I Am Currently Fascinated by...

…how Customer Service, as a crucial function of business, can be performed so differently.

I recently had the following personal experience that caused me to think about how Customer Service is delivered by various companies.

While renting a car from a major national brand recently, my family and I stood in line and watched two nearly lethargic Agents, slowly handle reservations for customers in front of us.

Processes seemed totally manual, including the need to key in all Driver’s License info, etc. (How about that invention called the card swipe reader? IBM invented the magnetic strip in the 1960’s!).

Customers were eventually getting their car keys and papers before wandering away in a daze toward the parking garage, seemingly drained from the experience.

At one point, the second Agent working the counter got up and just left with no replacement. Break time maybe? What about the twenty people still in line behind us?!

Meanwhile, at the competitor’s counter next door, we observed customers in a much longer line being whisked through their process (as we stood slumped over our suitcases). Some Agents even came out from behind the counter to greet their customers. One male was wearing a coral necklace; maybe that’s because he was happy or maybe that was because it was Florida? I think ‘happy employee’ had a lot to do with it.

The Duke of Earl…Not!

Finally, we were #2 in line, although a “situation” was developing between the customer ahead of us and the agent, “Earl”.

Tension was mounting and while we couldn’t hear all the conversation, the older woman and her adult daughter clearly were not enjoying their interactions with Earl. Finally, he literally threw their paperwork and keys on the counter and they were done. They turned to us, knowing we were headed for Earl, and said “Good luck with him!”

So, being the Optimist I am and thinking that how you treat someone can make all the difference, we approached the counter and I said, “Hi, how are you today?”.

Earl’s first words to us were, “You’ve got to be kidding, right?”.

Well, that shut me up and I went back to the old adage of “only speak when spoken to”.

After all the manual keying of information, Earl finally tells us the car class we rented wouldn’t be available for about 30 mins (we’ve now been in line for about 40 mins already….and eager to get to the beach!).

We ask about an upgrade and he offered us a mini-van. Now, for any of you who know my wife, that was definitely not going to work for cruising around sunny Florida! Flip flops + mini-van does not even compute for her…

What happened next still astounds me.

Earl says, “I have a Mercedes, but I’m not giving you that”.

Wow.

I’m pretty sure this approach is not in the “How to Create Happy Customers” handbook: Offer your customers something you have, but then tell them they can’t have it.

Sure makes me want to rent from this company again!

Even my 13-year-old step daughter wanted to take the guy out. She was appalled by how Earl treated the older woman and still talks about the experience. We parents call this a ‘teachable moment’.

Eventually, and I mean eventually, we got the next car available (a slight upgrade, filthy inside and out including a rotting piece of fruit under the seat), but at least we were on our way… and free of Earl.

This is How It’s Done!

Contrast that experience with what was happening at the counter next to us. Same ‘product’; totally different customer service experience….and happy employees. (By the way, I have a reservation with them for my next trip and likely won’t be renting from Earl’s company anytime soon, if ever again).

Here are two other examples I’ve experienced lately where the companies got it right.

In order to earn some extra cash, my son, who lives in Southern California, recently applied for a part-time position with Wag!, a franchise that does professional dog walking, Uber-style.

App connected, find a walker in your area on demand, and receive poop icons on your Maps application marking the spot your pet chose as most desirable, in real-time. Seriously. You can’t make this stuff up!

They texted me a link to a survey so that I could provide a Reference. I assumed I’d never hear from them again, yet this week I got a follow-up email saying he got the job.

Not only that, but they sent an electronic coupon for three free dog walks that I could use or even gift to someone else.

I’m not sure I need that level of gastrointestinal detail on my pups, so perhaps I’ll give them away.

I’m also fascinated with how consistent the service of Chewy.com is where I can have dog food on the front step, sometimes as quick as within 24 hours, and often at the lowest price. Oh, and the owners send a Christmas card  as a thank you every year. For a dog food purchase.

I’m pretty sure I won’t be getting a Christmas card from Earl this year…

So What’s the Reason for the Difference?

How can these companies provided such extremely different customer experiences?

• Is it because of the training provided (or not provided)?
• The Emotional Intelligence of the employees involved?
• The employee’s overall job satisfaction….or maybe just their happiness with life in general?
• Company culture?
• All of the above….. or something entirely different?

What do you think? I’m interested in seeing your comments posted!

Quote

Perhaps this can all be summed up in the following quote that a colleague of mine, Kent from High West Distillery, has in the signature line of his email address:

“Business, like life, is about how you make people feel.  It’s that simple, and it’s that hard.”

– Danny Meyer, Founder of Shake Shack

I’ve never eaten at a Shake Shack, but maybe it’s time.

I just won’t rent a car from Earl to get there…

 

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