Ms. Stiel

Guest Service / Customer Experience Mgmt

Two Secrets to Creating Customer Experiences from the Inside Out

By Holly Stiel, President, Thank You Very Much Inc.

The big buzz these days is to talk all about the customer Experience. It is pass'e to use the term customer service and all the rage to sing the praises of the customer's experience. I am all for delivering memorable and pleasurable experiences, especially in the hospitality industry. I have been advocating being a "Memory Maker" for many years. It is just that no matter what you call it, the route to the customer's experience comes through the employee. If we only focus on the customers and do not give equal focus to the employees, we do not have a prayer of delivering the experience we are striving for or promising in our branding and advertising.

In order to deliver a great experience, we need to tell the truth about the darker, shadowy side of service. We need to be able to have an open and continuous dialogue with our employees about the core issues that interacting with masses of people on a daily basis bring to the surface. When you break it down to its essence, the experience people walk away with is about their feelings and these feelings are esoteric in nature. Here are two ideas to help you talk about the emotional side of service.

One of the shadow sides of customer interaction, is repetition and the uninspired experience it creates for the employee. I demonstrate the power of this simple idea in my workshops by putting the participants through a short exercise asking them to find a partner and say something that they repetitively say at work as if it was the first time they had ever said it. We compare service providers to actors and ask them to act as if they were performing on stage. The result of this short and simple exercise is that the room becomes "a-buzz" with laughter, and with a level of recognition that we create our own experience as well as the customer's experience - even at a micro level such as doing a repetitive task. We then ask everyone to stop and "feel" the room -- the shift in energy -- and thus the experience is palatable.

Next, we ask everyone to literally hum, to make the point that creating a service experience for customers is not something that you can actually pick up with your hands. While it is worth enormous amounts of dollars to businesses, it is not something you can put in a bag. It is esoteric, a vibration, a hum, a buzz, a feeling. We then hold up a bag that has large block letters reading, "BAG O' SERVICE." This drives the point home even further. Service, feelings, and "an experience" are not something you can put in a bag. It is not STUFF and yet it is the important result that successful, conscious companies depend on. No one can leave a business after having had a connected heartfelt service experience and then say to their friends and colleagues "Want to see the great service I just received? Look I have it right here in this bag!" It sure would be easier to provide if this were the case. Because it is energy that is being experienced, it simply doesn't work that way. The good news is that we can do something about it.

Once the employee recognizes that they are responsible for the experience that they personally receive, as well as what the customer receives, we can move on to talk about some of the more difficult aspects of creating an experience of delight for others on a consistent basis. Because it is all about feelings it becomes emotional very quickly. Talking about deep-seated emotional issues can be very difficult for managers as well as employees. One of my very favorite and simple ways to talk about these issues is through a concept that I call the ME sign.

Every single customer that employees encounter and each of us when we are customers, wears a giant sign and that sign says ME. The sign has flashing lights all around it! In fact they are so bright, they temporarily blind the person. They cannot recognize that an employee may be busy helping someone else. They cannot see that talking on a cell phone while attempting to check in or order a meal is rude. No, they cannot see anything because the lights on the ME sign are flashing too brightly.

The ME sign is a very simple idea and an easy way to talk about what is really happening in service situations. Start by accepting it as unchangeable. While customers may appear different, every single one of them is wearing this ME sign. Some are friendly, some are easy and lovely to work with, some are abrupt, some have attitude, and some are flat out nasty. Behind the flashing lights of everyone's ME sign are universal principles. I think of them as the human needs behind the business needs. It is these human needs that need to be addressed, both for the customer as well as for the employee.

Instead of just complaining about the customer's behavior or subscribing to the management practice of ignoring the employees' frustration, you can create breakthroughs in behavior by opening dialogue about the human needs that are really going on behind the flashing lights of the Me sign.

I have broken it down to four ideas. Each can be used as a focus for a meeting or pre-shift huddle. When you pay attention to these human needs, the business needs are easier to handle. These human needs are to be Heard, Acknowledged, Remembered and Respected. Delivering service based on these needs is the great challenge employees face every day. The reality is that most people receive indifference. Talking about these simple ideas in these simple ways, opens up the opportunity to change indifference to making a difference. Because they are simple does not mean that they are easy. Because you have already heard ideas like these does not mean your employees are delivering on them. Creating consistent and memorable experiences requires an ongoing conversation. Knowing and doing are two very different things.

The first human need underneath the flashing ME sign is to be heard, to be listened to. People are screaming ME because they feel they haven't been heard. Listening to someone else is so important that it can actually be considered as an act of generosity.

The next human need behind the ME sign is the craving to be acknowledged. Notice ME, pay attention to ME, make ME feel important. Focus a huddle on the various ways employees can let customers feel acknowledged. Little ways make a big difference. Remember, in service it is all about the little things. We get bitten by mosquitoes, not elephants. If a customer is waiting in line, gesture to them, and whisper I'll be right with you. Do something that let's the ME know that you see them. In most cases it relieves the customer's anxiety. A simple acknowledgement works wonders.

The third human need underneath the flashing ME sign is to be remembered. As I learned in the hotel business, nothing sounds sweeter than the sound of your own name. Remembering people's names and preferences and their last visit ensures happy customers. Of course, we have all heard this before, and many of you have extensive databases and frequent guest programs to handle this exact need. Make sure it is really being used and talk about what happens when it is used correctly. Is it being used robotically or is it being used to create an emotional connection? Having the tool is only half the equation.

The last human need behind the ME sign is to respect me. Appreciate that I am spending my time and money in your hotel and make me feel valued. Ask employees for different ways they are helping their customers to feel valued and respected. Share and celebrate best practices.

By the way, all of these ideas work for your employees as well. Listen to them, acknowledge them, remember little things about them and respect them. You may be surprised how your customer experience is positively propelled.

After 17 years serving as the first woman concierge, Holly Stiel founded her own company, Thank You Very Much, Inc., to provide training for hotel concierges and customize concierge service philosophies and practices for all types of industries. A philosopher, published author, keynote speaker, workshop leader and consultant, her programs have been delivered in 25 languages, to businesses ranging from The Bank of America to NASCAR. Ms. Stiel has written four books : the newly released textbook, The Art and Science of the Hotel Concierge. Ultimate Service, The Complete Handbook to the World of the Concierge, Thank You Very Much – A Book for Anyone Who Has Ever Said, “May I Help you?,” and The Neon Signs of Service. Ms. Stiel can be contacted at 202-639-5712 or Thankyouinc@aol.com Extended Bio...

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