What’s Your Free Throw Percentage?

Posted on by Scott

blue-basketball-american-basket.jpgI’ve always been a fan of basketball. It’s the perfect sport. It doesn’t take a lot of fancy equipment or training to play. It’s fast-paced and the rules are fairly simple to understand. It requires a combination of strategy, teamwork, and individual skill. Though I’ve cheered for a number of specific teams over the years, including my son’s championship high school team, I don’t need a particular side to root for in order to enjoy a good game.

One part of the game that has always frustrated me though, is free throws. When shooting a free throw, the player has just about everything to their advantage. They stand in a specific spot to shoot, so they don’t have to adjust for varying angles to the basket. The opposing team cannot steal the ball or block the shot, so they player can focus their attention. They have plenty of time to prepare for each free throw, so they don’t have to worry about being rushed to beat the clock. Yet, with all of this going for them, so many players are horrible at shooting free throws.

It’s often said that games are decided at the free throw line. Statistically, two-thirds of a winnings team’s points over the final minutes of a basketball game come from free throws. However, free throw shooting percentages have remained relatively unchanged over the past 50 years. College players make, on average, 69% of their free throw attempts. Players in the NBA average around 75%. There have always been individuals who stand out, but despite 50 years of sports evolution, why hasn’t the average make-rate of this “gimme” shot improved?

The answer is simple: practicing free throws isn’t fun. Few players want to spend significant amounts of time standing in the same pot, shooting the same shot, over and over again. It’s much more invigorating to run special plays or launch low-percentage fade-away three point attempts during practice. Even coaches will admit they generally have low expectations for the free throw.

Becoming a free-throw master isn’t really that hard. The perfect free throw shot is straight, creates a 45 degree arc, and hits the basket about 11 inches past center. Get these three things right consistently, and you’re among the elite – the hero of the game. Miss the easy shots when they count and, well…

Winning the sales and service game is a lot like playing basketball. We live for the big play and the game winning shot, but all too often, we miss the easy shots. It’s the mundane, day-to-day, seemingly insignificant activities that wind up making the difference in whether we win or lose. But it’s precisely because they’re easy, or should be, that we don’t give them much thought.

It takes so little to stand out from the crowd. Often you just have to stand up when everyone else is sitting down. You don’t have to be the most innovative, have the flashiest marketing, or offer the lowest prices. Simply execute, consistently, on the simple stuff and you elevate yourself above the average. That’s what the best do. That’s why they win. The fancy shots and buzzer-beaters make for a great the highlight reel, but games are won by executing on the basics.

So, what’s the secret to consistency? It’s identifying the best way to approach your shot, getting the right kind of coaching, and practicing until perfection becomes automatic. That’s how you win basketball games, and that’s how you win customers.

What’s your free throw percentage? How often do you greet the customer, identify their needs, meet those needs, and then thank them for their business? How consistent is your team at delivering on the easy shots – the can’t-miss opportunities to remind people of the great decision they made in choosing you? Master this part of the game and you’ll greatly increase your odds of a winning season.

JOIN THE CONVERSATION:

Have an opinion on this post? Share your thoughts on our facebook page.

3 Steps to Take After Receiving a Referral

Posted on by Scott

digits-705666_640I couldn’t believe what I was hearing.

A teller with a leading community bank (a former employer of mine) had sent me an email, saying she wanted to speak with me for a few minutes. She was looking for referral advice. Naturally, I expected her to ask for tips on making referrals. Perhaps she wanted help on identifying referral opportunities. Maybe she wanted some assistance in identifying the appropriate time to bring up the concept of a new product or service with her customer or acquaintance. Or maybe, I thought, she’s struggling to find the right words to use and wants to bounce some ideas back and forth. I certainly was not prepared for her actual request.

“Scott,” she said, “making referrals is hard. I’m shy and it takes a lot for me to speak up and suggest my customer consider an additional product.” I agreed. After all, making referrals is a leap of faith. You’re opening yourself up to potential rejection. Customers might not welcome the intrusion and, depending on how the conversation transpires, mistake the referral for a high-pressure sales pitch.

She continued, “I do it anyway, though. We all do. We love our customers and know a big part of our job is finding other ways the bank can help them.” I was pleasantly surprised at her level of commitment and encouraged her to keep at it. “So, what part of the referral process can I help you with?” It was her answer to this question that threw me for a loop.

“We’ve been sending a lot of referrals to the lender at our branch,” she said, “but he never follows up. I just spoke with a lady I referred to him last week. When I asked how their conversation went, she told me she’d never received a call from him. She wound up going to another bank for the loan that I suggested she look into. One of my coworkers told me that she has the same problem and has actually started sending her customers to a lender at another branch who always follows up. I hate to do this, but I also hate looking bad when my own go-to person doesn’t seem to appreciate the referral. What should I do?”

Referrals represent the holy grail of marketing. What better way to generate new business than to have other people selling for you? How better to qualify prospects than to have partners making one-on-one recommendations to people they’ve identified as great candidates for your product? And how much easier can it be to overcome the credibility barrier when the recommendation comes from someone the prospect already has a relationship with and trusts?[Tweet “Referred customers carry a lifetime value 16% higher than the norm.”]

Referrals are timely, targeted, and carry no upfront costs. Furthermore, referral leads convert at a rate 30% higher than those obtained through any other type of marketing. Add to that the fact that referred customers carry a lifetime value 16% higher than the norm and it’s easy to see why smart business owners attempt to leverage this strategy as much as possible. But sadly, 48% of referred leads never make it to the next step of the sales cycle.

Referral marketing only works when referrals are acted on. Without follow up, referrals don’t turn into sales. They turn into poor service experiences, disappointed customers, frustrated referral partners, and missed opportunities.

When you find yourself the fortunate recipient of a referred lead, take these steps right away.

  1. Act on the lead. 50% of buyers choose the vendor that responds first. The sooner you follow up on a referral, the more likely you are to actually get business from it. You need to act while the prospect is thinking about taking the next step, and the propensity to buy is highest right after a quality referral is made.
  2. Deliver exceptional service. Referral leads should be treated delicately. The expectation of performance is high – after all, you did come with a personal recommendation – so make sure to shine. Even if the sale doesn’t close, your interaction with the lead impacts your reputation as well that of the referring party and the organization. The way you follow up on any given referral can influence how many more come your way.[Tweet “The way you follow up on any given referral can influence how many more come your way.”]
  3. Follow up with the referrer. Thank them for sending someone your way, even if things didn’t work out. Let them know how the conversation went and, if necessary, provide any tips for better qualifying prospects in the future. The more you develop this partnership, the more likely you are to see additional referrals come your way.

Of course, if you’re not interested in referral business, simply ignore these steps. In fact, ignore any referrals altogether, just like this banker did. Feel free to thumb your nose at a strategy virtually guaranteed to provide a steady stream of qualified business to your doorstep. Just don’t be surprised when all that business winds up being referred somewhere else.

JOIN THE CONVERSATION:

What strategies have you found most useful for generating referrals? Share your tips on our facebook page.

Searching for Clues: Hone Your Powers of Observation

Posted on by Scott

detective-156647_640He can tell where you are from just looking at your shoes. He can guess your occupation after a brief examination of your hands. He can determine your next steps based solely on clues you’ve already left behind.

I’m talking, of course, about Sherlock Holmes. The world’s greatest detective has been solving mysteries since his introduction by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle back in 1887. I’ve personally been a fan since I first read The Hound of the Baskervilles as a kid.

Holmes possesses a number of traits that prove valuable as he works through each investigation. He’s a student of the physical sciences which aids his analyzing evidence from a crime scene. He is also a brilliant strategist, something that allows him to anticipate the motives and likely next moves of his opponent. The skill I most admire, however, is Holmes’ ability to decipher a great deal of information from a handful of seemingly meaningless clues.

Think about the impact this ability would have in the workplace, for instance. Salespeople could uncover unmet needs by simply observing the habits or appearance of their prospects. Service personnel could determine the source of a customer’s unhappiness by reviewing past account usage and analyzing communication patterns. Managers could better equip their teams by acting on clues gathered from mere observation.

Known as abductive reasoning, Holmes’ ability to infer huge amounts of information from tiny bits of data seems like something only a fictional character could be capable of. Recent research, though, would seem to indicate that this “Holmesian deduction” is actually an innate ability that each of us can tap into. The power of focus is formidable, and it’s within our grasp. We’ve just forgotten how to do it.

Holmes himself once told Watson “You see, but you do not observe.” That, I believe, is the problem all too many of us face. Our eyes function properly, but we fail to observe what we’re seeing. That is, we fail to process information in a meaningful way. The vast majority of what we see simply does not register as important. Although seen, it is almost immediately dismissed and, therefore, forgotten.

Another barrier to abductive reasoning is our inability to focus attention on any given task. Our desire to multi-task coupled with increasingly short attention spans has robbed us of our ability to focus. While conducting research for her book Mastermind: How to Think Like Sherlock Holmes, author Maria Konnikova attempted to counteract her tendency to shift focus so that she could see as well as observe. The pull of email and social media proved almost too powerful to overcome. She found herself fighting the impulse to look at each email that popped into her inbox.

I know that, even in my own house, achieving a state of Sherlock Holmes-like focus is extremely difficult. My family has a hard time sitting down to watch an episode of television without multi-tasking. My son studies for school while watching. My wife hops up to finish the laundry. I reach for the phone when it signals some type of update.

So how do we regain our super-powers of observation? It takes discipline and time. To become a great detective in our own right, we have to begin by making a concerted effort to block out distractions. It’s hard to focus on any one thing when others are competing for your attention. Konnikova found that she lacked the personal discipline to ignore the lure of online distractions. She actually downloaded an app to her phone that blocks access to certain functions for a predetermined amount of time.

Secondly, it takes practice. Blocking out distractions does nothing to keep the mind form wandering on its own. You have to train yourself to live in the moment – to fully immerse yourself in what’s going on around you. You have to reach a state where your brain actually observes what your eyes see. This doesn’t happen overnight. Like any skill, this level of mindfulness has to be practiced.

There’s another benefit to mastering this skill as well. Konnikova uncovered research that shows multi-tasking is counterproductive and damaging to your psyche. We’re actually more productive and happier in general when we allow ourselves to live in the moment and fully take in what’s happening around us. The constant distractions that we think keep us connected and efficient are actually having the opposite effect.

I’m going to give it a shot. I often feel frustrated at the length of time it takes me to complete certain projects. Something tells me it’s my inability to block out distractions that keeps me from focusing in a way that produces my best work. Stayed tuned for an update on my progress. Or just watch the news. You might see me listed as the man who solves the next big mystery.

JOIN THE CONVERSATION:

How do your powers of observation stack up? Share your tips on our facebook page.

Lend Me Your Ears: How Listening Yields Additional Business

Posted on by Scott

buddha-statue-546458_640I was just about to nod off when I heard the noise. Instantly awake, I sat up in bed and strained my ears for any sound. As my mind settled, I became aware of every creek and pop. I could hear the even breathing of my dog, Spencer, at the foot of the bed. I could hear the ticking of the clock hanging in the next room. And I could hear the rustling of the branches on the tree outside my window. The sound that had startled me turned out to be a neighbor getting home late.

It’s surprising what you can hear when you stop and listen. Put aside all the distractions and suddenly even subtle cues come through loud and clear. What’s sad is that we rarely settle down enough to hear clearly. If we made an effort to listen more closely, we might pick up on a few things our customers are trying to tell us.

During any given interaction, a customer could be providing you with one or more cues – hints that, to the attentive ear, suggest opportunities for additional business. Customers are often ignored following their initial purchase. Oh, any subsequent maintenance is handled appropriately, but little attempt is made to determine additional needs. Attention has shifted to locating the next potential prospect.

Most salespeople chase transactions, not relationships. With such a narrow focus, it’s easy to overlook secondary cues and leave the relationship only partially explored. Listen carefully, though, and you’ll find that existing customers often have additional needs, responsibilities, wants, and dreams. Think about it, and you just might be able to help them.

The key to picking up on these cues lies in listening, but most of us have forgotten how. Real listening involves more than just our ears:

  • Listening involves eliminating distractions. You can’t really listen if you’re working on your computer while the customer is talking. You can’t listen if you’re checking for texts or updates on your smart phone. And you can’t listen if you’re eavesdropping on your coworker’s ongoing conversations. Listening requires turning away from competing noise.
  • Listening involves settling your mind. You can’t really listen if your thoughts are on other projects or interests. You can’t listen if your brain is busy trying to figure out the solution to some kind of personal issue. And you can’t listen if your focus is on determining what you will say next. Listening involves clearing your head of competing thoughts.
  • Listening involves focusing on the customer. You can’t really listen if your primary concern is completing the transaction. You can’t listen if your attention is on closing the deal. And you can’t listen if your more interested in what come next than what’s happening now. Listening involves being fully present in the moment – your customer’s moment.

I’ve certainly sleepwalked through my share of customer interactions. There’s no doubt in my mind that I missed a number of cues that would have led me to more meaningful relationships and additional business. Had I eliminated distractions, settled my mind, and focused on what the customer was saying, we’d have both been better off.

Going forward, I’m going to be more intentional about how I approach listening. It may take a while, but like any skill I’ll get better at it with practice. I owe it my customer and my business to do so. Hopefully, I won’t sit up at night wondering what I might have missed.

JOIN THE CONVERSATION:

What keeps you motivated? Share your tips on our facebook page.

Creating Fanatical Fans

Posted on by Scott

Exclamation-PointsMy, how time flies. Where have the months gone? It seems like just yesterday we were singing Auld Lang Syne and here we are in December; just a few days away from the biggest event of the year.

I’m talking, of course, about the premier of Star Wars: The Force Awakens on Friday. I was nine years old when the original Star Wars film came out; before it was referred to as Episode IV: A New Hope. It was simply Star Wars.

I remember the anticipation I felt on the way to the theater to see the film. The advertisements for it on television had convinced me I was in for something special. And I was not disappointed. From the moment the movie started – with those iconic blue letters spelling out “A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far, away…” – I was hooked. At the age of nine, I became a life-long fan.

Now that I think about it though, the word ”fan” isn’t quite good enough to describe my feelings for the Star Wars franchise. I was a fanatic. By Christmas of 1977 my bedroom resembled a shrine to my new passion. I had Star Wars sheets on my bed, Star Wars curtains on my windows, and every toy imaginable. If it had Star Wars on it, I wanted it. It’s safe to say I was a fanatic.

Fanatical fans are the goal of every business. A loyal fan base means repeat business, ongoing revenue, and enthusiastic referrals. But building a business worthy of that type of following isn’t easy. It takes an equally fanatical focus on the part of both management and staff to create something so special that, like Star Wars, it almost defies explanation.

To see if you have what it takes to command such a strong following, see how many of these blockbuster elements are present in what you have to offer:

  • A strong cast. It’s hard to create fans without a roster of superstars. Make sure to hire A-listers in order to ensure the quality of work only the best can offer. Pay attention to both those in front of the camera and those behind the scenes. Details count when your goal is producing a hit.
  • A compelling story. Do you have something interesting to share? Or does your pitch sound just like any number of tales that have been told before? Make sure to define what makes you different in order to stand out from the crowd.
  • A unique presentation. The most memorable movies present something viewers have never seen before – something that changes the industry. Everything that comes after is compared to this new standard. Identify what differentiates you from the competition and make sure to put it front and center.

Nearly forty years after first seeing Star Wars, I’m still a fan. I can’t wait for the new movie. Come Friday, you’re sure to find me sitting in the theater, popcorn in hand, grinning from ear to ear; feeling like I’m nine years old again. As long as the franchise keeps delivering the same level of experience, I’ll keep handing over my money.

See you at the movies!

Thank the Customer for Their Business

Posted on by Scott

Christmas Gift (2)

The following is a true story. Only the names have been changed.

Some years ago, I was shopping at a major retailer – you know, the ones with 50 checkout lanes only three of which are ever open. I had quite an armload of items. As is often the case, I walked in seeking to purchase one or two things and wound up with several more that I didn’t realize I needed until I saw them.

I took my place at the end of a line and patiently waited my turn to pay. I placed my wares on the conveyor belt and made sure to place one of the provided separator bars between my stash and that of the person ahead of me. It’s important to make sure your purchases don’t get mixed up with those of another shopper. Bad things can happen.

Finally, it was my turn. I noticed that the cashier – I’ll call her Sally – was talking to the cashier manning the next aisle over – I’ll call him Joe. Neither Sally nor Joe were paying any attention to the customers in their respective lane. They were too caught up in whatever story from the weekend they were sharing. In fact, Sally continued to converse with Joe, her back turned to me, even as she scanned each of my items. There was no greeting or acknowledgement of my presence.

After scanning the last item, Sally briefly turned her head in my direction and gave an almost imperceptible nod toward the monitor which displayed my total. Seeing I was paying with a debit card, she turned her body and bagged my items – still talking to Joe. I swiped the card and she dismissively handed me a receipt.

I took the receipt and waited for her to say something…anything. Silence. The transaction was over. The job was done and I had been forgotten.

Sally eventually turned to look at me, no doubt wondering what my problem was. I asked “Aren’t you going to say ‘thank you?’” She said “It’s written on your receipt.” I. Kid. You. Not.

What has happened to our concept of service that basic human interaction has become burdensome? It’s as if every word carries a price tag and we dare not waste any of them on a customer unnecessarily. Those who deign to speak use a mixture of grunts and sentence fragments to convey their inconvenience at having to converse with a mere customer. We’ve gone from “Full Service” to “Self Service” to “What, you expect service?” These days, the only employees who say “thank you” are those too new to the job to know they can get away without doing it.

Want more revenue?

Want to grow your business?

Want repeat customers?

Here’s a tip: Thank the customer for doing business with you.

Why, you ask? I’ll tell you why…

  • It shows you understand that they are the reason you have a business in the first place.
  • It shows that you value the choice they made in picking you over a competitor.
  • It shows that you understand they are the source of your livelihood as opposed to an inconvenience.
  • It reminds them of how many other businesses don’t appreciate them, or at least fail to show it.
  • It leaves them with a final, positive impression of the interaction.

That’s what keeps customers coming back. That’s what causes a happy customer to recommend you to others. If the key to kicking off a great interaction is a smile, then the key to concluding one is a sincere “thank you.”

I don’t think Sally understands the value of thanking the customer for their business. And neither does her management team. Too bad. Their competitors get a lot more of mine.

What’s In a Name?

Posted on by Scott

name sticker

Back in 2008, 19-year old George Garratt had his name legally changed to “Captain Fantastic.” Well, technically his full name is now “Captain Fantastic Faster than Superman Spiderman Batman Wolverine the Hulk and the Flash Combined.” I’m not sure what the current longest name on record is; but, at the time, Captain Fantastic was thought have captured the title. He told the London Telegraph he made the change in order to be “unique.”

Regardless of what you think about this man’s decision, there’s no doubt that names are important. Your name is the first gift you receive and, unless you choose to change it, it’s yours until the very end.

My full name is Ronald Scott Voland. I was given my father’s first name, though I’ve always gone by Scott. It’s what those who know me recognize. It’s what I respond to. When someone calls out “Scott” it catches my attention. Even in a large crowd, I can discern the sound of my name from the rest of the noise. My name is my identity.

Knowing – and using – my name is an indication of familiarity. Calling me by name means that you have some understanding of my value as an individual. It means you respect me enough to address me using my chosen identity. Not knowing my name, or choosing not to use it, communicates the opposite. It means I am unfamiliar to you. I am an unknown. We have no relationship.

We have any number of ways to identify our customers. We have account numbers, receipt numbers, invoice numbers, case numbers, and transaction numbers. To help organize and process information on volumes of people, we develop systems of identifiers – numbers – that allow for better manipulation of data.

But none of these matter to the customer. Because a randomly assigned number doesn’t communicate relationship. These numbers weren’t chosen with the same love and care as the customer’s name. A number means I’m just one of the crowd. A number doesn’t carry the history that my name does. That number can’t hold a lifetime worth of experiences and hopes and dreams. You can’t possibly understand who I am by looking at a number. You can only understand who I am by knowing my name.

Last week I challenged you to focus on greeting your customers with a smile. This simple act opens the door to a healthy, positive interaction.

This week, I’m asking you to pay special attention to names.

  1. Listen when a new customer gives you their name. Did they go by their first name? Middle name? Something different? How is it pronounced? Could you repeat it back to them properly?
  2. Use the customer’s name during your interaction. Studies show that the brain releases key chemicals when we hear our name. These chemicals help us focus on what’s being said and aid in the retention of information.
  3. Greet the customer by name. In a world where we’ve all been reduced to a number, you may shock some people. But you’ll also build the relationship.

I don’t plan on changing my name any time soon, although I do think “Captain Fantastic” is pretty cool. I’ll stick with Scott. That’s my name. Feel free to use it any time.

Greet the Customer With a Smile

Posted on by Scott

smiling kidsOn a cold morning in December of 2000, my wife and I walked into an orphanage in Eastern Ukraine. We were there to meet, for the first time, our soon-to-be son and daughter, Alex and Abby. It had been a long and arduous journey getting to this point. We’d started the adoption process approximately one year earlier. After tons of paperwork and months of waiting, we now found ourselves in an unfamiliar country surrounded by strangers. Our only lifeline was a local adoption agent who spoke broken English. We were tired, scared, and anxious.

An attendant at the orphanage escorted us to a room with several large playpens. Most were empty, as the majority of children were elsewhere. But two of them held children – our children. As we approached, the sound of our voices caught their ears and caused them to turn their heads. Our eyes met and they smiled.

There’s just something about a smile. We take them for granted, but smiling is one of the most amazing methods of communication available to us. While handshakes and other gestures may indicate different things across cultures, smiling is the one thing that everyone recognizes and understands. Smiling communicates acceptance, good will, and peace. Smiling at someone tells them that you are on their side and that things will be ok.

Smiles, like yawns, are contagious. It’s hard to remain stoic or even ill-tempered when faced with a genuine smile. Impulsively, we smile back and in that instant a flood of positive energy washes over us. The body relaxes, boosting our immune system. Stress levels drop and our mood is lifted.

Research shows that we are all born with the ability to smile. It’s not a learned behavior as even those born blind begin smiling almost immediately. Research also shows that a smile does more to improve one’s appearance than makeup. And a smile is the most easily recognized facial expression, detectable from up to 300 feet away. You can even tell when someone is smiling just by listening to the sound of their voice.

It’s no wonder then that, as service providers, smiling is the most important customer service skill available to us. With all the good that smiling does for the giver and the receiver, smiling is something we should all be extremely proficient at. Yet, it is often hard to find a smile in today’s working environment.

Why is that? Why do we let outside influences rob us of our smile? Why do we hand over control of our own emotions so readily? Maybe we just forget how good it feels.

By now you know that I’m prone to issuing challenges. As we celebrate Customer Service Week (you did know that was this week, right?), I’d like to challenge you to unleash the power of your smile.

Greet the customer with a smile. Every customer. Every time. Use the power of your smile to transform your conversations this week. Let the positive energy of smiling change the way you and your customer perceive each other and your interaction.

Back in Ukraine 15 years ago the power of two smiles brought one to my face. As my mouth stretched into a grin, all of the anxiety and fear I’d brought into the room disappeared. Instead, I felt positive, motivated, and energized. I’ll never forget the smiles of my children that day – and I’m smiling now just at the memory of that moment.

How will you use your smile this week?

What Did You Expect? The Importance of Consistency

Posted on by Scott

image

This article is a day late.

If you’re a regular reader of my weekly ramblings on sales, service, and leadership, you know that I publish every Monday morning. Many of you have come to expect my familiar voice in your email box at a specific day and time. So, some of you took notice when I didn’t show up yesterday.

We humans are creatures of habit. We like predictability. We crave structure and routine. We like knowing what to expect. It gives us a sense of security and stability. And when it comes to dealing with other people that predictability leads to trust; a key characteristic of healthy relationships.

As service providers, we need to pay close attention to the idea of consistency. Customers come to expect a certain level of service from us. They come to expect a particular set of behaviors during an interaction. It gives them that sense of familiarity and trust. And provided they like what they come to expect, it keeps them coming back.

But when that routine is broken – when we fail to meet expectations, even if it’s slight and only once – that trust is shaken. Doubt is introduced to the relationship. The customer can’t help but wonder “What’s going on?” Suddenly they no longer know what to expect and the relationship is in jeopardy.

Think about the last time your favorite restaurant changed up their menu. Or the time the grocery store altered the floor layout. It threw you for a loop, didn’t it?

A select few will speak up. In fact, I can count on one hand the number of people who asked me about yesterday’s article. But most won’t. They’ll remain silent while they wait to see what happens next. If the service slip proves to be a fluke, the relationship probably continues. But if things don’t return to “normal” quickly, most of them will write you off. They’ll quietly look for another source of stability and the relationship is lost. It’s only later, after the opportunity to fix things has passed, that you realize they’re gone.

Top organizations are always looking for ways to enhance and improve the customer experience. They seek out innovative ways to draw in new customers and raise the bar for their competition. But too few pay attention to the importance of consistency. They fail to ensure the new level of service can be maintained for the long-haul. They get complacent and forget that the customer is always watching – and evaluating their options.

It’s a delicate balance: innovation vs. predictability. Getting it right means everything.

Take a look at your routines. What aspects of doing business with you have your customers come to rely on? What parts of the relationship are most dependent on consistency? How will you ensure your customers continue to receive what they expect?

 

The Art of the Apology

Posted on by Scott

sorry

A couple of days ago, a friend and I were talking about our experiences at a couple of Lubbock restaurants. During the conversation, he told me about an early morning visit he had just made to a national fast-food chain. He was running late for work and the drive-through was backed up, so he parked and ran inside to hopefully speed things along.

He placed his order and stepped to the side to wait. He said “I watched as two other customers who arrived after me ordered and then left with their food. At first I didn’t think anything of it because I’d ordered ‘no cheese’ on an item that typically comes with cheese. But then it became apparent that they’d messed something up.”

My friend explained that he heard the manager talking to the cashier. They kept looking over at him, so he knew it had to do with his order. The cashier walked over to one of the customers who had just sat down and asked her to check her sandwich. There was no cheese on it. The cashier took the sandwich and told customer she’d have a replacement out quickly. At the same time, the manager yelled to the cook in the back “I need another one with no cheese.”

Finally, a bag with the correct food was handed over. My friend looked at me and said “You know Scott, I wasn’t upset that they messed up. That’s just going to happen sometimes. What irks me is that they didn’t apologize for it. They didn’t even acknowledge the problem or my inconvenience. It’s like they thought ignoring it meant nothing ever happened.”

I’ve had people in a variety of customer-facing positions tell me their company policy is to never apologize. Some say “It’s not always our fault when something goes wrong. Why apologize for something you didn’t do?” Others say that offering an apology just gives the customer an excuse to demand something extra. Almost all tell me “Management says apologizing makes you look weak.”

I’ve got news for you. These people have it all wrong when it comes to apologizing. I think apologizing is one of the most important service skills you can master. And it doesn’t matter if the problem was your fault or not. In fact, it doesn’t matter if there was a problem at all. A well-formed apology doesn’t make you look weak; it makes you look strong, self-aware, and in control.

Use these tips to craft a top-notch apology.

  1. Accept Responsibility. It doesn’t matter who goofed. Your apology should always include “I” and “we.” Blaming “they” or “them” just makes you look like you’re trying to pass the buck. The key is to let the customer know that you accept responsibility for their satisfaction regardless of the circumstances; because you should. They’re your customer.
  2. Act quickly. Don’t wait until the customer mentions the problem. Don’t wait until it’s resolved. The sooner you acknowledge a problem and communicate your intent to fix it, the sooner you short-circuit any bad feelings the customer experiences. Studies show that customers who experience a problem and have it resolved to their satisfaction reports higher level of satisfaction than those who never experience a hiccup. So stop any potential negative emotions before they have a chance to get started.
  3. Apologize sincerely. Look the customer in the eye, acknowledge what happened, and offer a heart-felt apology. A half-hearted “Sorry ‘bout that” just compounds the problem. If your customer really means that much to you, then you owe them a bit of sincerity. The bigger the stumble, the more you’ll have to work to overcome it.

Of course the worst thing you can do is pretend nothing has happened. Always assume your customer knows as much as you do. Sending someone out the door as if nothing ever happened is a sure-fire way to guarantee a bad experience is shared over and over and over again. As in my friend’s example, someone’s always watching.

Top-tier service providers actually over-apologize. I’ve had restaurant servers apologize for the delay in bringing my food and felt genuine surprise. I didn’t feel like I was waiting that long. And far from making them look weak, I felt the apology made them look on-the-ball. They obviously had higher service expectations than I did.

Hopefully, we get it right more often than we get it wrong. But service slips are inevitable. When they do occur though, use the art of the apology to your advantage. Saying “I’m sorry” might just turn a show-stopper into a show-stealer.