Customer Experience

What have I been up to for the past year?

Gearmark1 Comment

Last year, I decided to get a second master’s degree, this time in Corporate Communications. I attended a blended program, meaning I worked and went to school part-time (more like full-time, but who’s counting), that was virtual through IE University in Madrid.

I had four reasons:

  • Effective communication is more important than ever before, especially with the increasing adoption of technology. Today, all companies are technology companies. Chatbots use is on the rise, and natural language communication will continue to replace tapping and typing. How should talking to a computer about a company work? I wanted to better understand communication theories and ideas to better understand this.
  • Every company I worked with treated crafting a message differently. It was hard to discern best practices. I figured by taking classes in this area, I’d get a solid baseline for constructing an effective message and what to consider while doing that.
  • We live in a global world, but what does that mean? Yes, in the US we work with people in other countries, but often that means that the project is US centered – from meeting times to communication style. I wanted to broaden my understanding of the world.
  • Learn how to speak to executives and understand what they value so I could sell to them directly. I wasn’t getting the type of gigs I wanted to get for my business and expand it properly. I kept realizing that I didn’t know how to speak to them. I had a number of ah-ha moments during the school year to change all that. And I know I don’t think the same way anymore about business or projects.

It was exhilarating, exhausting, challenging, and one of the best personal growth experiences ever. Sure, it had its high and low points (I worked on over 9 papers in February alone) but I learned more than how to communicate more effectively.

  • There are many factors that influence how we each see the world. I know, that sounds obvious, but it is something that we sometimes take for granted. Our country’s government structures, national leadership, religion, values, perspective of what equality means – it all has an impact on our world experience. We say travel is important to understand another country’s values and culture, but a 2 week trip doesn’t immerse you into an environment where you can really understand a different life perspective and experience.
  • Working in a global US company doesn’t mean that you understand what it means to work with a global team. In other countries, the teams will rearrange their schedules to accommodate who pays their bills – that US company. By attending a program in Madrid, I got to experience what it’s like to be part of a team not centered in my home country. It feels very different, but it is very humbling and mind expanding. Flexibility is key for this to work.
  • Measurement is key to communication. I always knew this, but now I understand the value even more. Effective communication has a purpose. Before you craft a message, you need to define that purpose and if it isn’t clear, then it won’t do anything. I know that this is obvious, but many companies don’t do this. It’s shocking.
  • Branding is the starting point for any company. If you don’t have a strong brand, your company may have a hard time surviving. How you communicate that brand is even more important. If you don’t communicate the identity of a company properly, creating great messaging or experiences will be difficult.
  • Business matters, but people matter too. I’ve known this for years now, but it’s always a good reminder when you work on a fantastic team and get solid results, what made those results.
  • Being humble isn’t a bad thing. I think Americans at times are addicted to fame. I got an earful a few times about the thought leadership movement in the US and how it can be nonsense – and they have a point. I’ve heard some thought leaders who get the mic provide inaccurate information to their listeners. It’s shocking to hear the lies and misinformation that is spread on a daily basis.

Part of the challenge is the motives of these thought leaders – are they looking to help their audience? Or are they in it just for fame? (the ones in it for fame tend to be the ones who give the rest of us a bad reputation. I write my blog to help companies see content in a new way. I knew many thought leaders who genuinely want to help their audience. I respect and applaud them.)

If people read more and talked a little less, maybe we’d have more quality information in the world.

Had to share this video I found today, posted by a colleague on LinkedIn….it’s exactly what my classmates and professors thought about this “thought leadership” thing. Not all of us are like this, but some out there want easy fame so they contribute to the mess.

  • There’s room in the world for formal education. I often hear business experts say that an MBA isn’t necessary to succeed in business. That may be true, but man, I can now see how it helps. If you have an opportunity to get an MBA, do it. If you get an opportunity to get a master’s degree of any sort, do it. But don’t do it unless you have a clear purpose of what you want to get out of it. I think that’s the challenge of formal education – you need to have a clear goal for doing it. In my case, I achieved all of my goals, and then some. I think in the US we could use some formality (I also think that in Europe, they could use some loosening up). Formality can help drive results. Too much is bureaucracy, and we already have enough of that.

What’s next? 

Getting back to business as usual. I have missed writing my blog and working on thought leadership content. (Yes, I am one of those Americans who creates that stuff, but I like facts!). I have also missed reading for pleasure. I’ve started doing both again. I can’t wait to share ideas!

In May, I will be giving a talk about listening.

Don’t miss it!

I’ll be at CXTalks on May 22.

I’m giving a 10 minute talk, “Listening with Empathy to Connect.”

And don’t be shy – use my discount code for 20% off: MARY20

This idea has been fueling a shift in how I present my material in general. More to come. Yes, a book is in the works. Revised training videos are in the works too.

Revise the Gearmark business model. More coming soon on that! I’m really excited where this is starting to go.

It’s great to be back and I’m looking forward to everything coming up!  Can’t wait to hear from you!!

What have I been up to for the past year?

Our changing perception of ownership – 6 trends sparking the shift

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We may own a lot of stuff, but I think we are starting to have a different view of what should be owned/purchased/bought versus accessed/licensed/rented. The end desire is the same – ability to use an item to solve a problem. But how you access that solution – direct purchase or access rights – may be different. And does that matter? Or do customers care more about finding an economic and sustainable way to solve their problems?

How we view ownership in society is changing. In many respects, ownership is the goal of the buyer’s journey, the sales process, and the main interaction people have with a company. Many look to “own” a solution to a problem. We make ownership seem simple – you go to a store (brick and mortar or virtual), buy something, and bring it home. But that’s not really what happens. Subconscious decisions occur during various steps of the process to determine if a product really solves your problem, and if the product has value or worth to you at its current price point. There can be many stakeholders involved in a purchase, depending on the item, how much it costs, who will use it, the type of benefits, and how it will be maintained.

We sometimes kid ourselves into thinking that money doesn’t matter when we are solving a problem. “Money is no object.” But it is. Money is often a deciding factor for a purchase or license. We may decide that the high cost of the solution makes the problem not worth fixing and reduce the priority of the problem in our lives. We may decide that it’s ok to live with the problem as-is, or do some more research and find a free or low-cost substitute workaround. In doing this, there is a chance that we may simply not be seeing how deeply the product will change our lives for the better. We walk away from the solution because it’s too difficult to see a new way. We need help visualizing the change.

An evening gown is a great example of a complex purchase that may be influenced by money. A gown may not change your life, but it is a great example of a buy or rent scenario and the factors involved in the decision making around that.

If you attend formal functions often, it makes sense to own a gown. But there are a number of reasons why gown ownership isn’t practical:

  • Most of us attend a formal event a handful of times in a lifetime. We don’t need one in our closet.
  • A gown is usually based on high fashion trends. If you only wear one every few years, then it would go out of style before you could wear it again.
  • You don’t want to be seen wearing a gown twice by the same group.
  • Gown maintenance and storage can be costly (depending on the gown, it could take up a lot of room in a closet and require a special dry cleaner to clean it)

For many, it makes more sense to rent a gown for an event and return it the day after. Rent the Runway was founded on the premise of reducing replacement and maintenance costs. They also rent designer clothes that you may only want to wear a handful of times before they are out of fashion. They solve the problem of wearing the right outfit for the right occasion and provide a different way to finance access to the solution. The alternative solution to renting a gown for a formal event is putting the gown on a credit card (some would return the gown the next day, as unethical as that sounds…it is a common option). Another solution is simply not going to the event. But if Rent the Runway does it right (and they have), they found a way to paint a picture of a future where you get the best of all worlds – even cost-wise.

As mentioned above, the cost of ownership is tied not only to the purchase cost, but the cost of maintenance, repairs, and replacement. There are also insurances, warranties and guarantees to consider. There are pros and cons to alternatives like leasing or renting once these other costs are considered.

As an aside….I’d like to clarify the definition of a product and/or service that a company offers. Sometimes we view products from a company’s perspective – as items to be sold or items that we need to get someone to buy. From my perspective, a product or service should be seen from a customer perspective as a solution to a problem. The problem could be, for example, hunger (products in a grocery store), boredom (amusement parks, zoos, museums), or desire for knowledge (books, schools).

To clarify, if someone doesn’t buy your solution, it’s because it’s not a priority for that person. He simply found another way to solve his problem without buying from (or spending money with) you. 

Historical view of ownership
Ownership used to be related to investments and assets. People would purchase land as an investment. That land became a place to grow food and generate revenue from the excess harvested. Or they could sell the land because it increased in value as it sat there. Same with a house. Same with a horse. You bought a horse and had transportation, manpower, and wealth that could be sold to another bidder. Sure, you had to feed it and care for it, but those costs were far less than the value it gave providing transportation and other services (even the ability to reproduce and make more to sell).

In some ways, clothes were an investment (they could be repaired and worn for years). Food was an investment. A printing press was an investment. Owning a book was an investment. Jewelry was an investment.

Then came along automation and mass production. Costume jewelry. Plastic plates. Things that were not made to last. Things that required maintenance, serious repairs, and possible replacement because they were temporary, created for fun, or just a handful of uses.

Over time, even cars were not seen as an investment. They required a lot of maintenance and repairs. And replacement. Things were no longer seen as investments or assets. They were things that cost money and declined in value the longer you owned them.

According to this Financial Times article, businesses were the first in revising their perspective of ownership. Many stopped owning their offices and business spaces (e.g., supermarkets, airlines). They rented because it was perceived as more economical, flexible (they could change locations and not need to sell), and sustainable.

I see six trends influencing our views of ownership as well as our view of products and solutions and wealth/assets.

#1: Ownership isn’t really connected to wealth and investment anymore.

As stated earlier, people in the past would own something because it was an asset with long term value. Buying a good was equated with making an investment, increasing in value over time, adding to your wealth.

With the rise of mass production and consumerism, we have witnessed that not all items we buy will increase our assets and wealth. In fact, some things we buy will decrease our wealth because of maintenance and repair costs. Again, cars are a great example. Many say that a car loses its value as soon as someone drives it off the dealer’s lot. Then there are the maintenance and repair costs. After 10 or more years, there are replacement costs. It provides transportation, but are the costs worth it?

#2: Our definition of wealth and investment has changed.

What does it mean to be a wealthy person? Our definition of personal wealth is shifting from being based on money to personal experiences and balanced living. Trips are now being seen as a personal investment to broaden our views of the world and how we see ourselves in it. Education has always been perceived as an investment because you can expand how you see the world and yourself.

Sure, what is in your bank account matters when defining wealth, but that is not the only factor.

The movie Citizen Kane illustrates this best. Although the movie was made in 1941, its message is still relevant, if not more relevant, today. Charles Kane owned a mansion, the largest personal zoo, incredible artwork, but on his deathbed, he wished to find his slide, Rosebud. He had this slide as a kid before he entered the world of wealth. To him, Rosebud represented his most prized possession – his childhood with his family. It makes you wonder if he saw himself as poor, although he had many things.

This begs the question: how do you define wealth? In some ways, your perception of wealth could be a reflection of your value system.

#3: We are increasingly wanting access to things that simply can’t be owned.

You can’t “own” a song. You can write or perform a song. You can record a song for later listening. You can access that song to listen to it. But you can’t “own” it. You can own the CD that the recording is on, but that song is not technically yours. Same with a book. Someone else wrote that book. You are reading it. You may own the paper it is on, but you don’t own the tale or the thoughts or ideas outlined in the book. Those are from someone else. The person who originated the thoughts and ideas can provide access to you to read it, or keep it to himself.

In a way, the digital world and the discussion around media rights is raising a solid point about creative work and ownership. It can’t be owned. It’s about access.

We are almost extending the model of the library. The library provides access to books that we return. With the rise of the Internet, we now have access to knowledge. But we don’t own it. It’s free, we can read it at any time, but we will never own everything on the Internet. However, we can always access it.

#4: The cost of ownership (maintenance and repairs) may be too high.

The term, “total cost of ownership,” (TCO) is now commonplace. Businesses consider this when they purchase a solution. It’s no longer a consideration of what’s the cheapest solution – it’s how much the solution will cost a company or person in the time that the person “owns” the product. It’s a long-term cost view of ownership.

Rather than the car example I keep using, let’s look at a house. If you don’t go to the right appraiser or inspector, you could purchase a house with a faulty foundation or frame. There may be a leaky roof that even the previous owners weren’t aware existed. Or the shingles could have been poorly installed. Or the gutters. There is always maintenance for a house, which is why many don’t own and rent. Issues can range from structural damage after extreme weather to simple wear and tear to general improvements. There is even gardening and yard work that needs to occur.

Another example for TCO is clothes that require dry cleaning only. Dry cleaning can easily cost $10-15 per shirt depending on the dry cleaner. So a $100 silk blouse may easily cost $250 after 10 wearings.

This is why ownership doesn’t always make sense. Wearing a dry clean only shirt could easily double, if not triple, the cost of the shirt. We are told a home is an investment, but in some ways, given that it is based on property values and market rates and how much work you put into it, is it?

#5: Technology is changing so fast that ownership is no longer sustainable. 

If we look at how technology is changing so fast, we can quickly see how items are built to last a few years, if not only a few seasons. We get new technology to replace old, dated technology. We dread buying it because we know we’ll need to replace it. Sometimes, you can’t even repair it if it is broken. Further, if you can repair it, the cost is prohibitive and it is cheaper to purchase a new solution. 

The iPod is now essentially dead (and iTunes is probably shortly behind) after only 16 years with the rise of the iPhone and other media devices. Another example is ethernet cables. We no longer connect to the internet with cables (for about 5-7 years now). Dial-up access is a thing of the past. The world is wireless. I predict that keys to homes will be a past novelty in 5 years – already homes are using combination locks rather than keys. And with biometric technology on the horizon, isn’t that a better way to lock your door?

Cell phones can now be purchased using a monthly charge and replaced after 2-3 years – you turn in your phone and get a new one. I personally have an issue with this regarding wiping the data off of a device when you return it. However, options are now appearing to accommodate and better support sustainability and waste from the technology changes causing tech products to be obsolete in a handful of years.

#6: Time is valuable – owning may take longer to do than other means of accessing an item.

We believe a myth when we go to buy expensive goods: you go to a store or showroom, find what you want, give cash, take it home.

The reality of buying expensive goods: you research your options, you go to the store or showroom several times, you talk to sales people, research more, talk to customers, you research finance options, you decide on what you want to buy, you sign a bunch of paperwork, add in maintenance agreements and additional warranties, and then you bring it home.

Buying could include securing a loan, insurances, warranties, and more. It’s not always that simple.

Again, the example of a car. Renting a car for a few days takes minutes. Buying a car is a multi-month process.

An apartment can be rented in days. A home takes at least a week to purchase.

Peer sharing is a new purchase and ownership/access method that is revolutionizing how we use solutions. Airbnb for hotels and Turo for cars are a few examples that only scratch the surface of shared ownership. There are new living environments like cohousing that have smaller living spaces to own or rent with larger common spaces so you can spend more time with your neighbors building community and socializing with them – not simply stay in your room by yourself. Some space is shared; some is for yourself.

To sum up these new models, there are 3 clear options:

  • Buying – the item is your possession outright – and your responsibility.
  • Renting – you can use the solution, but someone else worries about the maintenance. To them based on their values and how they operate, ownership has value.
  • Peer sharing has you invested in the maintenance and share the cost of ownership during your time using the item.

And I’m sure there will be new models in the future to accommodate new perspectives of ownership and cost.

Conclusion

How we view ownership is changing how we access, purchase, and use items. It is also linked to how we view worth and its value. Worth and value have intertwined definitions that are unclear yet related. It also merits its own blog post.

How you view the value of something is linked to how you access it. Do you own it? Can you have it in your possession physically – can you touch it? Or is it an idea? Is this item going to bring you future wealth in some way?

Does ownership matter?
That’s the larger question. As a society, we grew to believe ownership was the answer to access to solutions to problems. But many solutions today in the sharing economy are reflecting trends that point to a different perspective. Maybe it is time to consider that ownership isn’t the only last step for a buyer’s journey or a way to measure worth. We need to expand our perspectives and consider all aspects of ownership, from maintenance and repair to replacement to stakeholder involvement to access to if something can even be “owned.”

I’m curious what you think the future will bring us regarding new models to access solutions to our problems. Please add to the comments below!

Our changing perception of ownership – 6 trends sparking the shift

B2C and B2B audiences have more in common than you think

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I continue to work on my course (yep – still working on it. It’s now coming in 2018. Here’s the new intro video. Curious about thoughts and feedback). I think the reason why I’m having a hard time getting it out is that I keep finding new issues in each section.

When I was working on the section about personas for purchasing, using, and maintaining a solution, I realized that the B2B and B2C audiences have more in common than we typically believe.

We usually say that B2B and B2C purchases are similar because marketers are selling to people. But what if we compared B2B/B2C sales not from the perspective as the B2C standard (being simpler with fewer people involved and less steps), but from the perspective of the B2B standard, with multiple stakeholders and considerations?

What if the factors that influence a sale are based on philosophical questions like someone’s perception of ownership, money, or product maintenance? What if those who will use the product and who will benefit impact the decision making process? Or if the individual is buying a solution to a problem, access to a solution, or simply accepting help or assistance?

What if a sale is really impacted by the number of stakeholders included in defining the problem – and the solution and the support?

Let’s consider a family looking to buy a car. This is a large purchase and often a decision isn’t made quickly by a single person. Larger purchases require more time for research and consideration into:

  • The product itself (technical/mechanical, quality, aesthetics)
  • Payment methods (more expensive purchases may require payment plans or savings)
  • Individual experience feedback (other product users, those who will maintain the product, social influencers and stakeholders).

I’m sure there are issues I’m forgetting and not listing here.

On the surface, the parents or adults of the family would research different makes and models, test drive the top options, investigate finance options and make a purchase decision. That sounds simple enough, but there is more to consider. Here are some questions that someone may consider actively or subconsciously, depending on the individual buyer/product user.

  • How does the buyer view car ownership?
    • Rent or own?
    • Purchase with cash or payments? Or a loan from family?
  • New or used? Which is a better value?
  • What about maintenance?
    • Who will do that? A local car repair shop or someone in the family or the dealership?
    • How often will it be needed?
    • Are parts expensive? How about labor?

We usually don’t consider the role of the children in family decisions, but these are factors as well.

  • What is the role of children in their family? How do the parents value their opinions?
    • How do the parents react to the children’s feedback?
  • Are the children old enough to start to drive that car?
  • Will the children be in the car often? Does their comfort matter?

Families sometimes include more than 2 parents and/or children. There can be extended family members to consider or friends who are as close – or closer – than family.

  • How do the parents view the opinions of others in this purchase?
    • Do their parents matter? How about others?
    • Will they use the car too?
    • What’s the proximity of the other family members? Does this impact the decision?

And there is how the family will use the car to consider regarding the experience and the benefits:

  • Long-trips vs short-trips
  • Large family vs smaller family trips – how does everyone fit in the car?
  • Are entertainment options required?
  • Does anyone get car sick?
  • Will a pet travel with you? How about the size of the pet? (Does the pet have preferences?)

As you can see, this decision is far more complicated than what you may assume. It’s not simply between the two parents in the household – it’s between the parents, possibly their parents and relatives, possibly the children, and possibly even the pet. These members could be considered stakeholders, silent stakeholders, or influencers, depending on how the parents view everyone’s opinion. The car repair shop could be a silent stakeholder or influencer (the repair shop may not fix a particular car brand so you avoid buying that car brand so you can keep going to them, or the shop may give biased advice so you get a certain type of car that is in their sweet spot for repairs so they don’t miss revenue). The technical knowledge of one of the parents to fix the car could be a factor.

As previously mentioned, how the parents view money and ownership could be a factor.

I didn’t even include the decision to rent or own the car. This gets to the definition of ownership which needs a blog post of its own.

You may be thinking that a car is an expensive purchase, so of course it is complicated. So, let’s consider a cheaper yet large purchase – a couch.

When choosing a new couch for the family living room or play room, same factors exist:

  • How does the family perceive the opinions of the children in the purchase?
  • Who will use the couch?
  • Is maintenance a factor? This could apply to fabric selection.
  • Does the opinions of extended family matter? How does the family view the opinions of others?
  • How does the family view ownership? Some may choose to rent a couch rather than buy.
  • How about money and payments? What does the family think about debt? Is a couch worth the debt?

Still too high budget of a purchase? Well, let’s now look at a family buying something less expensive and more day-to-day like a box of cookies.

  • Who likes which types of cookies? Who eats them?
  • Who should or should not be eating the cookies?
  • What’s the cost? How many are in a box? How long will they last at home before they are all eaten?
  • How does the family view baking them vs buying them (ownership)?
  • Is there budget to purchase cookies? Or is money very tight?
  • Are cookies seen as an occasional treat? Or a daily treat?
    • Is buying cookies for a family member like buying a present for them?
    • Does the family need to buy cookies for visitors who want a snack? Is that part of the family custom?
  • What’s the nutritional value of the cookies? Is there a healthier option?

Consumer decisions are not always simple and could involve many hidden stakeholders, influencers, and those who simply benefit from the purchase and use of the product. The problem is that these questions are often answered subconsciously, so we don’t know if or how it’s happening. But rest assured – it is.

This is why I propose that the B2B purchase model extends to the B2C space and we stop saying that they are different. Both businesses and individuals use the same purchase process in general –  the difference between the two is the type of solutions that are accessed (food to solve hunger or a car to help with transportation vs a data center to help with managing customer information) and the size of the group involved in the decision, from stakeholders to influencers to users to maintainers. Oh yeah, and how ownership is defined (again, that’s another post).

When it comes to B2B and B2C purchases, it’s less about what is being purchased and more about stakeholder roles and influence during the purchase decision and how they are perceived by the person accessing the solution for himself or a group.

B2C and B2B audiences have more in common than you think

Feel stressed while waiting in the TSA line? They have an automated solution for that.

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TSA security lines can cause many to feel a lot of stress when traveling. Why?  There are so many unknowns about what could happen to delay your journey to your flight. Let’s face it – there are dozens of people in front of you at the security checkpoint. Who knows what could happen?
Sometimes if we’re in a rush, we’ll get angry at those who unpack themselves to go through security. Or we’ll get upset at the elderly or handicapped who have difficulties coordinating their preparations for the metal detector.
Or you may be the culprit, not coming prepared and needing assistance.  Or something unintentionally or intentionally packed may show up as dangerous. Or more.
And the delay could last seconds or minutes.
Some thoughts I think we all have at the checkpoint:
  • This line is so long…will I make my flight?
  • Will there be enough bins?
  • It seems like everyone moves so slowly. Can they hurry up?
  • Will I hold up the line putting my stuff in the bins? I have so much to unpack.
  • Will I get my stuff back? (such a weird thought because why would these guys want our stuff? But anyway…)
  • Hurry. Hurry. Hurry.
  • Oh no! What could I have in my bag to set off a manual check?
  • What’s wrong? Will I get in trouble? I hope I don’t get in trouble.
  • I have to hurry and repack. I’m holding up this part of the line.
  • Do I have everything? Shoot – I have to recheck.
I often travel with a lot of electronic equipment and take a while to unpack, putting items into up to 4 separate bins. I know people hate me because I seem to take forever to do this. I guess some TSA agents have sensed my stress because a few intervened while I was pulling it together and reminded me to take my time. They weren’t being sarcastic. They meant it.
That improved my experience somewhat, but it’s still pretty stressful.
I was pretty surprised at DFW airport the other day when I saw that TSA is testing a solution to resolve these thoughts that we all have and make the experience 100% better. Honestly, this was probably one of the best security expeirences I have ever had. I hope they implement it nationwide. I felt relaxed, not rushed, moved at my own pace, and I didn’t feel like I was interfering with someone else’s need to move faster.

What the new experience is like

To start, for this trip I was in a security line that wasn’t really a security line because there was no one in it. There was a long line was for the TSA Pre-Check group; no line for regular travelers. Go figure!
Once the woman checked my identity and sent me onwards, I walked up to a “station,” where I picked up a bin below a conveyor belt. I put my stuff into the bin, which was HUGE (double the size of the standard bins today). And I could combine multiple items in the bin – including my computer and bag in a single bin. So convenient!
After I loaded all of my things into the bin, I went through the metal detector while the bins themselves were scanned and the TSA agent completed the standard screening.
If there was a problem during the initial screening and more inspection would be required, the bin would be “tagged” and redirected on a conveyor belt direct to an agent, next to the main screening line. The inspector would then pick up the bin, ask who owned the items, and you could watch him inspect your bag while you wait for more of your items to be screened or you repack your things.
Otherwise, it’s business as usual for the checkpoint. Your items pass inspection, you get your bin, you reassemble yourself, and you go on your way.
And don’t forget – once you are done, please be a good citizen and put your bin in a cart with the ohers.
It’s a much smoother, relaxed experience for sure. I didn’t feel I was holding anyone up and I didn’t feel rushed. Neither did the other people in line.
There are some challenges in the system. When I was there, a shoe got pushed out of its bin somehow and dropped onto the conveyor belt and the agents couldn’t get it out. Everything stopped and my items were not scanned properly and had to be rescanned. That wasn’t so ideal. However, the rest of the experience went so smoothly, it made up for that.
So, thank you, TSA! This new experience solves so many problems.
  • It reduces the stress people feel holding up others in line because they have a lot to unpack (electronic equipment, etc.)
  • It reduces the stress of someone going thru your things without you if your stuff didn’t pass the initial scanning and needed more investigation. Everything is right near you to keep an eye on it.
  • There’s far less of a line.
  • You are then responsible for unpakcing yourself and getting through the process – not responsible for the wait of others.
The most important solution TSA gave with this automation is easing the emotional tension that we feel while going through security. It didn’t just reduce stress, they removed it. Now when I think about going thru security with this new process, I think about how at ease I will feel. It’s like the peak-end rule in action.
I hope that people appreciate the new TSA automation as much as I do and it becomes the new norm. It’s not only a great application of automation, but it will improve the security experience for many travelers, making it more relaxed and easy. We could all then move at our own pace, not getting upset at people being “in the way.” Can’t wait!
Feel stressed while waiting in the TSA line? They have an automated solution for that.

You, too, can improve your organization’s customer experience 100% with a positive attitude (for free!). My expeirence at the post office.

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I used to hate going to the post office. I have had a number of bad experiences and long wait times. I used to say going to the post office was like going to the Department of Motor Vehicles – it’s slow, the people are miserable, there’s too much paperwork, it gets confusing, and if feels like you just gave a part of your life away after waiting in line (often up to an hour).

This time I had to go to the post office to drop off my tax returns. I, again, was dreading going. I feared the line, the wait, the frustration. 

But I had a completely different experience at the post office. Like, 180 degrees different. I was pleasantly surprised and couldn’t believe how great it was. 

When I walked in, an official (possibly a manager) came over to ask me what I needed. I told him I wanted to send my package certified mail. He pointed out the form on the counter and told me what to do. I was a little confused at all of the help (I’m not used to this at the post office. This was a new experience). The postmaster (I think that was who it was) let me borrow his pen so I could complete the form and get in line. I then went to the next open clerk at the counter to send my package. 

People were smiling and laughing. I commented that I wanted to go back and use the post office again. Heck, I almost bought stamps to send letters again (I used to send letters all the time. I stopped because the USPS experience became difficult – even to get stamps.). Of course, the postmaster said we hope you come back. (He gets it!)

I was in and out of the post office, successfully sending my envelope, in 10 minutes. In the past, this same task would take me up to 20-30 minutes. It was productive and a positive experience.

All that was a result from a shift in attitude from the management and employees. A positive, energetic attitude costs nothing. This new addition to that USPS location turned into a 100% free upgrade in the customer experience. 

(It’s a lesson many companies could take to improve their own experiences.)

To further explain why the experience was so great, I'll use the help of the 10 characteristics of great experiences (it's actually 9 of them with a recent 10). 

  1. The customer feels supported. Someone helped me find the right form, complete it and process it. I didn't feel like I was trying to figure out what to do alone. Someone was available to help me. Actually, many people were available to help me. Sometimes in business, we think that automating knowledge (putting it online in a knowledgebase or FAQ) is the solution for assistance. It can help, but especially for in-person and live environments, this doesn't help. Having a person available to answer questions makes a world of difference. The challenge at the USPS was always that the person who could help was at the counter. That didn't help productivity and caused long lines. Having someone available before the counter helped customers to be prepared before the counter. Now I could see a postal clerk prepared with me ready to pay.
  2. The customer doesn't feel pressured. I did feel a little pressured when I came in because I wasn’t used to getting so much help at the post office. However, they didn’t rush me and let me take my time. I could have decided to choose a different product to send the envelope and I would have gotten help. I felt like I could ask questions or change my mind. It was very liberating.
  3. The customer feels secure and confident in his or her decisions throughout the process. Usually at the post office I’m confused in general – too many forms and products to choose from. The individuals working there helped me make the right decisions through the process. Their confidence and positivity helped me feel confident. It's catchy! I knew they had it under control.
  4. The customer feels that he is experiencing progress – whatever that may mean. I got through the line quickly (there wasn’t really a line, so to speak), got to the counter and someone helped me get what was needed. I felt like the process went smoothly and I wasn't held up without a good reason. And I wasn't able to hold myself up in the process either with questions, challenges, or confusion. There was too much help available.
  5. The customer feels a sense of accomplishment for an activity. I sure did when my taxes were on their way to the tax center in less than ten minutes! That was just great!
  6. The customer feels informed – knowing all of the options available and understand that there are choices. I knew what I wanted but I felt like I could ask someone questions and get answers if needed. There wasn't a need that day.
  7. The customer has a pleasant experience with it. Everyone was smiling – how could I not? The postmaster of the location had such a great attitude! So friendly and happy. That alone makes you want to return.
  8. The customer feels it is easy to conduct business with this company.  I typically find the post office difficult to deal with because of the lines and the wait. And if I ask a question, I didn’t always get great advice. Until this time. They gave great help!  
  9. The customer feels he can trust the store/site. I left feeling that was true. Again, it was part of the positive attitude, which also bring confidence and courage. The team at that USPS location all had confidence and 
  10. Always exceed your customers’ expectations. That day, they more than exceeded my expectations. I’d say the post office reset my expectations. Now I know a great experience is possible and that I can return to that post office for a positive one. The only problem is that they have now set the bar so high, I am curious what the experience will be like round 2. If it's the same, in some ways, they have exceeded my expectations. When you experience something once, that's a fluke. When you experience something twice, that's a standard. I look forward to learning if this is the case.

Again, a significant experience upgrade can be made for free just from a shift in attitude. They created a great experience by being helpful with a smile. It's amazing how far positivity can go. Maybe I need to go buy more stamps? 

You, too, can improve your organization’s customer experience 100% with a positive attitude (for free!). My expeirence at the post office.

Marketing creates relationships…and then sales….but always success

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Marketing has always been about building relationships with customers in the same way that advertising has always been about building market awareness. Sometimes, the marketing role may be misinterpreted as having similar responsibilities as sales, especially with the emergence of marketing automation, sales automation, and online stores. But in the end, sales people sell (and they build relationships – but more on that another day). Marketers should build a customer relationships.
 
(As an aside, online stores should be created by a team that includes technologists, sales people, product managers, and marketers. Marketers shouldn’t build a sales site alone.)
 
The problem that I think many organization have with marketing building relationships is how do you measure it (building relationships, that is)? That partially explains why marketing often focuses on online selling – selling is measureable. Honestly, it’s easier to demonstrate contributions and value through a click than it is to understand a perception, an emotion, affinity, and connection.
 
Rather than write about emotions and theory, I figured I'd explore how to make measuring successful relationships more practical.
 
How are relationships built in general?
  • You build awareness
  • You educate consumers about who and what the company is, the products that they offer, and the value they provide
  • You create a sense of trust
  • You determine if there is a match between needs and solutions, what’s in common, if there is a connection
  • You start to build a relationship by understanding how to best work together

 

You build awareness

If a tree falls in the forest, and no one is there to see are hear it, does it really fall? 
 
The same is true with products. I hate the expression "if you make it they will come.” It's absolute rubbish. If anything, it’s overconfidence and arrogance at its best. Most people in the world aren’t waiting at the edge of their seats to get any company's product. Believe it or not, it's true for Apple too (ever notice how Apple builds hype before a product launch? How there are "leaks"? Or they have a big announcement? Or let you know something's coming?) Prospects may not even know they have the problem a company is solving. They need someone to reach out and tell them about their problem and its solution, introducing the ideas to them in some way. 
 
This is where PR, television ads, online articles, social media advertising and more happen. As a marketer, you reach out to your prospective audience/customers where they are. You get them to the forest to witness the tree fall.
 
This is true even in real-life relationships. You can’t make friends with someone if you haven't met him yet. To take this further, you can meet a lot of people but to find people you can be friends with takes finding the right people, or people who share similar values.
 
Measurements for awareness: 
This is where I think the problem happened with marketing – tracking the influence of an activity to a sale. Sure, there is a relationship between marketing activities and sales, but this isn’t a one-to-one relationship. There are many activities and interactions that lead to a sale. The key measurement for success, though, is to determine if you are reaching the right audience.
 
This is why personas matter. You can have many people liking your social media posts, reposting them, and more, but if you aren’t reaching the right audience, then you gathered a bunch of witnesses who saw the tree fall but can't share that news with others (they couldn't get to the right forest).
 
The best way to measure awareness isn't just getting someone's attention. It's about getting the right person’s attention.
 

You educate consumers about who and what the company is, the products that they offer, and the value they provide

What do you really sell? To answer that question, you need to ask yourself what is the problem your company is really solving? That’s what your prospects and customers care about.
 
The product you sell isn’t all that you sell. Sure, someone gives you money to own it, but you are selling value that the product will give them in their lives. You are selling what that product or service can do for someone, how it can improve their life or make life easier. 
 
And that’s the catch. Value is personal and hard to define. A device can provide value to someone by saving them time, energy, money – a number of things. But you need to balance that with what it means to your customer. What is their benefit with this value? What are the gains – and how will they use those gains?
 
Saving money can mean using that same money for something else (a hobby, a trip, clothing). Saving time could be put towards time with family or hobbies. Saving personal energy could be used for other projects. And the list goes on.
 
Your prospect needs to understand the value your company provides, the problem your product/service solves, what you do, and why you do it. And they need to understand all of this before considering having a deeper conversation about how this directly applies to them and purchasing.
 
And this works in real-life with friends too. You may choose a friend candidate from a pool of acquaintances, but if you discover that your candidate has very different personal values than you do, he or she may not be a match after all, right?
 
Measurement for education:
 
A success metric at this step is determining if a member of the target persona has a second, third, or more engagement with the company. The person returns to read the Web site, a white paper, the blog, another social media post. Achievements at this stage focus around a customer or prospect returning to the business to learn more. By returning to the site or blog, the prospect/customer is providing the company an opportunity to build rapport with them. 
 
What emerges from this step is a customer/prospect starting to see the company as a helpful expert. They should be starting to see the value the company can offer them.
 
 
Create a sense of trust
 
Trust is key to building any type of relationship. I have written a number of pieces on this. If a prospect doesn’t trust you, you won’t go far. 
 
Stephen Covey's analogy of the bank of trust/emotional bank account is completely accurate and applicable in all situations, especially between customers and prospects. 
 
To sum up what the emotional bank account represents is sharing experiences with someone else to learn about who they are. People can tell you who they are, but nothing beats learning who someone is by observing and witnessing their actions. Can you share a confidence with them? Can you have difficult conversations? Different perspectives? Respect the similarities and differences?
 
 
How can you build trust with a prospective customer?
  • Let customers get to know your company through reviews – the good and the bad. People like to know how others experienced your company, how they see you and know you. Product and company reviews are a great way to get information and insights quickly.
  • Get certified! Certifications are important. Certifications build credibility with customers. They provide that someone else besides you (and your mother) thinking your product is a solid solution that offers great value. 
  • Consistent communication. Stay on point in your company's messaging and information. Being inconsistent in your message about what you sell, what your product does, and who you are doesn’t help a customer get to know you or trust you. Consistency builds trust. 
  • Stay squeaky clean in the media. Have a positive reputation and image. What does the media have to say about your company and product? That makes a difference. That reflects your actions, which is also who you are. People also watch to see if you clear negative perceptions quickly and how you do it. It's not just the what – it's the how. How people and company do things tells you who they are.
  • Take opportunities for shared experiences. Always. Always try to interact with customers directly. 
 
Measurement for trust:
 
How people in the world perceive you is a measurement of trust. When people call customer support and services, do they give your company the benefit of the doubt? Or is it accusatory? Do callers micromanage your staff? Or are they open to be updated?
 
What are their sentiments of your company on social media? In reviews? Does your company have many positive reviews?
 
What are the articles about your company in the media saying? Is it about corporate achievements? Or is it about failings? 
 
There are ways to measure trust. Trust may be an ooey-gooey sentiment, but you can find a way to show that your company is trusted by prospects and customers by measuring how they see you.
 
 
You determine if there is a match between needs and solutions, what’s in common, if there is a connection
 
Does what the company sell solve customer and prospect problem? Does it improve their lives? Does your customer or prospect even want to solve that problem?
 
Those are the questions that can determine if there is a match between the needs of a prospect or customer and your company. Both sides, especially the customer side, need to see and acknowledge the match. The customer needs to understand that they indeed have a problem, that the company's solution is necessary for their life to improve. 
 
This is where the initial stages of a partnership happen. And a partnership isn't only about a sale – it's how the company can help another company or person be successful.
 
In real life, you determine if there is a match with a prospective friend. You determine if you have shared values, if you share interests, if you share perspectives. Over time, you share experiences to get to know each other. Over time, these experiences determine if there is a connection, or a connection will build. 
 
How do you measure a connection?
 
We have officially reached the step between a prospect and customer and a company – lead gen! This step is less about a prospect/customer understanding what you sell. It's a realization that your company can help them solve their problem, that the company can help them improve their life, and the company can provide value to them in some way. At this step, the prospect/customer is admitting that they have a problem and they need help. 
 
 
You start to build a relationship by understanding how to best work together
 
When both sides realize that there is a match, they find a way to make it work. This happens during the sales discussion when both sides determine how the customer can best use the product. It’s at this step that someone wants to trial use your product, see how it works in their systems, see how it benefits them. This is the step right before the sale – and right after.
 
In real-life, this is the step where a friendship and relationship really builds. It's when both sides come together and see that they can create something bigger than themselves.
 
A relationship is something bigger than its parts. This is true for a corporate partnership, a marriage, a friendship. But how do you measure this?
 
Case studies and stories – the stories can be from employee wins as well as corporate wins. Relationships are about collaborations that push people forward. That's how you measure success. 
 
And failures? What about them? Well, there are really no failures. There are learnings. There are areas for improvement. 
 
As long as value is perceived, there is success, and people want to know about it.
 
 
 
In the new world where the lines between online and offline experiences are blurred, we'll be returning to building customer relationships like we did long ago. It's so important to build a relationship with your customer. Even if that customer or prospect doesn't become a lead, that person could refer others to your company and solution. A sale is a result of a relationship, and given that relationships aren't linear, who knows where any relationship will lead. Well, we do know – relationships always lead to success in some way.
 
Marketing creates relationships…and then sales….but always success

Your business may win markets, but does it win customers? Customers are won through their hearts.

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I loved the movie Gladiator because I could relate to the character Maximus. He was a loyal lieutenant, good at his job, influenced his team, and had a tight bond with his leader, Marcus Aurelius. And then Marcus’s son killed him and forced Maximus to support him. When Maximus refused, the son killed his family and then left him to die.

It’s a story about loyalty, betrayal, and in a way, business? Yes, business.

In business, we deal with power, loyalties, betrayals. We don’t kill people and their families, but the decisions managers and leadership make do impact a family’s livelihood. And sometimes those decisions can have devastating impacts when former employees can’t find new work. These employees may be in a dying industry or coming from a company that’s so messed up people question their judgement for working there, or any number of factors.

A while back, I saw being in business as being similar to a soldier in the military. The business books I read, from Sun Tzu’s Art of War to the 48 Laws of Power, often referenced military strategy, specifically Chinese military strategy (which is brilliant by the way). I related to Maximus because I experienced something similar in a work situation regarding loyalties and betrayals. I don’t think it helped that I was often referred to as a “loyal lieutenant” by some managers in that company. Watching the movie again and again helped me resolve these mental and emotional conflicts.

War as metaphor

We don’t realize how often we use war as a metaphor for business. There are ethical challenges of this, as well as the dangerous “play war” mentality that can result when such dangerous analogies are made. When we make such comparisons, in a way we are disrespecting the military. We are belittling what war is about and represents. Profits vs life and death. I think the soldiers have more difficult choices.

One of the adverse effects of this perspective in business – we consider our competition as adversaries and use this language to describe them, referencing ancient war to create strategies to dominate them and the industry. In some ways in business, we start to act as if markets were continents in a game of Risk. Yes, we look to not just dominate, but obliterate our competitors. It’s like business has assumed a different type of battlefield.

With these analogies, we are trained to see business through war-like eyes, but is business really a type of battlefield? Or is it a way for people to connect, build relationships, have conversations, and achieve something greater than themselves?

This is artwork from The Dallas Entrepreneur Center, on the second floor in one of the conference rooms. It’s one of my favorite pieces that they have from this artist.

Businesspeople often have difficulties with collaboration yet not with competition. Doesn’t that seem odd and counterintuitive? Then again, we are trained to annihilate the competition like a general would an adversary on the battlefield. What I think we forget in business is that without competition, we wouldn’t have a problem to solve, a product to create and improve, or be part of an industry. Competition allows our business space to exist. Competition then makes us better. It helps us see how we are unique compare to others.

When it comes to customers, the war-like analogies often continue. Customers are seen as pawns to be won for increased market share. They aren’t people with problems who need help; they are bottom line numbers counting towards success. When marketers are confused because customers have no loyalty, I often chuckle to myself. Usually these culprits don’t have relationships with their customers. I want to ask these marketers:

  • Did your company see them as anything other than a bottom line figure?
  • Were they people with problems and needs, looking for solutions and a better life?
  • Do you know who your customers are? Do you even like them?

Business should be moving towards collaboration, but the militaristic tone stands in the way of this transition and mental shift. The “play war” mentality in business may win markets, but it doesn’t win customers. We can never forget that in the end, customers are people – their hearts are won through relationships, not a successful battle.

Your business may win markets, but does it win customers? Customers are won through their hearts.

The 10th Characteristic of Great Customer Experiences: Always exceed your customers’ expectations.

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Always exceed your customers’ expectations. It’s not one of the 9 Characteristics of Great Experiences but it probably should be. So let’s add a 10th.

And the reason why you want to exceed your customers’ expectation is that you want to reset them. You want to show them how it is really done. That’s what makes an experience memorable. And as an added benefit – memorable experiences build loyalty.

Expectations are learned.
We are born not really expecting anything. I think a baby expects someone will feed it and care for it, but there is no expectation for how that happens. Many of us grow up in dysfunctional households and don’t question them until we are older because we don’t know what a healthy family looks like when we are born. It’s not part of our innate or intuitive knowledge. To us, our immediate family is our reality. It’s all we know and it’s perfectly fine. We later learn how to appreciate our family (or see how ridiculous it is) by comparing to others and seeing how they work.

Expectations work the same way for consumers
Let’s consider expectations people have for companies regarding product quality, service, and sales materials. What we expect as a customer experience with a company is defined by other companies. We learn how to interact with companies based on past experiences with companies we know. Some companies “ruined” it for others in the industry. Consumers now expect 2-day free delivery because of Amazon Prime. Google made searching on the Web easy – enter a phrase into a textbox and find what you want and need in less than a second.

If you think about expectations and how they are established, they don’t really come from us. They come from all around us. And they are based on those experiences that we remember (good or bad).

Exceeding expectations leads to loyalty.
Let’s talk a bit about Stephen Covey’s bank of trust or emotional bank account. You make a deposit into someone’s bank of trust account through actions and deeds. That person starts to build trust with you. Then if you do something damaging – say the wrong words, do the wrong action – there is sentiment available to rebuild a relationship. The person will see the damaging event as an isolated or unique incident. However, if the balance continues heading towards the negative, well, you get the idea.

Loyalty occurs when a company deposits into your bank of trust. But not just any amount of good deeds and keeping their word – it has to be significant. Over the top. Loyalty is built when customer expectations are exceeded at least once. Exceed expectations more often, and loyalty is further established and cemented. Brand loyalty comes from consistent behavior. But the switch for being loyal happens faster and deeper when somehow the brand experience exceeds expectations.

Here are 3 examples of where companies exceeded expectations and I feel greater loyalty to them.

Apple

I had to wait a long time at Apple Computer to pickup a pre-ordered $30 cable. It was to charge my phone and tablet. And I really needed a new cable. My existing cable looked like a small mouse had a snack. I had a lot going on with work and school, so it took me a week to pick it up from the Apple Store. I got to the Apple store and told one of the greeters that I needed to pick up my $30 cable. I figured I’d be in an out of the store in seconds.

I got to the desk for pickup and two people were picking up computers, so the wait took a while. Like 15-20 minutes. For a $30 cable.

I was close to leaving and coming back when it was less busy. I didn’t blame the Apple employees. They were busy being focused on the existing customers and providing them the type of service that Apple typically gives customers. They were great! I didn’t blame the customers. They were buying new computers – they were super excited and wanted the help. However, I tend to get impatient in these situations and fantasize about better ways to fix these situations. I started to wonder if Apple should have a pickup counter so I could get a product and scan out quickly. I could see it now – you can go to a counter, wait to pickup your item, get it scanned and go.

As I was considering logistics in detail, I finally got to the counter. And who did I find? A lovely young man who helped me a few weeks earlier. We remembered each other because we had an awesome conversation about customer experiences and relationships.

He mentioned to me that he was doing something different. I was puzzled but we were catching up and having a great conversation, so no matter.

A few minutes later he told me he refunded my original order and got me a cable for free. He said I shouldn’t have had to wait 15 minute to get a $30 cable.

Believe it or not, I fell in love with Apple again. More loyal than ever. I didn’t expect that.

Massachusetts Secretary of State exceeded expectations

I had to get my diplomas Apostilled for school. Attending a university outside of the US teaches you a lot not just about other cultures, but how other cultures approach systems like school. An official university degree from Spain includes a signature from the king. To get that, you needed to provide your diplomas, but you need to submit authentic diplomas. Because I had a US diploma and because of various agreements and treaties, I needed to submitted an Apostilled diploma.

The thought of doing this made me shudder because I’d have to deal with the mail and government agencies. And in the US at least, they tend not to move quickly. When I thought about the USPS, waiting in line, waiting for documents, needing to track these documents when standard mail doesn’t do that – I was scared. Then I read about the Apostille process in the Massachusetts Secretary of State and saw it took 2-3 weeks. Ugh. To me, it was a lot of paperwork that could take months.

I procrastinated starting this process because I was afraid of the bureaucracy. But there was the appeal of an official degree. That had a higher priority for me. I realized I had some time and possibly could make the deadline, so I tried to make the deadline.

I was confident that I’d get copies of my Simmons diploma notarized to use in time. That wasn’t a problem. I wasn’t confident of the Massachusetts Secretary of State.

But they surprised me.

They post on their site that they have a 2-3 week turnaround time for these documents. It was in a rush so I sent it via 2 day mail UPS. They received my document and returned it in a single day. A single day.

I was so surprised!

Then, because I got a copy of my diploma rather than Apostille my existing diploma, I could send it directly to the school and get my official university degree. And yes, I am getting that degree in April 2018.

UPS

Part of my Apostille story includes UPS as well. I worked through them because I didn’t want to wait in long times at the USPS or FedEx or pay the ridiculous rates of FedEx.

Why I love UPS? They are a little cheaper than FedEx in my opinion. And they have a 2-day option. We have been brainwashed to believe that overnight is the only way to go. But is it? I realized quickly that a 2-day option usually does the trick, especially if you are mailing something on a Thursday or over a long weekend. People tend not to work on Fridays anyway; Monday works just as well.

And they were able to find me a great rate for shipping to Spain when I had all of the paperwork together. Yes, I decided to ship thru UPS to track my package to Spain. It worked like a charm. I didn’t just get my documents to Spain in time – I got them there with 4 days to spare.

Why is this so surprising for UPS? Shouldn’t this be normal UPS? Not for me. I had a VERY negative perspective of UPS about 6-7 years ago. I lived in an apartment that had a front door and no concierge desk. If I order from an online retailer and if they shipped it via UPS, and I wasn’t home to receive the package, UPS would hold the package for me. This meant that I’d have to pick up the item at a UPS delivery location that was not conveniently located near my home. And I had to pick it up within 2 weeks. That doesn’t sound like too much of a hassle, but it can be if you can only pick up a package between 9am and 5pm weekdays. Most people work during those times. And with the 20 minute commute each way, the errand took an hour. As a consultant, that’s an hour I couldn’t charge a client during business hours. Getting a package delivered via UPS wasn’t convenient at all. I tried to avoid it at all costs.

UPS and Amazon

A great innovation has been developed between UPS and Amazon regarding Amazon’s returns. You no longer need to print anything for an Amazon return. Go to your local UPS store with a QBR code, let them scan it, and UPS will print a sticker for you to return your goods. It costs a dollar. Soon, I see this being the free option. It’s so easy! The challenge is the mobile connectivity in the store, but I’m sure that will change over time.

Amazon and UPS keeps working to make returns easier. This is why I shop with them.

What do all of these experiences have in common?

They didn’t only exceeded expectations – they reset my expectations. No lines. Single day turnaround vs 2-3 weeks stated on a Web site. Free items when I had excessive wait times for something small. None of these occurrences were anticipated or expected. They were a surprise. I doubt I will expect these events to happen again. They were unique experiences. However, there is the possibility that it could happen again in extreme circumstances. And they demonstrated how a company should be treating me and my business.

It’s beyond convenient. It’s about being friendly. Why not print a label at UPS? Why not turnaround stamping a document in a day? Why not be a friend and make sure that a letter gets to its destination quickly. In those experiences, I felt like the companies were being allies in my goals and activities. They were part of my success.

They built loyalty immediately because they exceeded expectations and deposited warm feelings into the bank of trust. They exceeded expectations in all cases.

I guess exceeding expectations – and resetting what I should expect from companies – worked.

The 10th Characteristic of Great Customer Experiences: Always exceed your customers’ expectations.

Use empathy on support/service calls to build connections, improve someone’s day, and create a great experience

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We talk to sad, angry, grumpy, stressed, even hysterical people at work every day. But how can you help them solve their problems, shift their mood, and maintain your own mood at the same time?

Doesn't seem like it should be part of your job? If you work in customer service or in account management, believe it or not, it probably is. When a customer calls with a problem he or she needs resolved, most likely, that person is in a foul mood. People don't call customer service or support because things are going well. And when things aren't going well, people are emotional, and want someone to help them solve their problem.

Somehow, you need to provide them with a great experience. And that experience includes emotional support, too.

What's also difficult is that these types of interactions often happen over the phone, and virtual interactions are hard. You can only hear their voice; you can't see their faces. That means that it's easy to hide emotions. Further, only solving their problem may not calm them down. That's one part of it, but there may be more to it.

Success in these situations lies in exercising empathy. Here's how I handle these situations so that I can build a connection, develop a relationship, get an issue resolved, and resolve the emotional distress:

Step 1: Build rapport and a relationship with who is calling me. Before we get to business, we learn a bit about each other, talk about the weekend, our hobbies, and similarities. We build some social common ground. Although it sounds trite, talking about the weather or a movie can create a connection between people. If the person calling me for a solution is upset, this tactic can diffuse the tension a little bit, distract the person from their emotions for a few minutes, and changes the dynamic to go from someone needing help to two humans talking to each other. Being on the phone by its nature makes us anonymous. We need to shift from anonymity to connectedness.

Step 2. Get to business and learn about the problem. After some conversation, I find out why the person is calling and hear their story. I listen to them. Really listen. I learn what happened, how it happened, and why it needs to be fixed. I listen to find out how they are feeling about the problem, hearing emotional nuances over the phone. You can learn a lot about a person if you listen to them. Julian Treasure has a lot of information about listening. There's more here. And more here in the virtual team presentation too. And it helps you to communicate with someone better.

Step 3. I then ask why that person called to fix the problem. What's his motivation to make the call and get the issue fixed? According to Srini Pillay, fear may motivates us, but not in the way many think it does. We aren't motivated by the fear of missing out or not solving a problem. We are motivated by our own internal value system. This is different for everyone – some are motivated more by keeping their personal relationships, their job, their home and car, helping their children succeed. I try to learn what's driving someone's decisions – what's the factor behind why they make the decisions they do. And why they need the problem fixed.

Step 4. I consider past experiences I have had and how they are similar to what this person is experiencing now. I try to find an experience from my life that will relate to what this person is experiencing. Some things I will look for when I remember an experience that is similar to what this person is experiencing:

  1. I identify an experience that has a similar situation – not exactly the same, but from the same theme. For example, if someone calls looking for a solution to a problem because a large mailing was distributed with an error, I think about times where I had a very public error. I may not have had the same exact event happen, but I need to consider a similar situation in my life (it may be on a smaller or larger scale from my perspective, doesn't matter. I need to reference it for the emotions of it – see next step.)
  2. Then I remember the situation and events, but mostly I recollect how I felt at that moment. I'll remember the embarrassment, the nervousness to correct the problem, the pressure from my manager. It helps me frame how I communicate with the caller. I remember the types of statement that may have felt like attacks when they are simply comments. Or statements that felt critical and personal when they were factual. 
  3. Put myself in the right frame of mind to communicate with the person calling me. I will start communicating with this person as I wish someone would have communicated with me when I was in a similar situation. I think about the mood the person is in, the mood the person probably wishes he were in, and what I can say to help that person get into a better mood. I focus more on the emotions of the situation and try to help the person shift how they see the situation. Sure, a blunder can be embarrassing, but at the same time, if you can see the humor in it, you may not feel so ashamed and unable to function. Or if you know that it happens to all of us. Or if you know that no one blames only you. I think you see my point.

Step 5. I help them resolve the issue (and get them to feel better about themselves too). 

  • Avoid placing blame on the person calling. It's easy to blame someone for their problems. However, that doesn't solve the problem or make the person feel better about the issue. Instead, focus on the solution and talk to the person as you wish someone would talk to you in that situation. If the person has an issue that causes embarrassment, focus the conversation on removing the issue and remove the embarrassment. That, plus some fun, gentle banter, may help the person feel better by the end of the call
  • Focus on the new result – not the present moment. We all feel horrible right now in the present moment with the problem. Focus everyone's attention and energy on the solution and new result instead. It gives everyone hope and changes the tone.
  • Be positive and focus on the caller's personal strengths. Yes, you barely know this person. You only have been talking to that person for 10-15 minutes. But complement that person on what you are hearing about them right now. There is always something wonderful about someone new you meet and talk to – even over the phone. Complement their laugh, their insights, their creativity, their kindness. Comment on what's great about them. Your focus is to make that person see their greatness in a low moment.

Step 6: Wrap up the call. Make sure the person feels better. Or at least, sounds more positive and upbeat. Don't let people leave upset, even if you can't solve their problem on that same call. Give that caller some hope and a positive outlook that his situation will change and get better.

Leave people better than you found them. If you can resolve someone's issue, you have resolved half of the problem. If you can relate to the other person and make them feel better about their problem and life – you have done more than expected. 

Sometimes, people want to feel heard. And if you hear someone, empathize with them, and solve their problems, you have made a new friend and created a wonderful customer experience. Job well done!

Use empathy on support/service calls to build connections, improve someone’s day, and create a great experience

Do some United workers need to learn how to have empathy for their customers?

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Based on what we are reading in the news lately, some United gate agents and flight attendants need to learn how to have empathy for their customers.

I'm not basing this assertion simply from the most recent United incident regarding the doctor being physically and violently removed from his flight. (Well, ok, it is the spark that got this blog post written.) There are many issues around what happened, especially around America's acceptance of violence, customers not trusting United anymore, and the outrage of customers in China for discrimination.

Here are some other examples about United's lack of empathy and compassion from recent weeks that have made the news:

  • Threat to remove a first class, full-fare passenger in cuffs, if they have no "choice." Geoff Fearns, 59, president of TriPacific Capital Advisors, an Irvine investment firm that handles more than half a billion dollars in real estate holdings on behalf of public pension funds was on a business trip. He had to return from a conference in Hawaii and paid about $1,000 for a full-fare, first-class ticket to Los Angeles. He was on the plane, settling into the flight experience with a glass of OJ, when he was told that they had to change planes for the flight, it was overbooked, and he had to get off the flight or they would put him in cuffs if he didn't comply. 
  • Professional attire for teens. In recent weeks, some girls were thrown off a United flight for wearing inappropriate clothing. Sure, they were on a United family pass and they needed to wear appropriate clothing. I understand adults not wearing spandex, lycra, exercise clothes, dirty clothes, offensive words on t-shirts – that's just not appropriate in general. Well, spandex and lycra could be ok for travel. It's like traveling in jammies. But either way – these were teens. I'm not sure how many teens are professionals and observe casual Fridays. Sure, it's a free ticket from United. But at the same time, this is a loosey-goosey policy that is being defined by on-the-ground United representatives. 

I'm sure there are more stories that never made it past friends and families.

The disturbing trend that's emerging from these stories: employees at United at the gate are making decisions that are based on policy that benefits the company – not the customer. 

As business professor, Julia Underwood from Azusa Pacific University said in an LA Times article, “They’re so locked into their policies, there’s no room for empathy,” she said.

The CEO is standing by his employees at some level because, well, leaders support their teams, even if they are wrong. It's about the process, not the people. (In this case, I think the people are part of it…they aren't happy employees.) In an ideal world, the customer should be right, but you can't throw an employee under the bus. Everyone needs to win and there are no winners to be had here. 

There is the spirit of the law and the letter of the law when it comes to policies. It seems that United is falling to the letter of the law, which is always a great way to justify a decision that benefits a company and distresses a customer. The employees and CEO are hiding behind policies so they don't feel so guilty about what they are doing to their customers, and in the end, their business.

(They really are trashing their business. The stock price proved that.) 

 

Justification is a sign that contempt is present

What is contempt? The official definition: "the feeling that a person or a thing is worthless or beneath consideration." It's the opposite of compassion and empathy. 

Looking at how these United agents are treating their customers, it seems that they are exhibiting contempt.

  • Did they really need to take police action on a doctor who needed to perform an important surgery the next morning?
  • Did they really need to boot a full paying customer to another flight with no reward?
  • Did they really need to make a teen change to professional attire (even if it is a United company perk, these are still customers with a perception of the brand)?

These customers weren't just inconvenienced; they were objectified. They were ordered to do something because it made the lives of the United employees easier or made United look good. The policy was a cover to complete an immediate task, not to make a happy customer.

  • The doctor was removed because the crew wanted to have an on-time departure
  • The investor was told to get off the flight because the crew didn't want to have to search for another solution – it's easier to bump a passenger than to make it work
  • The teens were told to change because they were kids, and the gate agent felt their attire was inappropriate

It seems that some United employees have forgotten that customers pay their bills. Without customers, these agents wouldn't have a paycheck, a job, or be in a company. (The CEO may want to remember this too!) Customers are what create demand for seats. Customers keep United in business.

What would have been a more customer-centric, empathetic response to the doctor who was pulled off the flight?

  • Gate agents shouldn't have allowed anyone to board the plane until seating issues were resolved (that was the problem right there – once a customer is seated, it has to be a good reason why they need to be removed from the flight. $800 isn't enough for someone to leave an already boarded plane.)
  • They should have found people who were willing to leave, give them a tremendous reward and maybe pay for them to take a Southwest flight to make the destination on-time. There has to be a benefit to get up and leave a plane (as well as already packed luggage on the plane)
  • They should seat the United employees that were causing the bump on a Southwest flight. Why make a paying customer move for an employee? That's a little outrageous. No company does that
  • Upgrade people to the next flight (have them ride first class). What ever happened to that perk? 

 

I think most people know I'm a huge fan of Virgin America, and it's mainly because they would have handled this differently. And they did on a flight I was on – and I was impacted. I wasn't removed from a plane and I didn't make the 6 o'clock news. In fact, they upgraded me to first class. They needed my seat for an upgrade for another passenger to leave his seat to make room for an overbooked passenger. Virgin America chose to make my day better by giving me the gift of a larger seat, a wonderful free meal, and a quieter flight area. 

That's why I'm loyal to Virgin America.

 

I wonder how much loyalty will exist with United after all is said and done? I doubt much, unless their employees are trained to have empathy for their customers.

(And if anyone in United is reading this, here's my sales pitch: I offer a service that can help. Don't be afraid to encourage your staff to feel empathy. Let me help!)

Do some United workers need to learn how to have empathy for their customers?