Responsibility: The Other Side of the Coin
Confucius: The father who does not teach his son his duties is equally guilty with the son who neglects them.
When I was growing up, my parents owned a rock shop. Our store had many glass showcases that displayed the stones and jewelry we sold. My mother often complained about having to frequently clean the fingerprints from the showcases left by little children placing their sticky fingers on the glass. As a result, whenever I was taken to a store, I had to walk with my hands behind my back, forbidden to touch anything.
It seemed kind of extreme at the time, but now, after several months of working at a large discount store, I wish that everyone had a mother like mine. It seems that people have forgotten how to take responsibility for themselves. Although this blog is about how to provide good customer service, I also believe there is another side of the coin. We all know that a company must provide good customer service if it hopes to stay in business. But what about the responsibility of customers to respect the company and its employees?
In just a few months, I have seen many examples of total disrespect, for both property and people, from the customers who shop in the store. I work in the lingerie department, and much of my day is spent putting back together the packages of underwear that people have ripped open. Then you have customers who wander about the store, dropping the items that they picked up and no longer want. It may be a simple shirt lying among the hats. At other times I find whole shopping carts full of items from all over the store, including perishable grocery items. But what really puzzles me is the effort people make to hide these unwanted items. This may include a six-pack of Gatorade stuffed under a rack of bras, several items of jewelry hidden underneath the purses, or cell phone tucked into a sock rack.
Many customers expect you to know everything about every other department in the store. They get upset that you aren’t up on the latest video games, know where the night lights are kept, or how to work a microwave. In our department, we also take incoming calls, and have to answer such questions as “do you have such and such product in stock or do you carry wheel chairs?” I would never think to call a store to ask if they have balloons. I would get in my car and drive to the store and look for it myself. I’ve even had people call me from inside the store, trying to find a particular item.
And of course, there are many examples of customers yelling at the employee over perceived injustices that they have received. There are a lot of interesting stories of rude and inappropriate behavior at a website called Customers Suck. Reading these stories brought home to me just how prevalent this behavior in all types of service industries, including gas stations, restaurants, retail stores, etc.
In May, 2007, Joe Trovata wrote an article in the Badger Herald entitled, “Is Personal Responsibility Lacking in the US?” He states, “But America’s biggest problem today is the lack of personal responsibility. If there is one value that has eroded away in America, it is its belief in this one.” He goes on to say that people are no longer accountable for their actions and that Americans blame everything but ourselves for our problems.
For the record, I am not advocating not providing excellent customer service, since that is the theme of this blog. And I continue to treat all my customers with respect, even those who go through the purses right after I have straightened them, pulling out the paper fillers and throwing it on the floor, or those who pull the pantyhose out of the box and try them on in the aisle, forcing me to send the item to claims. Perhaps they have had some traumatic life event that I am not aware of that leads them to engage in destructive behavior. Or perhaps, they were not raised by my mother. I still find myself putting my hands behind my back at times when going into a store.
One of my favorite authors is Stephen Covey, author of The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People
I can only hope that today’s parents can take the time to instill personal responsibility habits into their children. For more than likely, they will grow up to become an employee in a service industry, and will be expected to respond professionally to inappropriate behavior on a daily bases.
What should be our reaction to the disrespectful behavior of others? The best approach is to set a good example for others. If you decide not to buy something, at least take it back to the department where you picked it up. If it is a perishable item, return it to the cooler. Ask a sales clerk for assistance if you want to see an item out of the package. Many would be happy to make a small opening that can be easily mended rather than spend time putting back together a ripped open package. Do not try to get something for nothing.
The best definition of a responsible person that I’ve found is from The Partnership for Citizenship and Character. “The people who demonstrate responsibility consider the consequences of their action for themselves and for others, in order to make those consequences as positive as possible.” 
“I Drink a Lot of It”
“Get to Know Your Customer.” It’s such an easy thing to say, but not so easy to do. How does one get to know the customer, especially when working with a lot of customers? Customer surveys may be one way, but it is always a bonus when you can actually say you “know” a specific customer’s likes and dislikes.
My husband and I like to eat out. In fact, we do so whenever we find some extra money in the bank. I particularly like to eat breakfast, which I can do at anytime of the day. So it was that not too long ago we ended up at IHOP. We go there regularly, but not so frequently that we are well known.
Before we begin this tale, there is one thing you need to know about my husband. He drinks a lot of fluid. Whether it is iced tea or a diet Pepsi, he consumes large quantities of it. So when a server asks him what he wants to drink, he will give his preference and then warn them, “and I drink a lot of it.”
Most of the time they nod their heads, say they will watch to see he has enough to drink, and off they go. If he is lucky, they will re-appear several times to replenish his glass. I think most people don’t believe him, or have their own idea of what constitutes “a lot.” He has been known to down two pitchers of tea, while I am still nursing the same glass that I started out with (yes, I know, I need to drink more fluids too).
Occasionally, a server will actually notice that he is draining his glass quite often, and will bring him a pitcher. This is always greatly appreciated. There have been times the server has said, “I’d bring you a pitcher but we aren’t allowed to leave it on the table.” One has to wonder what kind of customer service expert made up that rule?
So it was that we encountered Toni, our IHOP waitress. She came up to our table, and much to our pleasant surprise, greeted my husband and asked, “Are you the one who likes to have a pitcher of tea?” After determining that she had remembered him correctly, she produced the desired pitcher. It was a simple thing, but stood out in my memory. She proactively attempted to meet a specific request of her customer, with the result that we may increase our visits to that restaurant to support my passion for breakfast.
On IHOP’s Official Website, they have this mission statement. “IHOP’s Vision is to become number one in family dining…….We are always focused on satisfying the needs of our customers and guests.”
I certainly commend IHOP for not being one of the establishments with the “no pitcher” rule (which makes sense seeing as they provide a carafe of coffee.) I also wish to thank Toni for taking the extra step to ensure her customer was satisfied with the service he received.
Jack Mitchell talks about this concept in his book, Hug Your Customers: The Proven Way to Personalize Sales and Achieve Astounding Results.
“Through the relationships you develop, you must listen to your customers on an individual basis so that you know her or him, and give them additional services that are important to them.” (Jack Mitchell)
Oh, I almost forgot, the steak omelet at IHOP was excellent too!
E-Mail as a Customer Service Tool
I wonder who first decided that it was women who should change their names when they got married. Probably eons ago, since in the past women were considered the property of men. Today, more and more women are keeping their maiden names when they get married. Unfortunately, I am not one of them.
I’ve been married twice, once in the 1970’s and one in 2006. After the first one, I remember having to change my name in a few places, like Social Security and my Driver’s License. But now that I am in my 50’s, I have my name out there everywhere. And for each account, I have to get my name updated to the new name, which can be time consuming and frustrating.
I’ve been doing it a little at a time over the past two years, whenever the need arises. Recently I updated my PayPal account and my Walmart card. I had two very different experiences while performing the same task.
While logged into my PayPal account, I clicked on the button to update my address and phone number. But I couldn’t change my name. The directions told me to mail in a copy of my driver’s license with my new name, and copy of my marriage license. So, one day when I was out and about, I made the requested copies, and mailed them in. In about a week, I got an e-mail from PayPal stating, “We have reviewed the information you provided regarding the name change request. The name change you requested is complete and has been updated on your PayPal account.”
On the other hand, while signed into my Walmart account, I found a little button to send an e-mail question to the Customer Service Dept. So I gave them my old name, and my married name, and asked what would be the best way for me to accomplish this name change. I expected to get back the same instructions as I had for PayPal.
Instead I got back an e-mail message telling me to check my messages in my account. When I signed in, I found this.
“We have received your request to change your name on your account. We want to take this opportunity to congratulate you on your marriage and extend our best wishes for the future.
Please be advised that your name has been updated and a new card has been mailed to you. You may expect to receive the new card within the next 7-10 business days.
We appreciate you as a valued Wal-Mart® customer and hope you will continue to shop with us.”
In his book Superior Customer Service: How to Keep Customers Racing Back to Your Business–Time Tested Examples from Leading Companies, Dan W. Blacharski gives some tips for sending e-mails to a customer. He recommends the following:
1. Remember you are interacting with a customer, not a friend.
2. Avoid abbreviations and emoticons.
3. Be sure to proofread before sending.
4. Always address the customer by name.
5. Respond in a timely manner.
I would say both of the companies mentioned above followed these practices, but Walmart took it up a step. Not only did they make it easy and convenient for me to accomplish my goal, they also including a friendly, personalized congratulations on my marriage. Not a big deal, but it is those extra touches that customers remember for a long time.
Walmart has always had a very strong customer service ethic from their founder, Sam Walton. I hope to continue this tradition because I am going to start to work at the local store very soon.
As a postscript to the issue about my getting my medication refilled, as mentioned in the previous post, I want to assure everyone that I finally got it refilled, after my third request.
We let folks know we’re interested in them and that they’re vital to us, cause they are.
Sam Walton
Handle Me with Care
For every example of great customer service you will probably find 5 more examples of poor customer service. I would like to just skip over those and focus on the best examples. But there is something to be learned from mistakes, so I will share today’s story of how the Care was taken out of Service.
When we moved to town a year and a half ago, I did not have a doctor nor any medical insurance. I came down with strep throat, and looked for an urgent care clinic to be treated. I found a listing in the phone book that had the word “Care” listed as part of it’s name, and advertised themselves as “We Care at _______ Care.”
Because I had no insurance and went on a Saturday, I spent $130 at that visit. Some time later I began having headaches, and had my blood pressure checked for free by a very nice fireman. Who knew they did those kinds of things? He said it was high, and recommended that I see a doctor as soon as possible. Since they already had a chart on me, I went back to the nice “Care” place and spent another $70 to get some medication for the high blood pressure.
The medication didn’t work at first, so I had several repeat visits until the doctor found the right combination. He then advised me to find a primary care physician, as they were only there for urgent matters. I was employed, but it didn’t include a health insurance benefit, and the cost to buy it privately is exorbitant. So I coasted along, getting my medication at Walmart for $4.00 (and isn’t that a great customer service move? They know you will buy other things while you are there getting your prescriptions filled for $4.00).
I did need to see a doctor another time for what I thought was a heart attack but turned out to be an anxiety attack. I went to another Urgent Care center at that time. They did not change my medication, so I continued to get my medications that were prescribed by the first doctor.
Eventually prescriptions run out, and I realized that my blood pressure medication due date was approaching. If I had been pro-active and on top of things, I would have made an appointment to get it renewed before it ran out. But being human, I procrastinated, and in the meantime lost my source of income. So now I can’t afford the 60-120 dollars it would cost to see a doctor to get it refilled.
But luckily, there is a clinic in town that serves people without insurance. I now meet their financial guidelines. So I called, and was told to come in – next month! I called the pharmacist to explain I needed to get a 30 day supply of medication until that appointment. They agreed to call the prescribing doctor.
The pharmacy called back to report that the doctor had declined to renew it, saying I needed to see my primary doctor. Well, we went through that story a few paragraphs back. I called the clinic with the word “Care’ in it’s name and talked to a very nice nurse. I explained my situation. She seemed to be understanding and said she would see what she could do.
When I checked with my pharmacy, they still had not received a refill from the doctor. I am keeping my fingers crossed that my blood pressure won’t skyrocket while I am waiting for the next doctor’s appointment. It is very easy to blame the customer when things go wrong. Yes, it was my responsibility to make sure I got it refilled in time, but who knew it was going to be such a hassle? Yes, I understand that doctors are very busy, and they probably don’t need extra business anyway; they have more than they can handle. But how do you think I will respond if anyone asks my opinion about local health care clinics?There is a song by the Traveling Wilbury’s called “Handle Me with Care” which states,
Been sent up, and Ive been shot down
You’re the best thing that I’ve ever found
Handle me with care”
Click here to listen to this song on You-Tube
It’s the title of this post and the motto of anyone who needs help, whether it be medical, legal, financial, or just help returning a defective item. Handle us with care please.
Anon
“You Have the Power,” I said
I could see disbelief in the eyes of my class. Most of them felt that they were at the bottom of the totem pole. They were the least educated, the most underpaid, and, they thought, the least valued staff in the company. I am talking about certified nurse’s aides or CNAs.
One of my job duties as a nursing home Social Service Director was to provide on-going in-service education to the line staff. My required topics included “Resident Rights”, “Theft and Loss of Resident Property”, and “How to Communicate with the Elderly.”
On this date my topic was “Customer Service Skills.” Why had I chosen that? My intention was to help them become aware that their perceptions about themselves were not true. Rather than being the least valued staff, they were, in fact, the most important.
I had no authority to increase their wages or improve their work conditions. The life of a nursing home CNA is very demanding, physically and emotionally. But I hoped to get across to them that what they did every single day, the type of interactions they had with both the resident and their families, mattered a great deal to the success of the company.
“You have the Power”, I kept repeating. “Customer satisfaction is important. You play a key role in customer satisfaction! You have the power to satisfy our customers: patients and families.”
A nursing home is in the business of providing care to people who can no longer care for themselves in their homes. Just like other businesses, the nursing home owners want to make money. The staff, who usually go into a helping profession because they care about people, often do not realize that they, too, have a vested interest in helping the company make money. They like to be paid, and if the home is to remain open, it must be profitable.
Every day, nursing home staff have to deal with resident complaints. These can range from complaints that the food is cold, medication wasn’t given on time, or call-lights weren’t answered promptly. How these complaints are handled is crucial to improving customer satisfaction.
And like other businesses, much of a nursing home’s business comes from word of mouth. If you know Grandma received great care at XYZ home, you will tell your friends, who will remember when Uncle Joe needs a nursing home. On the other hand, if you had a bad experience with the care at Tip-Top Nursing Home, you will also be sure to tell everyone. And when they, or a loved one, needs some extra care, they will think, “Oh don’t send me to Tip-Top. I’ve heard that you receive very poor care there.” And that begins a ripple effect that is very difficult to get turned around.
The first person a nursing home resident usually sees when they get admitted, besides someone from the admissions office, is a CNA. They are the people assigned to get the person’s vitals, inventory their belongings, and get them settled in. This first impression can make a world of difference in the resident’s perception of their experience, especially if they are only there for short-term therapy following surgery. It is the CNA who will bring them their food, take them to the bathroom, give them a bath, and usually answer their call light.
So I would tell the CNAs, “You have the power to ensure that this experience is a positive one, or a negative one. If you answer a call light and snarl, “What do you want, you are always on the call light?” then the image is going to be negative. It doesn’t matter if the person really does put on the call light every 5 minutes. It is more important that they feel as though their needs are being addressed. The powerful response would be “How can I help you?” and then do whatever is needed to provide that service.
We had one CNA, let’s call her Angela, who totally understood the concept. She received corporate awards for her customer service skills. Angela was promoted to the a unique role we had created, a CNA “Concierge,” would have first contact with the resident upon admission. She did not know the meaning of the words, “It’s not my patient.” If Angela saw a call light, she would answer it and help out. She knew the names of all the residents in the building, not just those on her section. She would go to the laundry to find lost clothing, go to the beauty shop to make an appointment, help family members pack when it was time to go home, and was there when someone needed a shoulder to cry on. She never raised her voice or showed anger towards a resident or family member, although Angela could get as frustrated as the rest of us.
And the funny thing is that, when I looked around the room at the staff that had gathered for the in-service, Angela was always sitting in the first row, ready to learn more. On the other hand, CNAs that had demonstrated a need to improve their customer skills were notably absent. They did not get, or did not care, that they “Had the Power” to positively impact the lives of the residents in their care.
”As far as customers are concerned you are the company. This is not a burden, but the core of your job. You hold in your hands the power to keep customers coming back – perhaps even to make or break the company.”
- Unknown
Customer Service Rules at Runza
On my way home from an errand, I stopped into the Runza Restaurant in Lawrence KS to get a cheeseburger. The very amiable young man behind the counter was explaining to the couple in front of me what a Runza was. I wasn’t sure either, so I listened closely.
“A Runza is very much like a bierock,” he explained. “Have you ever had a bierock?” I nodded yes, although he wasn’t actually talking to me. I had married into a Volga German family, so bierocks were a main staple at the in-laws house on holidays. The young man went on to explain that a Runza was a sandwich that consists of homemade dough stuffed with ground beef, cabbage, onions, and spices. It is the specialty of this chain of restaurants located in the midwestern states of Nebraska, Kansas, Colorado, and Iowa.
People who grew up eating Runzas have them shipped all over the country. They are considered to be a staple food for football parties. You can find glowing reports on the Internet from people who can’t wait to get back to the area and find the closest Runza restaurant. The couple ahead of me ordered some, and after some consideration, I changed my order from a cheeseburger to a cheese Runza.
So made this customer service special? First, the man taking our orders was engaging. He was willing to explain a product that his customers were not familiar with. He encouraged us to try it, and in my case, I ended up ordering a higher priced item based on his explanation. He made us feel as though we were special customers, not just people to be gotten through the line as quickly as possible. The order was quickly delivered to the cook and before I knew it, I was out the door with my Runza and fries in hand.
The taste was similar to what I experienced eating my mother in law’s bierocks. My personal favorite is still a great cheeseburger, but for a change of pace I will probably try some of the other varieties of Runza’s, such as the Swiss Cheese Mushroom Runza Sandwich. But what is more likely to keep me coming back again and again is the friendly and helpful atmosphere I experience from the staff at Runza’s
”If you don’t genuinely like your customers, chances are they won’t buy..”
- Tom Watson
Sources:
The Runza Restaurant Home Page
Customer Service on Public Transporation?
As mentioned in the previous post, any industry that deals with people requires a customer service attitude. I was reminded of that today as I boarded a small town public bus system for a trip downtown. We have been relegated to using public transportation again when our car broke down.
This is not the first time this has happened, so over the years I have had a chance to sample many bus systems. A year and a half ago we were living in San Diego county, and used the bus system extensively when we were between cars. The difference between a big city bus system and the one here in our Midwest small town can be summed up in two words: Customer Service.
When we first moved to Lawrence, KS, I decided I wanted to live on a bus route, because I was not looking forward to driving in the snow and ice again. My husband used our only car to get to work. I used the bus system.
My first positive reaction was about the price. Only 50 cents to ride? When we left San Diego, a single ride cost $2.00 and a day pass cost $4.00. I was amazed Kansas riders complained when the bus fares increased to .75. But even I was starting to complain when they went to a $1.00. My, how quickly we forget and start to take things for granted.
That is good value for the money. But our focus here is customer service. The local bus system, run by the city of Lawrence through a contract with MV Transportation, has a customer service mentality. Thefirst thing that struck me was the transfer process. In San Diego, if your bus was running late, you would miss your connection. Plain and simple. You always had to build extra time into your travel plans just for this eventuality. It was so frustrating to see my connecting bus pull out of the transit station just as my bus was pulling in, even though the bus driver knew the first bus usually had transfers. I’ve seen people run after buses that pulled out just as their bus was pulling in. And inevitably the bus would keep going. The philosophy was, too bad for you. And don’t even bother to ask a driver to call ahead to ask the bus to wait. It just wasn’t done. To be fair, they do state on their website that the buses will not stop after they have pulled away from the bus stop. That is not much consolation when you know you are going to be late for work again.
Fast forward ahead to the Lawrence bus service. The bus driver asks you when you board the bus, “Do you need a transfer?” If you say yes, they ask for which bus and punch one out. Then, as they travel the route and get close to where you are to make your transfer, they call the other driver to let him/her know they have a tranfer! They might even describe you to other driver to make sure that he/she doesn’t leave you behind. Buses on routes that connect with each other must wait at the transfer point until they have “cleared” each other over the radio.
In addition, if you should have to miss a transfer for any reason, the bus driver will call a supervisor who will come to pick you up in a little van and take you where you need to go. And, if the bus passes you by for some reason, i.e you weren’t paying attention and the bus rode right by you, you can call the company and they will again send a van to pick you up.
This is a great example of a customer service oriented transportation system. For those who have not experienced it’s opposite, you don’t know how fortunate you are. I hope I never get to the point where I take it for granted.
“Be everywhere, do everything, and never fail to astonish the customer.”
Macy’s Motto
But I Know About Customer Service
I’ve been out of work for about a month and on the job search circuit. It is very hard to keep from being typecast in the career field you’ve been in for most of your life. Since I have been a social worker for about 13 years, employers often ask me, “Are you sure that you won’t go back to social work?” That is when I even get an interview. Most of the time I think they look at my resume and throw it away, believing I am overqualified for the simple job I applied for, or do not have experience in that type of job.
If I do land an interview, I try to explain that I no longer wish to do the types of jobs I have done in the past. But what I have learned from the social service field can be applied to any industry that deals with people. I am an expert in customer service. I have taught customer service skills to staff. I have learned skills to defuse angry clients, how to discover what the client is really asking for, and how to provide the service they desire so that they leave with a positive experience.
I plan to share all that and more. Stay tuned!
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