Sub-Contracting Challenges!

There are challenges associated with using a sub-contractor to deliver all or part of your services to the end customer. In the eye of the customer, the contractor individual or company represents you just as if you were doing the work yourself. This week I am struggling to have a projector repaired that belongs in our media room. I purchased the projector a little more than a year ago from Circuit City and I also purchased the extended warranty.

Over two weeks ago, the bulb went out on the projector. I immediately called the service line and they politely placed the order for the new bulb, letting me know it would arrive in 10 business days or less. After 8-9 days, I checked on the order only to find they were still trying to locate a bulb. (I could order a new one on their website and have it delivered the next day.)

After the 10th business day, there was still no bulb. I called and spent almost half an hour on the phone and web-chat session trying to get an estimated time for the delivery. That is when it happened. The Circuit City warranty person let me know that they had ordered the part from a third party parts distributor, Tiger Direct. He then said, "I don't know why they have not found the part. It is in their hands now and I can't do anything about it." He passed the buck to their vendor.

The problem is: I DID NOT BUY MY PROJECTOR AND WARRANTY FROM TIGER DIRECT!

The customer never wants to hear you blame your internal partner for a service delivery problem. As far as the customer is concerned, there is only one company involved: The organization from whom they purchased the product or service.

The same is true if you are a hotel or restaurant and hire an outside firm to handle your valet parking. Your guest does not make a distinction between the valet company and your hotel or restaurant. They are one and the same.

So, be careful when you choose a partner who will be responsible for delivering a service or interacting with YOUR customers. YOUR reputation is on the line!

Great Service Starts Within!

Before any organization can be great at external service, they have to learn how to deliver excellent service to each other within the company. When I have the opportunity to work with a new client, we almost always start with a focus on improving internal customer service. It is surprising how many individuals treat their co-workers one way and then flip a switch and turn on their customer service skills when dealing with someone from outside the organization.

If you are in a role such as accounting, HR, IT, or some other internally facing department, you play a critical role in your teammates being able to provide great service to your outside paying customer. For example, if someone who deals with your external customers receives a call from a customer who has a problem with an invoice. Imagine that the employee places a call to someone in accounting to look into the issue, and the accounting team member decides that because this in an internal request, they don't have to reply in a timely manner. What does that do to the other team member's ability to provide excellent service?

That outward facing employee may have the best intentions to respond to the customer quickly, but they are handcuffed. Yes, there must be mutual respect between departments, but the bottom line is that the internal departments exist to support those who interact with the paying customer.

The same concept applies to those who are in a leadership role. You have three primary purposes:

1. Develop the employees in your organization
2. Remove the roadblocks that prevent the front line employees from performing their jobs
3. Set the vision and overall direction for the company or department

A leader should view the employees and other leaders in their part of the organization as their "customers."

Great organizations develop a culture where internal and external customers are treated with the same amount of respect. The next time you have the opportunity to respond to an internal request, remember they are your customer!

You might as well smile!

As we all strive to deliver excellent customer service, there are going to be moments when the customer makes special, sometimes crazy requests. Unless the request is something completely out of bounds, we generally try to accommodate the customer and give them what they want. By doing so, you remove one possible reason they would turn to your competitor.

So if you are going to go ahead and give the customer what they ask for, why not capture the good will at the same time. On many occasions, employees give in to the customer, but then they make sure the customer knows that they are not happy about it.

Let me give you a couple of examples. Just this week I was on vacation with my family in Branson. My wife and I were enjoying ourselves walking in the Branson Landing area when we decided to grab a bite for dinner. We selected a Pizza / Gyro restaurant. I approached the counter and noticed how good the hot, fresh pizza looked. We ordered a piece of pepperoni and one with sausage. The girl behind the counter picked up a plate and picked the two pieces of pizza from trays that had been behind the hot, fresh ones. (I think they had been there for an hour.) I politely asked her if I could have a piece of the hot pepperoni instead. She gave me a less than pleasant look, and put the cold pizza back and gave me one from the hot pizza. She did not say another word as she handed me my pizza.

Contrast that to another experience later that same week. We had returned to a restaurant called Shorty & Smalls. (Great ribs!) We had a party of six and they seated us at a table next to the kitchen that did not have any view of the lake. There were plenty of other tables available with a great view, so I asked the hostess if we could move to another table. She immediately said, "Sure. Where would you like to sit?" She helped pull together two tables and moved our menus over from the other table. I'm sure she had a reason to seat us by the kitchen, most likely to balance out the load on their servers. She gave in to my request, but she did it with a smile!

If you plan on giving the customers what they want, then make the most of the overall experience. You never have anything to gain by letting them know you are not happy. (The customer generally does not care how you feel.) The entire experience can be ruined by a poor attitude, even if it just through your body language.

And they wonder why we can't stand the airlines???

I don't know about you, but I am tired of hearing about all the challenges being faced by the airlines. I know they are dealing with high fuel prices, but so is almost every other business.

They are responsible for the vast majority of their own problems. Some basic process improvement and a dose of normal everyday customer service would make a significant improvement to their bottom line.

Several months ago, I booked a one way flight on Mesa Air to Harrison, Arkansas to join the rest of my family in Branson. The kids are there at camp and my wife and I were planning on spending a few days together before picking them up. This evening (two days before my scheduled departure) I happened to call and confirm my flight. When the reservations agent looked into my flight she informed me that as of the end of June, they were no longer flying to this city.

When were they going to let me know???? Both my email address and phone number are on my reservation. If I had not called, they would have let me show up at the airport to find out my flight did not exist. At this late date, the price for flights to other area airports is outrageous.

Airlines: Stop complaining and fix your own problems! Business is tough, but if you treat your customers like you would expect to be treated, you will have a much higher chance at long term success.