs and get off quickly in order to make a connecting flight. Having to rebook for a later flight meant these tickets were no longer available. I was left with boarding passes in the “B” group – not terrible, but not ideal, and certainly not what I’d paid for.

The first leg into Dallas was uneventful, I even managed to nab an aisle seat on the coveted exit row. But it was the lead up to the next leg where Southwest let me down. A few minutes before boarding, the gate attendant announced that boarding group upgrades were available for a slight fee. I approached the counter, hopeful that my purchase of a higher-priced fare on an earlier flight would warrant an easy upgrade. But after consulting the computer for a few minutes, I was informed that because I was in the middle of a two-legged trip, “the system” would not allow them to print a revised boarding pass. The otherwise helpful employee was prevented from providing a satisfying service experience by the limitations of her company’s technology.

Frustrated, I waited for my turn to board with the “B” group. But the boarding pass I handed over was thrust back in front of me. “Your printer must be messed up. It can’t read this boarding pass. You’ll have to go see them at the counter.” I stared at this gentleman in disbelief as he looked past me to the next traveler. No second attempt to scan the document. No manual entry on the keyboard. Dispite the fact that my first boarding pass had scanned successfully in Lubbock, this issue was now my problem. So I trudged back over to the counter losing my place in line and any hope of a decent seat.

A customer’s perception of an organization is a mash-up of every experience, good and bad, that they’ve ever had with them. Any given negative interaction isn’t likely to make or break the relationship between company and customer, but they add up. And certain ones have a longer shelf-life and, therefore, more weight in the customer’s mind.

Service failures happen all the time. But in my book, the worst ones are those where, as a customer, I feel like I’ve done everything in my power to help the company provide me with an excellent experience. Failures of this type don’t just feel like poor service, they feel like injustice. And it’s hard to get over the feeling you’ve been done wrong.

So here are some tips to avoid creating feelings of injustice due to a service failure.

– Don’t allow policy or technology to keep well-intentioned employees from assisting customers. Despite anything written in a manual or programmed into the computer, my gate attendant should have been able to make a phone call and get assistance in oredr to provide me with a boarding pass equivalent to the one I paid for.

– Make sure employees understand that customers aren’t at fault – even if they are. My printer isn’t “messed up.” Another boarding pass I printed at the same time scanned flawlessly in Lubbock. But even had the problem been caused by my equipment, having it announced in front of other passengers does nothing to enhance the experience.

– Acknowledge the customer’s frustration. Even after explaining and pleading my case, the only thing I received was a weak “sorry.” How about a few drink coupons or extra rewards points for my trouble? In cases where you can’t rectify the issue, at least show the customer you care by doing something to try and make amends. As things stand, I don’t even know if I’ll get refunded the difference in ticket price. It’s on my shoulders to track that down as well.

Southwest typically does a great job, and they’re still my first choice (albeit often my only choice) when I fly. They have numerous awards to illustrate their dedication to customer service. But today’s experience showed me that even the best trip up sometimes. I’ll try to remain mindful of this when evaluating the service efforts of my own organization.

I Want My USB!

Posted on by Scott

imageI visited three airports today. I always bring my iPhone cable, but today I managed to forget the wall plug. I was sure I’d need to recharge my phone at least once during the day, but since I wasn’t staying overnight and airports all have those USB outlets now, I didn’t worry. The plug section really wasn’t needed, right? Wrong! I must have tried at least ten different USB outlets at each stop only to find that none of them worked. Most of them seemed to be loose, while others had either been purposefully gutted or vandalized. Only a handful even appeared to be in working order. I received the expected amount of resistance when inserting the jack, but no charge was forthcoming. Those were the most frustrating ones of all. Everything else about my traveling experience was great. The flights were on time, the employees I encountered were courteous and helpful, and the airports were clean. Working or not, USB ports have nothing to do with getting me to my destination on time. And its not like I paid money to use them – they’re provided as an ancillary service, an extra, an unadvertised perk. So why am I so aggravated? Because I expected them to work. Past experience had led me to understand that these extras were available to me at any time. It never occurred to me that they might not work. By willingly providing for an unspoken need, and placing them so prominently, airports created an expectation in my mind. And once that expectation was formed, it became an entitlement. Just as I expect to be offered pretzels on the flight, I now expect to find an operable charging port for my phone. Small gratuities, offered consistently, breed expectations. Unmet expectations breed dissatisfaction. I wondered if anyone at the airport ever checks the charging ports to see if they’re working. Then I thought about the perks I’ve been offering to my customers. How many of them have become expectations? Are there small things that I take for granted that have become big things in the minds of my customers? I once worked with a lady who changed banks because hers stopped giving out free popcorn on Fridays. Could I potentially lose a customer because of something unrelated to my core business? Absolutely. What about you? What little niceties does your business provide? What would happen if you suddenly stopped providing them? I’m not suggesting that you shy away from the little extras that set you apart from the competition. I’m simply suggesting that you be mindful of the expectations you set. Pay attention to the small things lest they become big problems.

Who’s Driving the Taxi?

Posted on by Scott

imageI just got back from Houston. I spent all day yesterday in meetings, moving from group to group and topic to topic. But the business I conducted wasn’t the most interesting part of my trip. What I can’t stop thinking about is my taxi driver.

Normally when I travel for business, I’ll reserve a rental car. I like being in control of my time and will often have a free evening to explore or shop. Having a car allows me to decide on a whim where I want to go. Picking up and dropping off at the airport makes it easy.

But for this trip, I was given a last-minute invitation to fly in on a private plane. I cancelled the front end of my flight and the rental car. We landed at a small airstrip without any rental options. Another passenger gave me a ride to my hotel where the desk clerk helped me secure a taxi for the next morning.

Bright and early yesterday morning, the familiar yellow vehicle pulled up at the front entrance and out jumped Eugenio.

Now, you’ve probably heard the stories – some true, most not so much – of the taxi drivers who go super-overboard. They have a blanket in the back seat if you get cold. They have a thermos of hot coffee and a cooler filled with soft drinks. Thy offer you the morning paper and an assortment of magazines. They give over control of the car’s audio so that you can tune in to the music you like the most. They go above and beyond to provide you with the most incredible cab ride you’ll ever experience. And of course, they work off of reservations. You’re lucky they had a cancellation or you’d never have even known they existed.

Eugenio is not one of those drivers. Don’t get me wrong, the ride was just fine. He was friendly without being overbearing. And after verifying my destination, he did ask if the music he was playing was ok. But no mind-blowing, over the top gestures of customer service were forth coming. He waited patiently while I answered some emails on my phone before engaging me in conversation and quickly delivered me to my first meeting.

As I signed the credit card slip, he asked if I needed a ride after the meeting. I had already arranged to ride with others who were heading the same direction as I was, and I told him so. I did, however, need a ride to the airport this morning. Handing me his business card (Take a look at it. For obvious reasons, I’ll keep it forever), he agreed to meet me at 6:45 in front of the hotel. Sure enough, he pulled up this morning about ten minutes earlier than necessary, and I got to the airport in plenty of time.

Eugenio didn’t try to reinvent the taxi business. He didn’t seek to overwhelm me with a series of WOW moments. He simply provided the service I was looking for, secured additional business and then made sure I knew how to contact him in the future. Anything beyond that would have been unnecessary and, in my opinion, awkward.

My point is this: To be seen above the crowd, you don’t have to be a giant. You just have to stand a little taller. So many businesses try to revolutionize their industry in an attempt to out-shine the competition and then fail to live up to their own hype. It’s like the football team that pulls out the secret play – that may or may not work – when simple execution of the basics would win the game. In a world where so many organizations fail at the simplest of tasks – arriving on time, delivering the correct order, providing correct information – those who repeatedly perform in a manner that’s unremarkable will win the day. Don’t worry about offering me a drink. Just get me where I need to go on time and I’ll ride with you every time.

D-6 Does Not Work

Posted on by Scott

This afternoon I made a trip to the office vending machine for a little chocolate fix. I tend to go for Snickers, occasionally opting for Twix. If chocolate doesn’t feel right, I’ll go with a PayDay. Well, as you can see from the picture, an earlier visitor had gone looking for their favorite snack and left disappointed. So they left a note. “D-6 does not work” They even dated it 11-27.

Instantly, I felt a wave of panic. “Oh no, what if D-6 holds the Snickers? I’ve got to have my Snickers!” It turns out slot D-6 holds salty peanuts. There were plenty of peanut bags in the slot, so I imagine the issue is mechanical. Lucky, Snickers are in slot D-0. I breathed a sigh of relief.

Dropping my quarters into the coin slot, I began to feel sympathy pains for my unfortunate co-snacker. I’ve been in their shoes plenty of times. You probably have too. Remember?

It’s mid-afternoon and you’re sitting at your desk when the craving kicks in. “I need something sweet,” you think. “Just a little something to take the edge off and tide me over until dinner.” You check your pockets to make sure you have change. And on your way to the vending machine, your mind settles on a choice.

Then you arrive only to find that the machine is out of order. Or your number choice is all emptied out. Or the machine keeps spitting your crumpled dollar bill back out at you. Or, occasionally, the worst fate of all. Your selection gets hung up. It dangles there – resistant to any amount of machine shaking – until you cough up another round of payment.

A trip to the vending machine encompasses the myriad range of emotions a customer can feel when interacting with any business. These emotions can be broken into three distinct phases of the interaction.

Initially, there’s the lead-up. This phase involves everything that happens prior to the actual interaction. In the case of a vending machine visit, there’s the craving for somethign sweet, the frantic search for spare change and the eventual settling of the mind on a desired product.

Next comes the actual interaction. In the case of my frustrated co-worker, I imagine emotions such as surprise and confusion came into play as their preferred selection proved to be unavailable.

Finally, there’s the post-interaction phase. Walking away from the vending machine, you might feel satisfaction or even elation (like when someone else leaves their change in or an extra candy bar drops into the bin). Of course my coworker felt dissatisfied, frustrated and possibly even angry.

It may seem like a small thing, but empathizing with a person’s emotional state as they interact with your business is an important part of designing a superior customer experience. The key is imagine the emotions you want the customer to feel at each stage and then put strategies in place to ensure they encounter a scenario in which those emotions come into play. You also need to imagine the emotions you don’t want a customer to feel and design processes that keep them from evolving.

Were I a vending machine owner, I would want my customers to feel satisfied with not only their purchase, but their experience. I would not want them to feel frustrated or angry. Therefore I would design processes to ensure the best emotions come into play and reinforce their decision to visit my machine. After all, I’d love for them to come back day after day.

Here are a couple of things I might do to ensure the best emotions were felt by users of my vending machine.
• I’d keep track of inventory to know how often I needed to restock to ensure everyone’s favorites were available when they wanted them.
• I’d check the mechanics of each button frequently to make sure delivery was actually taking place.
• I’d post a note letting users know how to get their money back in case of a malfunction.
• I might even run periodic “sales” by discounting certain products to provide an element of surprise every now and then.

All of this ran through my head in the seconds it took for my coins to fall into the machine. I pressed D-0 and the machine’s display instructed me to try another selection. Uh, oh. I tried again thinking perhaps I’d accidentally hit two buttons at once with the same result. So I tried D-1 (Peanut M&M’s), D-2 (Twix) and D-3 (Plain M&M’s) all with the same result. The entire D section is out of commission.

Frustrated and still hungry, I decided to punt. I pressed E-4 and a PayDay dropped down. I walked away an unhappy customer.

What emotions do your customers feel as they anticipate interacting with you? What about during or after the interaction?

What emotions would you like for them to feel?

What steps will you take to ensure your customers feel the emotions necessary to reinforce their buying decision?

The Magic of Experience

Posted on by Scott

In 1966 Walt Disney quietly began buying up swampland in central Florida. Today, millions of people every year travel from all over the world to visit that swampland – and they pay a premium to do it. Ask your kids where they want to go on vacation and odds are Disney World makes the short list.

Disney World doesn’t have the most thrilling rides. It doesn’t have the tastiest food. It doesn’t have the most convenient location. And it sure doesn’t have the lowest price tag. So why is it that 70% of the guests in the park at any given time are repeat visitors? Why is the average family willing to save for two and a half years to make the trip?

Walt Disney knew that in order to build the best theme park, he couldn’t compete the same way the other guys do. He knew that if he built a great new ride, someone else would just build a better one. If he lowered his price, the competition would simply lower theirs to stay on the game. Disney knew that these strategies were expensive and ineffective.

Disney knew that the only way to win was to provide an experience unlike any other park – an experience so engaging it could only be described as “magical.” And so Disney World remains the ultimate example of customer experience. Their culture revolves around this goal. Let,me give you a couple of examples:

– Disney cast members never say “I” or “they.” They always refer to “we” because the team as a whole is responsible for the customer’s experience.

– Street sweepers receive a minimum of 2 weeks training – not to learn how to use a broom,mbut to learn about the park – where an attractions located, the start time of the parade, etc. – so they can quickly answer a guest’s question.

– High traffic areas are painted every night, with painting timed carefully to dry by morning, so they remain clean and fresh for every guest.

– Everyone’s job description, regardless of position, includes the same two items at the top of the list:

1. Keep the property clean.
2. Create happiness.

Disney challenged his employees to examine every aspect of the customer experience and do what they could to make it better. He knew that it would take the entire team, working together, to make the “Magic Kingdom” a reality.

Now consider your last customer’s experience. Was it “magical” or forgettable?

How can your team work together to create a better experience for your customers?

And what can you do differently as an individual to create some magic for those you serve?

A Matter of Ownership

Posted on by Scott

My wife Susan recently shared a sad customer service experience with me. She and my oldest son Andrew were in the middle of a full-days’ worth of appointments. They realized that in order to have anything to eat before dinner, they would have to pick up something and eat on the run. Spying a fast food chain nearby, they pulled into the driveway. Susan ran into the restroom while Andrew approached the empty counter to place their order.

Well, my wife came out and Andrew was still standing at the counter. No one had taken his order. No one had even acknowledged him standing there. They waited for a few more minutes, watching as employees busied themselves with cleaning, stocking and other chores. Finally, they turned and walked out of the restaurant.

Most organizations say they put the customer at the center of everything they do. But when you experience the service provided by the average business, you see this just isn’t the case. In all honesty, most businesses enact processes and policies designed to maximize their convenience, not the customer’s. Why is there such a disparity between what’s promised and what actually takes place?

Part of the problem is a lack of ownership.

Ownership involves seeing your job and the service you provide from the outside and taking personal responsibility for the satisfaction of your customer. It means putting someone else’s needs and satisfaction before your own. Ownership occurs when you take on someone else’s burden as if it were your own. You quite literally own it.

Ownership is at the heart of customer service. When ownership is present, customers see you as an advocate or a partner. They want to do more business with you. When ownership is missing, customers want to leave and never come back.

Identifying a lack of ownership is easy.

Ever contacted a business with an issue only to be transferred around several times? That’s a lack of ownership.

Ever left a voicemail for a coworker without receiving a return call? That’s a lack of ownership.

Ever left a place of business because no one acknowledged your presence, or asked to help you? Needless to say, that’s a lack of ownership.

Ownership is both an individual trait and part of an organization’s culture. Effective leaders know the value of ownership and cultivate it in their organization. So how do you build a culture of ownership? Start by asking yourself these three questions:

What does ownership look like in my organization, department or job?

What policies and procedures do we have in place that prevent people from taking ownership?

What can I do today to model the concept of ownership to my team?

A Penny for Your Thoughts

Posted on by Scott

I’m a fan of the classic sci-fi TV series The Twilight Zone. Fortunately, there are plenty of occasions to watch these classic tales, as it seems every holiday finds at least one channel airing a marathon. Not too long ago I had the opportunity to watch a few episodes including A Penny for Your Thoughts.

This episode tells the story of Hector Poole, a bank clerk played by the great Dick York. On his way to work one morning, Hector stops to buy a newspaper. As he tosses some change into the newsman’s box, one of the coins lands standing on its edge. Miraculously, this one-in-a-million occurrence also provides Hector with the ability to read people’s minds.

The typically quiet and meek banker suddenly finds himself privy to the secret thoughts of the people around him. Hesitantly at first, but with growing confidence, he begins to use his new-found power to affect the world around him. He alerts his boss to a potential robbery, earns a promotion, and even connects with a pretty coworker who’s been too shy to make the first move.

Haven’t we all wished for the ability to know what other people are thinking? Even though there are potential pitfalls, knowing what’s going on in the minds of those around you, say your customers or employees, could prove to be incredibly beneficial. Knowing how your customers feel about your products or services would allow you to identify ways to make them better. Understanding what motivates your employees would allow you to design better programs and be a more effective leader.

Well, I have good news for you. It is possible to know exactly what’s going on in the minds of your customers and employees right now. All you have to do is … ask.

I’m amazed at how many organizations brag on their customer service, but never take the time to ask the people using their products how they really feel. The leaders of these companies have convinced themselves that they provide great service – possibly on the feedback of one or two close friends who simply feed their egos. All the while, customers are suffering and quietly seeking out other, more caring businesses to interact with.

The same goes for employee engagement programs. Rather than ask employees what they want or need in order to feel valued, management chooses to believe everything is rosy.  A Human Resources executive recently shared with an experience she had with just such a person. She had prepared a report summarizing employee suggestions for improving the workplace. The goal was to enhance the reputation of the organization as an “employer of choice.” As she began her report, the CEO interrupted her and chastised her for wasting time on the project. He said “We already are the ‘employer of choice.’”

Here’s a tip for all of you in leadership positions out there. The further you are from the frontline, the more out of touch with reality you are. As managers, we cannot assume that we know what our customers want or our employees need. Unless we interact with them every day, we can’t possibly know firsthand how they feel. We have to ask.

Setting up a feedback management program isn’t difficult. While there are many facets to a fully developed program, getting started is easier than you think. Most businesses start with surveys. Here are the five basic steps to launching a feedback survey program.

1. Decide what you want to know. People will tell you what’s on their mind. The hardest part is typically figuring out how to ask the question. Start by writing down, as specifically as possible, what you want to know. What problem are you trying to solve? What decision are you trying to make?

Next, determine who can provide the necessary information. Do you need to hear from customers who’ve purchased within the past 3 months or employees who work a particular shift? Identifying the group who can give you the information you need is just as important as which questions you ask.

Now determine what key pieces of information you need to answer your question and design a series of questions that guide your target audience through the process of giving you the information you need.

2. Determine how you will collect the information. A key step to launching a feedback management program is devising a system for gathering the responses. Depending on your audience, you need to decide on the appropriate platform upon which to build your survey.

You can provide your survey via regular mail or email. You may choose to embed your survey within your website or Facebook page. Or you may need to utilize a combination of methods to ensure a satisfactory rate of response.

3. Set up a system for analyzing the data. Once responses start coming in, you need to turn all of the data into meaningful information. Numerical, or quantitative, values must be tabulated in order to provide direction. Text responses, called qualitative data, must be categorized and examined for patterns and trends.

4. Establish a process for integrating what you’ve learned. Collecting data is great, but surveys are no good unless you actually do something with the information they give you. You have to be willing to make changes based on the feedback you receive. Depending on the size of your organization, you may need a team that convenes regularly to discuss the information provided by your survey program and make recommendations to senior management.

5. Commit to closing the loop. Customers and employees are more than happy to tell you what they think. But in exchange, they expect to see some type of reward for their effort. I’m not talking about a gift in exchange for participating in your survey. I’m talking about closing the loop. Survey respondents want to know that they’ve been heard and that their opinion is valued.

If you make an enhancement to your product, let your customers know that it was because of their feedback. If something changes internally because of insights gained from employee surveys, send out an email letting them know how valuable their opinions are. You’ll find that closing the loop in this way will build trust and result in even more usable feedback from your target group.

Surveys are a great way to gather valuable information. There’s no better way to get inside the head of your customers or employees. And you don’t need a magic coin or a trip through the Twilight Zone to get started.

The Yin & Yang of Sales & Service

Posted on by Scott

Wells Fargo made headlines this week after bank analyst Dick Bove went on record regarding a series of frustrating experiences. After wrangling with the bank for months, Bove finally concluded that they are only interested in “seeking new customers and selling them more products and not getting bogged down by offering service.”

A Wells Fargo spokesperson downplayed the issue by citing an ambiguous customer satisfaction number. But having worked in the banking business for several years, I’ve heard many reports from former Wells Fargo employees about the heavy-handed sales management tactics that force employees to shortcut service for the sake of meeting their sales quota. This story illustrates the often contentious relationship between sales and service. Many believe that the ideas work in opposition – that selling and providing good service can’t be achieved simultaneously.

As a sales manager, I believe strongly in having clearly defined goals. But service does not have to be sacrificed in order to achieve sales targets. Here are three tips to make the marriage between sales and service work.

1. Focus on service. Nobody likes being sold to, and selling is an aspect of business that is hard for many employees to get comfortable with. So when the focus of an interaction is on selling something, nobody walks away feeling good about it. But service is different. Customers want help. They want someone who’s on their side – working to help solve their problem.

And most employees naturally want to be of service. Helping people feels good. It just so happens that helping a customer often includes educating them about a product or service that they don’t have. When viewed as part of customer service, selling becomes easy.

2. Set sales goals with the customer in mind. When you set sales quotas for specific products, it pressures employees to sell customers things they don’t need. For example, setting a goal of 10 credit card applications a day for a banker can cause them to feel as if they have to shove an application in front of every customer they meet, even if a credit card is not right for them. This is not customer-focused selling.

Rather, set goals that give the employee leeway in what products are offered to each customer. Train them to engage the customer in a conversation about their needs and drams in order to uncover products that help move them closer to their own financial goals. Focus on helping the customer reach their goals and you’ll reach yours.

3. Remember when not to sell. Selling is important, but not at the risk of offending, and potentially driving away, your customer. There are times when selling is not appropriate. For example:

  • Your company has made a mistake that has caused the customer inconvenience.
  • The customer is distracted, agitated or in a hurry.
  • The customer has waited an abnormally long period of time for service.
  • Any situation in which you would not appreciate a sales pitch.

Selling is an important part of the growth process for an organization. But so is service. Try viewing the concepts of sales and service as complementary, rather than opposing parts of the customer experience and you’ll achieve sales and service harmony.

Passing the Baton

Posted on by Scott

Coming into the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, the American 4X100 relay teams seemed like a lock to win gold. The women’s team had recently posted the best time of the year and had their eyes set on a new world record. The men’s team boasted some of the fastest 100 meter sprinters in the world. In the end, though both teams came up short. The men finished second. The women didn’t even finish the race.

The deciding factor in both races? A botched hand-off. You see, in relay racing, passing the baton is everything. A smooth hand-off takes timing, skill and communication between the runners. A smooth hand-off helps maintain speed as one runner takes over for another. The slightest hiccup can be costly.

The men’s team was certainly faster than their competition. But they hadn’t practiced passing the baton and didn’t communicate well. The poorly executed hand-off put them in third place going into the anchor leg. Maurice Greene ran an incredible lap, quickly moving into second place. He was about to pass the leader but ran out of track. Britain’s team beat the United States men by one one-hundredth of a second.

The women’s relay team took three attempts to pass the baton following the race’s second leg. By the time they got it right, they were outside the allowed hand-off zone and were immediately disqualified. They could only watch in tears as the other three teams finished the race without them.

Four years later, the USA teams looked poised for a huge comeback. But apparently neither had learned their lesson. Amazingly, both the men’s and women’s 4×100 relay teams not only failed to pass the baton, but actually dropped it. Once again, they’d underestimated the importance of the handoff.

Now think about your team. How well do they pass the baton?

I’ll bet you have some star players on your team. But it doesn’t matter how much talent you have on board if the hand-offs aren’t smooth. Do you lose sales because of poor communication between front-line and support staff? Do your customers get frustrated because their issue takes too long to resolve? Do projects get stalled because someone doesn’t know when to let go of or accept the baton? Does the competition seem to beat you in spite of inferior talent or products?

Here are three steps for improving your hand-offs:

1. Identify the hand-offs that are critical to your business.
Ask yourself (better yet, ask your team) these questions:
~ Where does the sales/service delivery process most often get stuck?
~ What are the biggest sources of customer frustration?
~ Why does it take so long to get ______ done?

2. Determine the best way to execute them.
~ Map out the process as it exists today.
~ Zero in on the steps that cause the delay/breakdown/frustration.
~ Map out a new process to eliminate/improve the problem area.

3. Practice, practice, practice.
~ Communicate clearly how hand-offs are to be conducted.
~ Make sure every player on the team understands their role in the process.
~ Hold team members accountable for executing the process as communicated.

Everyone wants to be on a winning team. Your customers are no different. Make perfecting hand-offs part of your game plan and they’ll reward you with a gold medal.