A-Ha….there is a great post on Customer Connection from Leslie Pagel at Walker Information sharing how missing an opportunity to capture a customer’s idea in an immediate and simplistic fashion can make a difference – perhaps a game-changing difference.

“The other night my husband and I sat at a bar for dinner when I overheard the following conversation between the bartender and another customer.

Customer: Can you put on the IU (Indiana University) football game?
Bartender: No hun. We don’t get the Big Ten Network.
Customer: That is too bad. I was hoping to watch the game while I ate dinner.
Bartender: You can go to our website and submit a request to add that channel. They do listen when customers submit feedback. They’ve implemented a lot of things that have really helped us out.
Customer: Oh. OK.

The customer had a cell phone with internet access, but did not take the next step to submit his feedback. Instead, he used his phone to check the score of the game.

While I don’t know for sure, I doubt this customer ever submitted his feedback, which got me thinking. How many ideas get lost because sharing feedback is inconvenient for customers? Think about it. How many times have you thought, “I should send them a message to tell them what a great job they did,” or “That was inconvenient. I should send them a letter?”

How many times have you been in meetings, social events or even “just hanging out” where you witness or have an “a-ha moment”?  How do you take action on that idea?  In that moment?  Do you write it down on a napkin, call yourself and leave a voice-mail, write a note in your cell phone?  None of the above?

Right, too often we find ourselves not able to take the immediate action needed to capture an idea that would improve the delivery of service or product.  Enabling communication with the powers that be within a company is a nut worth cracking.

We have the ability to access information immediately.  How we leverage that ability or create a link to that information to harness the ideas of our customers is our next challenge.  As Leslie points out in “How many ideas get lost because sharing feedback is inconvenient?”, a challenge doesn’t have to have a complex solution.  It can be as simple as taking an order.

Great article and great food for thought Leslie,

M

Posted under Business & Process Innovation, Customers, Employees, General, Leadership, Shareholder Value

You Gotta Dance With the One That Brought Ya!

I don’t care if it’s the Tango, Box-Step, Mambo, Jitterbug or Two-Step, it all takes coordination and a lot of practice to get it right.  To be fluid, to be graceful, to anticipate, to flow.  Finding the right dance partner and committing to “getting it right” takes fortitude and stamina.  I’m not in it for the short haul.

I want a partner that matches my current abilities and yet can grow with me.  One that will be willing to learn with me.  I want to dance all of the dances, not just the Mambo.  I want to be able to choose whether or not to sit out a dance, but not because I don’t know the steps.

Partner well – It makes a difference.  Learn the steps your partner needs in order to be fluid, graceful, to anticipate and to flow.

Let’s Dance!

M

Posted under Business & Process Innovation, Customers, Employees, General, Leadership, Value Proposition

I got it.  I don’t need any help.  No, really, I’m fine.

Why is it that asking for help is seen as a sign of weakness?  We all do it.  At least from time to time.  Or at least prior to asking for help, we spend several long minute thinking “I should know the answer to this” or “I should know how to do this”.  And then when we do ask the question, we only ask part of it so as not to look too foolish or inept.

Come on.  Let it go.

Ask.

You’ll be surprised how much faster you learn and how much people want to and are willing to help.

Ask, Ask, Ask, Ask, Ask

M

Posted under Business & Process Innovation, Customers, Employees, General, Leadership, Value Proposition

International Customer Service Week is NOW.

This first full week of October we are going to celebrate our customers – internally and externally.  We are here because of our customers.  Our customers are here because of us.  Because of you.  A perfect equation for success.

Engagement (employee and customer) and Optimization =

Profitable Growth

Take a minute, stop what you’re doing, focus and say “Thanks”.  Without you, we wouldn’t be here.  Sounds like a cliche, but it’s real.  You can make it real.  Make it heartfelt.  Be sincere – not phony.  If you have the opportunity, make eye contact, smile, take a minute.  Remember, internally as well as externally.

Don’t “phone it in” as they say.  And if you are on the phone, I can tell if you’re being real.

Go ahead, give it a shot…Get Ready, Get Set, Thank You!

M

Posted under Business & Process Innovation, Customers, Employees, General, Leadership, Shareholder Value

I recently purchased an older house not quite in the country, but not in the city either.  It’s old enough and out in the country enough to have a well.  In gathering all of the paperwork for the house, the well permit is missing.  I needed to call The State in order to register the well.  Uhm, great…visions of sitting on hold, taking a number, standing in line, etc. bounced through my head.

We have 1440 minutes in any given day.  How I choose to use those minutes matters to me.  Sitting on hold, taking a number and standing in line, did not rank high on my list of “must do’s” in using my 1440 minutes.  But, I needed to register my well.

So I dialed and reached Jesse.  That man loves his job!  Helpful, courteous, expeditious…all words I love.  Here I had gone into the interaction with a slight disdain for what might be ahead of me.  I had a preconceived notion of how my time was going to be spent.  Instead, Jesse, asked – researched – explained – directed and in general had me saying “You’ve been wonderful.  Have a great afternoon.  I truly appreciate you taking the time to walk me through what I need to do.”

Time well spent and preconceived notions – shot down!

M

Posted under Business & Process Innovation, Customers, General, Value Proposition