The Experience. Loeffler Bruce

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СКАЧАТЬ Service Hell” tells us that while 80 percent of companies believe that they provide superior customer service, only 8 percent of clients feel that they receive superior service from these same companies. This highlights a tremendous opportunity for businesses that desire to gain a real competitive advantage. A 201 °Customer Experience Impact Report by Harris Interactive stated that 9 out of 10 customers would pay more to ensure a superior customer experience. If these businesses were to provide a great experience for their customers when their competitors are providing a lousy one, they would not only be different, they'd be superior.

      Reporter Brad Tuttle's article in Time magazine of June 7, 2011, entitled “Customer Service Hell” tells us that while 80 percent of companies believe that they provide superior customer service, only 8 percent of clients feel that they receive superior service from these same companies.

      A 201 °Customer Experience Impact Report by Harris Interactive stated that 9 out of 10 customers would pay more to ensure a superior customer experience.

      The stores we've come to know as big box retailers are losing customers by the droves. And most fail to recognize that their inability to create a positive experience is the problem. Unless we fix the holistic service problem – the total Experience – businesses will continue to see a steady decline in customers and therefore in revenue.

      What Level Are You On?

      As mentioned in Chapter 2 , our independent study of more than 500 U.S. organizations found that more than 60 percent of all customer service provided in America is average or worse (Toxic). Consumers are tired of paying for mediocrity that could easily be improved with a modicum of effort on the part of leaders and employees who care. We have discovered that every store, supermarket, car dealership, hospital, fast-food restaurant, hotel, airline, financial advisory firm, bank, and church fits into one of five levels of the Experience hierarchy.

      As mentioned in Chapter 2, our independent study of more than 500 U.S. organizations found that more than 60 percent of all customer service provided in America is average or worse (Toxic).

      Every executive, every manager, and every employee needs to clearly understand what level of service and Experience their organization provides and why. Once they have identified the what and the why, the next step is to develop a plan of action to take their service and business to the next level. It is not a quick fix or an easy problem to rectify, but that is precisely what The Experience book was built to help you do.

      Motel “X”

      The average person with a complaint will tell roughly 16 others of their frustration – a domino effect that has only been magnified by current technology. Nowadays, a customer's power to positively or negatively affect a brand or an organization has enhanced the importance of positive Ambassadors as critical to those organizations' success, viability, and sustainability.

      The average person with a complaint will tell roughly 16 others of their frustration – a domino effect that has only been magnified by current technology.

      Several years ago, Bruce was taking his young daughter to church one Sunday morning. They were about halfway there when his daughter informed him that she had to use the bathroom. So Bruce quickly pulled off the road and into a Motel “X.”

      He politely asked, “Could my daughter use your restroom?” The young lady at the front desk said, “I'm sorry, but no.” Bruce asked again: “It's an emergency; she really needs to use the bathroom.” To which the clerk replied, “It's a company policy that nonguests cannot use our restroom.” At this point, Bruce demanded that she get a manager. The clerk went in the back for 20 seconds and returned, telling him, “He said it is our company policy; you cannot use our restroom!” Bruce was annoyed, but figured there wasn't much else he could say or do – so he left.

      Although the scenario didn't end in disaster, Bruce did write a letter to the CEO of Motel “X” and asked a simple question: “Is it true that a nonguest cannot use your restrooms?” A week later he received this reply: “Dear Mr. Loeffler, we're sorry for your inconvenience. When your travel plans call for lodging, please use Motel X” – along with a stamped signature. Bruce was not very impressed, so he wrote a second letter – a little stronger this time – stating three things:

      1. You didn't answer my question.

      2. I didn't appreciate your form letter.

      3. Do not send me any more stamped signatures!

      This was the response to his second letter:

      Dear Mr. Loeffler, If you will look on page 175 of the Motel “X” directory, you will find the answer to your problem.

      – along with another stamped signature.

      Of course, they didn't send him a Motel “X” directory or a copy of page 175. So two of Bruce's students at Texas Christian University went to a Motel “X” and brought in copies of the directory. And what do you know? Page 175 said nothing about a nonguest not being able to use the Motel “X” restroom.

      Motel “X” sent Bruce form letters, failed to answer his question, and provided him with stamped signatures – and after all of this, it turns out they'd lied to him. By this time, Bruce was very unimpressed with Motel “X”; so he decided to write a much stronger third letter. By this point, they must have thought they had a wild man on their hands – so they decided to call Bruce back this time.

      A vice president named Bill called and said, “Mr. Loeffler, you need to understand that we don't treat our customers like this.” To which Bruce responded, “Oh, yes, you do – otherwise we wouldn't be having this conversation!” Bill replied, “Well, I'd like to resolve this today.” Bruce then answered, “You can't. It's too late for that. Either I get a phone call or a letter from your CEO or this will go on indefinitely.”

      Ten days later, Bruce received a one-page, single-spaced letter with a real-life signature from the CEO of Motel “X,” who profusely apologized by saying, “This is the first time I have been made aware of your situation.” Bruce replied, “I knew that; but the people below were misrepresenting and, in this case, lying about Motel X's policies.”

      Now let's return to the statement we made at the beginning of this story. The average person with a complaint will tell how many people about it? Roughly 16.

      Therein lies the power of word of mouth advertising. Up to this point, Bruce has told more than 160,000 people of his Motel “X” experience (using the real company name!). Let's apply this principle, and you go out and tell 10 of your friends. Those 10 friends were each going to spend two nights at Motel “X” over the next year at $50 per night, but now have decided not to. Here is the potential lost revenue for Motel “X”:

      160,000(told about the Motel“X”experience throughBruce’s seminars)×10_(the friends they will tell)=1,600,000(potential lost customers)×$100_(what they would potentiallyhave spent)

      =$160,000,000

      That's $160 million in potential lost revenue – because they wouldn't let one little girl use their restroom. Now, one day those 160,000 people will turn into 200,000, and then will become 300,000 – and then when Bruce's third book comes out, more than a half million people will have been told СКАЧАТЬ