As I continue to share some of my favorite guest interviews from Season 1, please read client service insights from Romy Saunders, director of quality assurance for one of my favorite hotels - Mandarin Oriental, Miami.
CSI Miami (Originally posted on September 26, 2006)
This CSI Miami is led by Client Service Insights special guest for September, Romy Saunders, director of quality assurance at Mandarin Oriental, Miami. (Horatio will just have to wait.)
Mandarin Oriental is famous for its commitment to exceptional service. It’s one thing to be committed to it, but it’s quite another to deliver it consistently and at so many properties across the globe. Romy offers her thoughts on Mandarin Oriental's approach:
CSI: Tell us what "commitment to exceptional client service" means at Mandarin Oriental?
RS: It means that each colleague, regardless of his or her responsibilities in the hotel, lives the mission of delighting and satisfying our guests, always looking for ways to make a difference in their experiences with us. We are committed to exceeding their expectations by surprising them with our ability to anticipate and fulfill their wishes, personalizing the service we provide and taking ownership of their requests and needs. We are always listening to our guests and responding to what will make their experiences memorable. A Mandarin Oriental guest feels as though he or she is the most important guest in the hotel.
CSI: How do you deliver and maintain such a high level of service each and every day?
RS: In working together as colleagues, we treat each other with mutual respect and trust, drawing on the collective talents of all our colleagues to ensure the highest level of service. Genuine care and concern along with communication and training are key factors in ensuring that we anticipate guest needs.
CSI: How do you manage to stay in touch with your guests’ expectations?
RS: Our guests have very high expectations of us and we pay very close attention to their comments and review them on a regular basis. Guests speak to us at all times – before they arrive, during their stay, after they depart – and we listen very closely to what they say.
CSI: Talk about the challenge of exceeding guest expectations, when those expectations may be different for guests in Miami versus Bangkok or Paris.
RS: Mandarin Oriental promises “sense of place” as each hotel blends the magic of the Orient with its own unique characteristics. There is always the “yin and the yang” of delivering consistent service wherever our guests visit us around the globe, surprising them with unique touches that make each hotel special. Our guests expect consistency in the level of service delivery and our attention to detail but know that each hotel will offer an experience unique to its location.
For example, at Mandarin Oriental, Miami, guests arriving early in the morning, as a part of our Latin Fantastic package or guests paying for an early arrival, are offered complimentary jet lag welcome tea, anticipating the needs of our guests as well as honoring the tea traditions of the Orient.
CSI: How do you know that your commitment to client service delivers a tangible return on investment?
RS: The highest compliment we receive is repeat business.
As always, we welcome your comments. A special thanks to Romy Saunders for her contribution and to Frederick Fung for making this possible. As you might have guessed - first class service all the way!
Monday, April 21, 2008
Thursday, April 17, 2008
Client Service And The Presidency
As the Pennsylvania primary draws near, have you ever thought about our next president from a client service perspective? Who are the president's real clients anyway? Let's assume, as the framers intended, that the president is there to serve us, making his/her clients the American people. In your mind, who will deliver the highest level of client service excellence? Who will listen, keep promises, and lead this nation in a manner that delivers on our country's collective expectations and aspirations - on the important matters and values with which we all share a common bond as Americans. Here's your chance to vote!
Client Service And The IRS Audit
For many of us, April 15th was a big day for filing our tax returns. Now we sit and wait - possibly second guessing our liberal interpretation of the tax code and hoping we don't get audited. For those of you who are sweating the prospect of an audit, I thought I'd share this short video with you all as a service to CSI Season 2 readers and subscribers. Where else will you find client service like this? Enjoy this two-minute video spoof titled: How To Bluff Your Way Through An IRS Audit!
Wednesday, April 16, 2008
Underpromise And Overdeliver
Here's another one of my favorite CSI Season 1 guest interviews, from a terrific leader.
Customer Service The Southwest Way (Originally posted on November 2, 2006)
Colleen Barrett is President and Corporate Secretary for Southwest Airlines. As part of CSI's monthly guest series, Colleen was kind enough to answer some questions and offer her insights regarding customer service and its vital importance to the company. Southwest is not only popular among frequent travelers, but it's a favorite on Wall Street as well. To hear Colleen tell it, Southwest's commitment to providing excellent customer service is a big reason why.
CSI: Tell us what commitment to Customer Service means at Southwest?
CB: I have always said we’re in the Customer Service business; we just happen to fly airplanes. It’s a daily mantra around here that you must have a passion for serving others to be successful at Southwest. We call it living the Southwest Way; you have to have a Servant’s Heart, a Warrior Spirit, and a Fun-loving Attitude.
CSI: How does Southwest strive to deliver and maintain Customer Service at such a high level each and everyday?
CB: First, we attempt to underpromise and overdeliver on the Customer Experience. We want to woo travelers with our low fares and then keep them coming back because of the outstanding Customer Service delivery. Second, we pay attention to the smallest of details. It’s about relationships and the small things we can do for our Customers that we think make a big difference in our brand versus our competitors. We send birthday cards to our frequent flyers; we celebrate all the important milestones in our Employees’ lives; and we purposely set up our relationships to be more direct with our Customers than our competitors who often depend on travel agencies or third-party web sites to deliver their product.
CSI: How do you manage to stay in touch with your Customers’ expectations?
CB: There are many ways we can stay current on our Customers’ needs. One of them is our new corporate blog where we get new insights every day into our Customers’ psyches. We do market and Customer research; we send our frequent flyers quick online surveys; and we TALK to them when they are in our airports and on our planes. Our Employees know each of them is a marketer of our product, and that any ideas or suggestions they might get from a Customer can be sent right up the chain with little effort or red tape. We maintain a constant line of communication with our Customers, and we’re working to improve those channels each day.
CSI: Tell us about the challenges of meeting or exceeding Customer expectations when those expectations may differ greatly across the country.
CB: Southwest strives to match the “face” of each of the 63 communities we serve throughout the country. While at the core of each Employee is a special esprit de corps and a Servant’s Heart, he/she can easily match the demeanor, accent, and personality of the local clientele. When we expand into a new market, we have Employees who often transfer into that city from another location to helps start up the operation. But, we always have local hires as well, and they help acclimate us to the regional or geographical differences of our newest Customer base. At the bottom of it all is a commitment to making travel a “human” experience. A smile and a helping hand are universal.
CSI: How do you know that your commitment to Customer Service delivers a tangible return on investment?
CB: Each month, the U.S. Department of Transportation publishes statistics on the operating excellence of each air carrier. Southwest has consistently held the top position for the fewest Customer complaints of all airlines. That tells us that our attention to detail is not only attracting Customers, but it’s keeping them coming back to experience Southwest’s legendary Customer Service. That repeat business is what has helped keep Southwest consistently profitable for 33 years. That record financial performance is what helped Money magazine a few years ago name Southwest as the top-performing stock during a running 30-year period. That consistency and dependability in terms of serving the Customer has served Southwest well as it has grown to become the nation’s largest domestic carrier in terms of domestic passengers carried. Southwest has truly proven that you can be low cost, low fare, and HIGH value.
CSI: Thank you Colleen!
Customer Service The Southwest Way (Originally posted on November 2, 2006)
Colleen Barrett is President and Corporate Secretary for Southwest Airlines. As part of CSI's monthly guest series, Colleen was kind enough to answer some questions and offer her insights regarding customer service and its vital importance to the company. Southwest is not only popular among frequent travelers, but it's a favorite on Wall Street as well. To hear Colleen tell it, Southwest's commitment to providing excellent customer service is a big reason why.
CSI: Tell us what commitment to Customer Service means at Southwest?
CB: I have always said we’re in the Customer Service business; we just happen to fly airplanes. It’s a daily mantra around here that you must have a passion for serving others to be successful at Southwest. We call it living the Southwest Way; you have to have a Servant’s Heart, a Warrior Spirit, and a Fun-loving Attitude.
CSI: How does Southwest strive to deliver and maintain Customer Service at such a high level each and everyday?
CB: First, we attempt to underpromise and overdeliver on the Customer Experience. We want to woo travelers with our low fares and then keep them coming back because of the outstanding Customer Service delivery. Second, we pay attention to the smallest of details. It’s about relationships and the small things we can do for our Customers that we think make a big difference in our brand versus our competitors. We send birthday cards to our frequent flyers; we celebrate all the important milestones in our Employees’ lives; and we purposely set up our relationships to be more direct with our Customers than our competitors who often depend on travel agencies or third-party web sites to deliver their product.
CSI: How do you manage to stay in touch with your Customers’ expectations?
CB: There are many ways we can stay current on our Customers’ needs. One of them is our new corporate blog where we get new insights every day into our Customers’ psyches. We do market and Customer research; we send our frequent flyers quick online surveys; and we TALK to them when they are in our airports and on our planes. Our Employees know each of them is a marketer of our product, and that any ideas or suggestions they might get from a Customer can be sent right up the chain with little effort or red tape. We maintain a constant line of communication with our Customers, and we’re working to improve those channels each day.
CSI: Tell us about the challenges of meeting or exceeding Customer expectations when those expectations may differ greatly across the country.
CB: Southwest strives to match the “face” of each of the 63 communities we serve throughout the country. While at the core of each Employee is a special esprit de corps and a Servant’s Heart, he/she can easily match the demeanor, accent, and personality of the local clientele. When we expand into a new market, we have Employees who often transfer into that city from another location to helps start up the operation. But, we always have local hires as well, and they help acclimate us to the regional or geographical differences of our newest Customer base. At the bottom of it all is a commitment to making travel a “human” experience. A smile and a helping hand are universal.
CSI: How do you know that your commitment to Customer Service delivers a tangible return on investment?
CB: Each month, the U.S. Department of Transportation publishes statistics on the operating excellence of each air carrier. Southwest has consistently held the top position for the fewest Customer complaints of all airlines. That tells us that our attention to detail is not only attracting Customers, but it’s keeping them coming back to experience Southwest’s legendary Customer Service. That repeat business is what has helped keep Southwest consistently profitable for 33 years. That record financial performance is what helped Money magazine a few years ago name Southwest as the top-performing stock during a running 30-year period. That consistency and dependability in terms of serving the Customer has served Southwest well as it has grown to become the nation’s largest domestic carrier in terms of domestic passengers carried. Southwest has truly proven that you can be low cost, low fare, and HIGH value.
CSI: Thank you Colleen!
Four Things!
The Four Things a Service Business Must Get Right can be found in this month's issue of Harvard Business Review. HBS associate professor of business administration Frances X. Frei states that the offering, the funding mechanism, the employee management system, and the customer management system are integral to a successful model for service companies.
Two concepts I found fascinating were (1) "Service excellence can be defined as what a business chooses not to do well." Meaning that trade-offs informed by client preferences allow a firm to optimize certain aspects of service that surface as priorities. (2) Frei raises the question, "Are you trying to be all things to all people - or specific things to specific people?"
The entire article is well worth reading.
Two concepts I found fascinating were (1) "Service excellence can be defined as what a business chooses not to do well." Meaning that trade-offs informed by client preferences allow a firm to optimize certain aspects of service that surface as priorities. (2) Frei raises the question, "Are you trying to be all things to all people - or specific things to specific people?"
The entire article is well worth reading.
Technorati And Client Service
With the upcoming return of the guest interview series at CSI Season 2, I thought I'd take time over the next week to showcase the best from Season 1. One of my favorites is the interview with Technorati Founder and CEO David Sifry. Enjoy!
Be of Service (Originally posted on November 20, 2006)
David Sifry is founder and chief executive officer of Technorati. As part of CSI's monthly guest series, David was kind enough to answer some questions and offer his insights regarding client/customer service and its vital importance to this three-year-old company.
CSI: Tell us what commitment to customer service means at Technorati?
DS: When I founded Technorati more than three years ago, I thought a lot about what sort of credo I would want to both define the company as well as guide its growth. What I came up with is pretty simple and certainly not revolutionary: “Be of service.” We work hard every day to live by this credo at Technorati, and this effort starts with me. In this way more than any other, I strive every day to lead by example. We’re not perfect by any means, but we do put the highest priority on keeping all those we serve in mind as we constantly improve our offering even while we continue to innovate new ways to be of service.
CSI: How does Technorati strive to deliver and maintain service at a high level each and every day?
DS: We have a tradition at Technorati that is called the daily Stand-up. Every day at 10 a.m. people from across the company gather around a table for a few minutes to discuss what is required to be of service that day. It’s a way to constantly check-in with our co-workers about the agreements we make to one another and all those we serve, and to keep us honest and focused. We also have weekly reports from the folks who provide our free technical support about how we’re performing on that front, which are given at our weekly all-hands staff meeting, and we make it a habit to include that in our development schedule. I emphasize that while we have folks at the company dedicated to support, it’s the job every person at Technorati to provide assistance to all those we seek to serve.
CSI: How do you manage to stay in touch with your users' expectations? Does getting involved personally help you achieve that?
DS: We try to eat our own dog food. Using Technorati, we have watch lists – which are save searches – for our name, URL, products, etc.. If someone is unhappy (or very happy) with our service, believe me we hear about it. We take this feedback very seriously and I try to do my part every day to ensure we are responsive to this dialog. We also have an engaged group of friends and advisors that we are regularly talking to, getting feedback from, and learning from.
CSI: What are your biggest challenges in meeting those expectations in a business that's experiencing such rapid growth?
DS: It’s both an honor and an extraordinary challenge to serve the exploding universe of “citizen publishers.” This universe grows every day and includes not only blogs, but also podcasts, video, games, photos and more. Just in terms of blogging, Technorati now tracks around 60 million blogs globally and our full-time staff numbers about 35. These citizen publishers are in many ways changing the world in unexpected, exciting and often profound ways, so it is definitely an honor to help these folks amplify their voices. The key is to get a GREAT team. I am so proud to be working with the team here at Technorati – when you have a team that is experienced and dedicated like ours, the rest falls out naturally. As I said before, we’re certainly not perfect, but I’m so proud of our team and the talent and dedication they bring to our mission each and every day.
CSI: Talk about the challenge of meeting or exceeding expectations when your users' technology savvy varies so greatly.
DS: I think the great challenge around meeting and exceeding expectations has everything to do with our users’ facility around technology and web publishing. Our early users were predominantly in the “digerati”, which meant that they could often trouble-shoot issues they might encounter. As more and more folks are publishing to the Web, there’s a wide range of ability that these people bring to the table and we’re challenged to meet people where they’re at in order to help them be successful. I’ve found it requires a commitment to listening and to patiently responding. Where we are able, we do old fashion hand-holding to help folks address their issues. We’re also constantly looking at how we can better enable people to resolve their issues on their own – both from a technology approach and in terms of things like FAQs.
CSI: How do you know that your commitment to customer service delivers a tangible return on investment?
DS: At Technorati we look at a number of factors including repeat visitors, membership and, of course, feedback via blog posts. Happy users will become addicted advocates for our service and that is great for the bottom line.
Be of Service (Originally posted on November 20, 2006)
David Sifry is founder and chief executive officer of Technorati. As part of CSI's monthly guest series, David was kind enough to answer some questions and offer his insights regarding client/customer service and its vital importance to this three-year-old company.
CSI: Tell us what commitment to customer service means at Technorati?
DS: When I founded Technorati more than three years ago, I thought a lot about what sort of credo I would want to both define the company as well as guide its growth. What I came up with is pretty simple and certainly not revolutionary: “Be of service.” We work hard every day to live by this credo at Technorati, and this effort starts with me. In this way more than any other, I strive every day to lead by example. We’re not perfect by any means, but we do put the highest priority on keeping all those we serve in mind as we constantly improve our offering even while we continue to innovate new ways to be of service.
CSI: How does Technorati strive to deliver and maintain service at a high level each and every day?
DS: We have a tradition at Technorati that is called the daily Stand-up. Every day at 10 a.m. people from across the company gather around a table for a few minutes to discuss what is required to be of service that day. It’s a way to constantly check-in with our co-workers about the agreements we make to one another and all those we serve, and to keep us honest and focused. We also have weekly reports from the folks who provide our free technical support about how we’re performing on that front, which are given at our weekly all-hands staff meeting, and we make it a habit to include that in our development schedule. I emphasize that while we have folks at the company dedicated to support, it’s the job every person at Technorati to provide assistance to all those we seek to serve.
CSI: How do you manage to stay in touch with your users' expectations? Does getting involved personally help you achieve that?
DS: We try to eat our own dog food. Using Technorati, we have watch lists – which are save searches – for our name, URL, products, etc.. If someone is unhappy (or very happy) with our service, believe me we hear about it. We take this feedback very seriously and I try to do my part every day to ensure we are responsive to this dialog. We also have an engaged group of friends and advisors that we are regularly talking to, getting feedback from, and learning from.
CSI: What are your biggest challenges in meeting those expectations in a business that's experiencing such rapid growth?
DS: It’s both an honor and an extraordinary challenge to serve the exploding universe of “citizen publishers.” This universe grows every day and includes not only blogs, but also podcasts, video, games, photos and more. Just in terms of blogging, Technorati now tracks around 60 million blogs globally and our full-time staff numbers about 35. These citizen publishers are in many ways changing the world in unexpected, exciting and often profound ways, so it is definitely an honor to help these folks amplify their voices. The key is to get a GREAT team. I am so proud to be working with the team here at Technorati – when you have a team that is experienced and dedicated like ours, the rest falls out naturally. As I said before, we’re certainly not perfect, but I’m so proud of our team and the talent and dedication they bring to our mission each and every day.
CSI: Talk about the challenge of meeting or exceeding expectations when your users' technology savvy varies so greatly.
DS: I think the great challenge around meeting and exceeding expectations has everything to do with our users’ facility around technology and web publishing. Our early users were predominantly in the “digerati”, which meant that they could often trouble-shoot issues they might encounter. As more and more folks are publishing to the Web, there’s a wide range of ability that these people bring to the table and we’re challenged to meet people where they’re at in order to help them be successful. I’ve found it requires a commitment to listening and to patiently responding. Where we are able, we do old fashion hand-holding to help folks address their issues. We’re also constantly looking at how we can better enable people to resolve their issues on their own – both from a technology approach and in terms of things like FAQs.
CSI: How do you know that your commitment to customer service delivers a tangible return on investment?
DS: At Technorati we look at a number of factors including repeat visitors, membership and, of course, feedback via blog posts. Happy users will become addicted advocates for our service and that is great for the bottom line.
Monday, April 14, 2008
CSI's Guest Interview Series Is Back!
During Season 1, I began a guest interview series based on the premise that there was a great deal to be learned about client service excellence from exceptional leaders and scholars outside the PR industry. Southwest Airlines President, Colleen Barrett; Technorati Founder and CEO, David Sifry; and Loews Hotels Chairman and CEO, Jonathan Tisch were among the guests who shared their insights, and we are richer for them.
Later this month, Greenleaf Center for Servant Leadership CEO and renowned author, Dr. Kent M. Keith will answer questions from CSI about servant leadership principles and their relevance to client service excellence. Dr. Keith will offer thoughts that will help us continue the conversation we began on April 3rd regarding servant leadership.
Over the next several days, I'll repost several of the interviews from Season 1 and kick-off the Season 2 Guest Series with Dr. Keith. Don't miss the conversation!
Later this month, Greenleaf Center for Servant Leadership CEO and renowned author, Dr. Kent M. Keith will answer questions from CSI about servant leadership principles and their relevance to client service excellence. Dr. Keith will offer thoughts that will help us continue the conversation we began on April 3rd regarding servant leadership.
Over the next several days, I'll repost several of the interviews from Season 1 and kick-off the Season 2 Guest Series with Dr. Keith. Don't miss the conversation!
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