"Our Take" - Care and Compassion

(Past Editions by: Date, Title, Topic)

 
About "Our Take" 
"Our Take" is a collection of daily vignettes covering a wide range of CRM topics. It's an attempt to add our own spin to the world of CRM. We will use the column to share our perspectives, opinions, epiphanies, web nuggets, or quite frankly anything that moves us. Get ready to expect the unexpected. And, don't be shy about sharing your thoughts.
 
 
6/11/07 - Attitude's Cost
One of the recurring themes I hear from people on both sides of the CRM equation is that customers just want to feel they are important and that someone really cares about them. This is such an important concept that the value of great product and even great service can be dramatically diminished by a cavalier attitude. Conversely, poor product and poor service can be great enhanced by an attitude of caring and compassion.
 
To continue the discussion about airline customer service, one reader wrote, "My airline experience (and I fly a lot) is opposite. I find that the low cost airlines like Southwest tend to treat their customers better than the high-priced carriers. I have platinum status on a couple of airlines and they treat me well, but I find that they are cavalier about letting folks know when there is a delay, how long it will REALLY be, why, etc. I just hate being treated like a mushroom. So I don't think bad service and low cost go together and in fact it is often the opposite."
 
If that is the prevailing wind, maybe an organization can really be low cost and high service because a compassionate heart and caring spirit are not something you buy. Reminds me of a credit card commercial . . . Priceless!
 
Gary Lemke, Publisher
(Share your thoughts)
 
6/12/07 - The First Cut is the Deepest
Yesterday, we talked about the importance of caring and compassion - an essential in getting the customer experience right. I know what you're thinking: "Gary, that is so obvious, why are you even writing about it?" Let me tell you why. Yes, it is intuitively obvious to the most casual observer but I have to bring it up because there is just not enough caring and compassion in business today.
 
Last week, we talked about advice we should give our teenagers as they head off to their summer jobs. One reader comment I didn't share last week commented on the importance of work ethic. That certainly ties to caring and compassion. Consider this: "I think you have it cold. There are certainly more dimensions to good customer service than work ethic but there is no doubt a very strong correlation. To place it in perspective ...the first cut is the deepest. If the initial exchange between your associates and your customers defines customer service as 'too much bother', you may never get another opportunity to change it."
 
It is safe to say that creating a good customer experience is most often multi-dimensional. However, it is important to understand what your "first cut" is. If caring and compassion are values embraced by the customer, it is a good bet that it just might be the first cut for your business. Test it. Even if caring and compassion isn't number one, maybe it will help your organization better recognize and embrace your unique 'first cut.'
 
Gary Lemke, Publisher
(Share your thoughts)
 
6/13/07 - Finding People That Care
If you have been reading this column for the last week or so, you have heard some great thoughts from readers on the importance of a good work ethic and a caring heart when it comes to a positive customer experience. The context for much of the discussion was reader input on advice to give teenagers for their summer jobs. I just had to share this story with you:
 
"Being a captivated audience for their entire lives, my children live, eat and breath stories about customer experiences, the good, bad and ugly. What they really didn't appreciate was how much they would benefit from this. Both of my children were recently hired for summer time help, over other candidates, because of the sincerity and examples they provided when the interviewer asked them about dealing with irate customers, unhappy customers, coming up with solutions that would satisfy the customers. Keep in mind, my children are 16 and 18. At the end of each interview, the manager asked "where did you get such a great back ground in customer service?" I think my kids kept from rolling their eyes and saying 'if you ONLY knew'.
 
There are two sides to this story. If you are the job applicant, a good work ethic and caring heart is an effective way to trump others with more experience. If you are the employer, screening applicants for their customer management skills and attitude can pay dividends each and every day they show up to work.
 
Gary Lemke, Publisher
(Share your thoughts)
 
6/14/07 - Are you a Sink or a Source?
Yesterday, we talked about the importance of hiring people with a great capacity for caring and compassion. Indeed, those qualities along with a good work ethic are priceless. But is that enough? No, not really. You have to foster an environment that enables that caring and compassionate attitude.
 
One reader responded to yesterday's column saying, "Supporting the caring is where most companies fail. We spend a lot of effort trying to find people that are willing to help and then we strip that all away by holding them accountable to an over weighted portion of efficiency statistics. While caring and willingness to serve is spiritually motivating, ASA, number of calls, average handle time, adherence to schedule, and internal QM scores have no heart. With time, we suck the spirit out of agents and then blame the selection and hiring process."
 
From my mechanical engineering background, one concept of heat transfer offers a physical model to consider. A object can be a heat sink or a heat source when its temerpature is different from its surroundings. Simply, if the temperature of the object is greater than its surroundings, it will act as a heat source giving up heat. Alternatively, if the temperature of the object is less than its surroundings, it acts as a heat sink sucking energy from its surroundings. Is your organization a heat sink or a heat source with regard to caring and compassion?
 
Gary Lemke, Publisher
(Share your thoughts)
 
6/15/07 - Why People Don't Care Anymore
OK, I admit the title is probably more for shock than reality. But now that I have your attention, let's continue the discussion about a good work ethic and its relationship to fostering a good customer experience. It is safe to say the majority believe in the value of a good work ethic. If that is the case, why don't more people care more?
 
One reader wrote, "Work ethic is certainly something that seems to be waning in companies today, because most people are skeptical about how much the company cares. Working on behalf of the customer can overcome that. If you listen and understand what they expect, there's no one smarter at helping build respect. Dedication to that principle makes one stronger and smarter rather than merely working hard. It also makes you more valued than many managers who have forgotten what customer service is all about."
 
How much impact do you think the prevailing company attitude has on an individual's work ethic? How do you think this question ties to yesterday's question - Are You a Sink or a Source?
 
Gary Lemke, Publisher
(Share your thoughts)