Any big initiative , project , or revolution must have the support of the senior leadership team ; otherwise it will be considered “ flavor of the month ” or “ management by bestseller .”
Customer service must be as important as finance , sales , operations , and technology . It must be discussed at board meetings and strategic planning sessions with leaders and everyone else in the company , including front-line employees . To create long-lasting change , the senior leadership team must provide the necessary resources . That doesn ’ t mean just increasing the budget for customer service . It is having someone in charge of the project — that is , a chief experience officer ( CXO )— who is dedicated and loses sleep over the customer experience program and the results . People must be able to tell that the leadership of the company is truly committed and passionate about the customer experience . I like to say that if my employees can finish my sentences when I address them , then I am doing a good job with my vision and message .
LEADERSHIP Customer service
It Starts at the Top Leadership sets the tone for service aptitude BY JOHN DIJULIUS
Service aptitude starts at the top Typically , when I am done speaking at a conference , I get one of two types of questions from attendees . First , “ Can we really get our front-line employees to buy into this and treat customers better ?” I respond ,“ Absolutely . If you follow the plan , you will l create a world-class customer experience organization . It takes time , but be relentless and follow the plan .”
The other question is ,“ How can I get my boss / president / CEO to buy into this ?” And I respond ,“ Have him or her come to my next presentation , or get them my book .” But what I am really thinking is , “ You are sunk .” If the top people can ’ t passionately believe in the customer experience , the company will never embody it .
What do Howard Schultz ( Starbucks ), Walt Disney ( Walt Disney World ), Tony Hsieh ( Zappos ), Richard Branson ( Virgin Airlines ), Steve Jobs ( Apple ), Horst Schulze ( The Ritz-Carlton ), Truett Cathy ( Chick-fil-A ), Herb Kelleher ( Southwest Airlines ), John Nordstrom ( Nordstrom ), and Jeff Bezos ( Amazon ), have in common ? Each of these leaders obsessed over their company ’ s customer experience , down to the smallest detail . They passionately articulated their vision for world-class experience every time they spoke , to anyone and everyone who would listen . And their companies are all known for world-class customer service . Service aptitude starts at the very top .
Customer service hall of shame For every poor customer service company , you can typically track the reason it is so bad back to the lack of its leader ’ s service aptitude . The CEO of Spirit Airlines is a perfect example . Spirit Airlines is the mostcomplained-about airline in the U . S . To which recently departed Spirit CEO Ben Baldanza said , “ That ’ s irrelevant !” Being the worst at customer service in the airline industry isn ’ t easy . Very few people like airline companies ( unless you are a Southwest or Virgin Airlines passenger ). You have to be pretty bad to be the worst .
Spirit reached a new low in 2012 when a 76-year-old Vietnam veteran and former marine tried to get his $ 197 back for a flight he purchased before he found out he had terminal esophageal cancer . After being told by his doctor not to fly from Florida to Atlantic City , airline officials told him to forget it , and Baldanza reaffirmed the company ’ s hard line in a Fox News interview .
“ A lot of our customers buy that insurance , and what Mr . Meekins asked us to do was essentially give him the benefit of the insurance when he didn ’ t purchase the insurance ,” Baldanza said .“ Had we done that , I think it really would ’ ve been cheating all the people who actually bought the insurance … and I think that ’ s fundamentally unfair .” We are talking about $ 197 ! Social media exploded over this controversial topic . Within days , there was a “ Boycott Spirit Airlines ” page that earned more than 36,000 likes . Spirit Airlines also charges its customers extra for each additional service or amenity , including up to a $ 100 fee for carry-on bags stored in overhead bins . So , is your brand ’ s customer experience “ flavor of the month ” or are you continually reiterating how it is your company ’ s primary competitive advantage every time you speak ? ■
John R . DiJulius III is the author of The Customer Service Revolution and president of The DiJulius Group , a customer service consulting firm whose clients include Starbucks ,
Chick-fil-A , The Ritz-Carlton , Nestle , PwC , Lexus , and many more . Email him at john @ thedijuliusgroup . com .
18 Franchiseupdate ISSUE II , 2016