A few weeks ago we talked about quick reactions and timely responses. When a company really gets it right, it needs to be recognized, celebrated, and we all need to learn and apply what we can with their winning formula. 

Unfortunate situations, like accidents, happen daily that require us to count on the service providers that we hire. It becomes the moment of truth between how you hope they will respond, to how they actually respond. We recently changed our car insurance company to Geico. The financial savings was impressive, and we certainly hoped if we had to use the company, their services would be just as impressive. 

"Knowing and doing what's important rather than simply responding to what's urgent is foundational to putting first things first." Stephen R. Covey

Beware the deadly pronoun: he, she, they, especially the infamous they and the power-gilded we.  Pronouns can send you into a quagmire of misunderstanding.  Every single day, it seems, I say to someone, "Too many pronouns."  During a negotiation, force your counterpart to use specific nouns and proper names.  This preventive measure avoids a great deal of miscommunication.

- Michael C. Donaldson, Negotiation for Dummies

I recently selected an airline that I had never flown before, and to my surprise, if possible, will never fly again. The overall feeling I had about my experience with this airline was not just about money, it was the way they made me "feel" about how they choose to do business. Just my efforts to check in to my flight was made difficult. Instead of just letting me check in, I had to sign up for their frequent flier program, regardless if I wanted to or not. Also, their website was not user-friendly. I learned while checking my bag in at the airport the day of my flight, had I checked the bag in online, the charge would have been about half cost and every bag gets a charge. Where is the customer care in that, especially when the website didn't navigate easily? They boldly, proudly, and in a condescending manner, said, "Do not give us 'that look' when the beverage cart comes around, and we charge you for water, because this airlines charges for everything." Interestingly, after this announcement, the two people sitting in my row both said they were warned by their friends not to fly this airline. 

All of this got me thinking about how many people on that flight felt like my row felt, and would they complain or just leave without comment? How dangerous for a company to have this large of a disconnect with their customers. My choice was to comment, which I hope informs this airline of my experience, however, sadly most will not complain to the company, but they will tell many about their poor experience. 

Even if you need very specific information... a good strategy is to start with a few open-ended questions and become more focused as you go.  This gives you the opportunity to develop a rapport with the other person while at the same time getting some valuable background data.  It just takes a little patience, which is essential anyway if you want to get honest, reliable information.

-Jo-Ellan Dimitrius, Ph.D. and Wendy Patrick Mazzarella, Reading People

I personally enjoyed our blog last week because the outcome was a GREAT customer service experience, where the associates went over and above to anticipate needs and deliver on surprises and delights. Shouldn't this be the norm? Why are so many service experiences disappointing? My theory ~ leadership is looking in the wrong direction. Too many businesses focus on sales and not so much on service. This is baffling to me because more sales come with better service. Randy Pennington says that in his experience, "Companies with bad service view it as a cost to be managed rather than an investment that creates a competitive advantage." I couldn't agree more. 

Quick reactions and timely responses should be a part of every company's core standards because these two actions help support a positive customer experience. Customer service doesn't just happen to someone else; it's a very personal and intentional action that happens to each one of us daily. We have a personal connection to the service we are providing as well as receiving.

We have built our world around speed, and because of this, any amount of waiting seems like a complete waste of time and an enormous frustration. We have drive-thru opportunities everywhere- banks, coffee shops, cleaners, and even restaurants will run your take-out to your car. With a quick search on google, just about any question has an instant answer. The responsibility and understanding this brings to all customer service providers is that asking customers to needlessly wait may be the difference between a positive or negative experience.