Customer service isn’t all about smiling and being nice. It’s more than that. It’s about going that extra step. Put simply, it’s about being genuine and thoughtful.

When I was on the bus this morning I witnessed the bus driver waiting for an old man to sit down before he drove away. By just waiting an extra few seconds he showed care and respect for his customers. Compare this to what I have experienced many times before where the driver rushes off seemingly more concerned about his schedule than the safety of his passengers.

HOW YOUR STAFF BEHAVE IS A DIRECT REPRESENTATION OF YOUR BRAND.
This morning I was walking to daycare with my daughter in her stroller. As I was about to walk across the pedestrian crossing a  van came down the hill and stopped (like any decent driver should). I waved as I always do to say thank you to the driver for stopping. How he then reacted on the grand scale of things was nothing much, he just nodded his head and waved his hand in acknowledgment; but it made a personal connection between him and me. It wasn’t until the truck pulled away that I saw the BC Hydro logo on the back of the vehicle. Instantly that warm fuzzy feeling I was having was transferred over to their company. This then led me to think that they must do a great job in hiring and training decent people with manners and respect. Again, this transfers more positively to their brand. All of this brand value from a simple head nod and wave of a hand.

The opposite of this example can also leave a brand message but in a negative way. Ever been cut off while driving by a branded corporate car or truck? Or has a driver of such a vehicle ever given you a hand gesture that utilizes just one finger? It boils your blood, and has you relate to that company in a way that is less than positive. You then tell all your friends and colleges about your experience creating even more negative brand association.

Another example was the two cashiers in my local supermarket who talked about how strange and peculiar their previous customer was. They were right, he was a little bizarre, but never talk bad about anyone while you are in front of customers. It left me wondering what they were going to say about me behind my back once I had left the shop. It left me distrusting them, being cautious about what I said and did in front of them.This is not a great way for your customers to relate to your staff and your brand. If you are an employee be conscious that all your actions do leave an impression. Make that extra effort to make it a positive one. If you’re an employer, expect the best from your staff; train them in how to be amazing brand ambassadors and treat them well so they care to make that extra effort.

FROM NEGATIVITY TO DELIGHT
If someone has a negative experience of your brand you have a lot of extra work to do to reverse that experience. If it’s an ongoing complaint from a wider user group you may have to take a look at the bigger picture and make some fundamental changes to your business.

A good example of this is my recent experience with Apple. I downloaded two rental movies from Apple for the first time and when I transferred them over to my iPhone to watch at a later date only one worked.
I wanted to email Apple but remembered how difficult it had been in the past to find an email address on their site. They (like many companies) would rather drive you to A FAQ to see if you can solve it by yourself. This time though it was relatively easy to find their email address which was very refreshing.

I explained my situation and sent off my email not really expecting to hear back from them for several days, if at all. In retrospect this is quite sad that I have experienced such poor service from them in the past that I would be resigned and not expect them to reply. Is this something you would want associated with your brand?

What followed was a refreshing surprise and it really impressed me (and believe me, it takes a lot to impress me). Apple has obviously as a company-wide initiative addressed their customer service problems and have made the interactions personable and easy.

I got the automated response from Apple saying someone will look into this straight away. Within nine hours I had a reply in my inbox from a real person with a real name, one that wasn’t called ‘customer service’. That in itself impressed me. I continued to be delighted as I read the rest of the email. Here is that email with my comments (in Italics) about why their email is so successful:

Dear Matt,

Greetings from iTunes Store Support. My name is Lalchand. (By using first names it set a personal tone and creates a personal connection)

I understand that the movie “Town” that you rented is missing. I can certainly imagine how a situation like this could be disappointing. I can imagine you must be eager to get this taken care of. I am happy to assist. (The best way to defuse any angry person is to ‘recreate’ the situation, letting the person know that you fully understand what happened and that you can relate to how they are feeling).

Matt, I have posted a fresh copy of the movie to your account, please follow these steps to download the items: (Without further ado, they resolved the problem by reposting the movie).

Please reply to this email if you have not received the fresh copy and I will be glad to assist you. (Setting the expectation that they will continue to support me if I still need it is comforting. Also having his personal email address and not a generic customer service contact where you have to explain the same situation all over again to a stranger not familiar with the situation – is great).

Matt, I hope this helps to resolve this for you.  If you have any questions or require further assistance, just reply to the email and let me know. (This extends the hand of support again if I need it and by using my name it suggests that this isn’t a ‘cut and paste’ email).

Thank you for being a valued iTunes Store customer. Have a great day ahead! (An acknowledgment that I am valued makes me feel fuzzy and warm, and after all the content above in this email this type of statement comes across as genuine and not marketing rhetoric).

Sincerely,
Lalchand. iTunes Store Customer Support

Please note: I work from Sunday, Monday, Wednesday- Friday, 11 AM-8 PM CST (This is brilliant, by informing me when he works it is preventing me sending him an email on say Monday night and being frustrated because I didn’t hear back from him on Tuesday).

WHAT YOU CAN DO
The best customer service isn’t complicated, it just takes a little extra thinking and effort from a committed team of staff. Every person (including yourself) that works for your company is an ambassador for your brand. Where can you improve your companies customer service and take it to the next level? What can you do to go beyond your client’s expectations to leave them delighted and eager to share with their community how great a company you are?

Leave your response!