A customer-service pro shares ways to reach the ultimate goal of making every client very happy every day
BY DALE GOODNER
|
It's the little
touches after the
average man
would quit that
makes the
master's fame. |
The lady was frustrated. Her neighbor was "hogging all of the birds." Little by little her birds had abandoned her feeder and were hanging around next door. She asked her neighbor where he bought his birdseed. He told her Peoria's Forest Park Nature Center, so here she was, at the center, hoping to get her birds back!
Now, this kind of customer service is truly for the birds!
It all started with a survey, somewhat like the typical market analysis. Some university graduate students had taken the time to really observe birds at a feeder. From their research, we were able to find out exactly which seeds were preferred by which birds, when given a choice. Also, how they preferred to access the seeds, for example, on the ground or perched on specific feeders.
Based on this information, we designed our own seed mix, tailored to the preferences of the birds of Central Illinois, rather than just ordering seeds we personally liked. We began advertising our custom mix. Word of mouth became a major source of promotion and the store was on a definite growth curve.
With more customers and merchandise, we needed more room. Eventually even the restrooms got moved in order to expand the store. Now a computer oversees inventory. It's a far cry from the old cash box and field guides that used to make up our gift shop, back when our neighbors (all the other stores in town) were hogging all the customers.
It's more than just shelf space and inventory that needs to evolve. As in the rest of the service industry, our expanding customer base expects more service. This is because competition keeps raising the bar. For example, compared to 10 years ago, people are far less willing to wait in line for a sandwich. We now want our packages delivered overnight and cash instantly.
Some companies are providing excellent service and, if parks and recreation facilities expect to remain high on people's lists, we need to deliver! Customer service has to become our primary mission.
Like the lady who wished to make her feeder more attractive, we need to seek out and provide customers what they want when given a choice, and make it accessible. This makes recreational services more attractive.
As park district and forest preserve professionals, we are in the service industry, like some 80 percent of the United States. Much of what we do deals with intangibles. We take care of our customers' land. Plus, we provide experiences, health, interactions, expertise, erosion control, endangered species protection, and so on.
In his book, Selling the Invisible (referring to service), Harry Beckwith describes what he calls the "Lake Wobegon effect." Everybody thinks he or she is above average. So, assume that everybody in your agency thinks your service is above average. According to Beckwith, service tends to be so bad, that you can offer above average service and still stink. But the odds are you're about average.
Beckwith's advice: "Assume your service is bad. It can't hurt, and it will force you to improve."
It's easy to know when a product fails. The vacuum cleaner stops, or the microwave doesn't cook. But it's harder to evaluate the success or failure of services. Was the experience all it could have been? Was the wildlife advice from the nature center adequate? Does the zoo
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experience meet or exceed the expectations of visitors? Do the flower displays at the botanical garden inspire home gardeners?
Following is an assortment of building blocks that you can use to make a solid foundation for customer service. Some of this is old hat, but some may prove new and useful.
|
Every minute of
every hour you
have an
opportunity to
make a customer
glad he or she
came. |
Selling a service is selling a relationship. Relationships with our customers can be fostered in simple ways. Remember their names. Return phone calls promptly. Smile. Help people solve their problems.
As chief naturalist, if I couldn't solve a critter or plant problem over the phone, I often visited the home to see for myself. Remember you may be that person's only contact with the park district or forest preserve. The image you need to put across is one of expertise, and caring. Take on their problem and solve it, and your agency has made a friend.
Just ask them. You need to know your customers' opinions, preferences, perceptions, etcetera. But people don't tend to bluntly tell you the truth. It's nice to receive compliments, but these may not reflect customer perceptions at all. Remember the old saying: "Never trust somebody who agrees with you, he's probably wrong."
It's more likely that you can get objective information by having a third party interview customers. In spite of shortcomings, oral surveys (including phone) tend to be the best. People will open up because you've expressed interest in their opinions. Talking is easier than writing, and their tone of voice sometimes speaks volumes, which wouldn't come across in written form.
Perception is everything, however, it may be based on very little information, because, after all, we are irrational critters. Your maintenance quality can lead to a positive perception of your expertise or service, as can a neat uniform. Warning: this also works the other way.
Appreciate complainers, whether they are customers or employees. They are often your real friends, because they are taking the time to communicate something they feel you should fix. And they're telling you. Most tell only their friends and relatives.
Watch out for focus groups. Ironically they can really blur the picture. Extroverts tend to dominate and persuade. Their points of view get overly represented. Quiet intuitive types who may have the clearer insights are often ignored.
Rules are rules. Everywhere we go there are rules (e.g., returns with receipt only, no turn on red, no collecting in the park, stay on trails, no bicycles, smoking in designated areas only). Most rules are established to enhance peoples experience, but on occasion can cause enough frustration to ruin it and reduce the likelihood of return business.
Red rules versus Blue rules.
Basically we can divide rules into two categories: "red rules" include government regulations and safety and usually take precedence over customer wishes; "blue" rules can be bent, albeit carefully.
For example, recently our director received a four-page letter of complaint, which resulted from a situation that could have been avoided. A group had reserved a picnic shelter between the hours of 2:00 p.m. and 8:00 p.m. A couple of people from the group showed up at 1:00 p.m. to set up. The park attendant was technically correct in pointing out that they weren't scheduled for another hour. Area maintenance still needed to be done.
After some discussion that the renters received as arguing, a negative tone was set. Not only did they feel that the rule was dumb, since there wasn't anybody around, but they felt unwelcome. Nothing the attendant could do for the rest of the day was satisfactory. Small things became blown out of proportion. The group experience was not what it should have been. We had a very unhappy customer. And then, an extra hour charge had been tacked on to their bill, which was technically correct. This actually might be what triggered the letter. In the end, they received a refund and an apology, but we may have lost a customer.
The lesson: the park host should use discretion. Bending the blue rule (the schedule) would have made no difference to the park, but all the difference to the renter. There was nobody in the previous slot. I'm sure they could have worked together to make the place look presentable. Rules exist to serve not enslave.
Ifs in the details! If you want to put forth an image of excellent customer service, pay attention to details. I always focused attention on building and grounds maintenance. Why? Because this establishes a very positive first impression for the customer upon arrival.
The grass was mowed for weekends, but then came the details. The bases of our utility poles were neatly trimmed. The curbs were neat and even, and the driveway cracks were trimmed. The mailbox and hydrant had a sharp look to them.
As a result, it is a common occurrence for customers to approach me or staff and ask what we use to treat our lawn. My favorite response is "respect," without sounding trite. The only "treatment" was mowing. Because we're located adjacent to a nature preserve, we also have a healthy population of moles and other forest critters, which have the run of the place, not to mention dozens of species of broadleaf plants in the turn. Great-looking maintenance helps sell your mission.
Speaking of details, make sure staff are well-coached on your mission and policies. Vague answers to ques-
22/ Illinois Parks and Recreation
tions from customers can be translated as indifference. Indifference kills. It kills service, and drives customers away. If employees can convey what makes your agency special and valuable, they can also feel special, and part of the team. This helps inoculate them against indifference.
Don't sell your service...sell your prospects. I've often heard staff complain that the news releases and public service announcements went out and we didn't get any coverage. This is a particularly tough problem when you have very little budget, so you need to be extra special savvy (and lucky).
Editors always like good stories. We need the media! Rather than just promoting a prairie hike, I sent out a news release announcing the years very first prairie cone flower had just come in bloom. The result was a front-page photo of a girl looking intently at the large yellow blossom, along with a caption announcing our prairie hikes.
Onstage versus offstage. Onstage is anywhere a customer can see or hear you, and can judge your agency based on your behavior. Make your employees aware of the messages they can inadvertently convey. For example, the way you act when not taking care of customers, but are still in view speaks volumes. Taking breaks in full view or reading a book all can convey indifference. It doesn't matter that the reading may have been research for a new, knockout exhibit. Perception is everything. Do reading and break-taking offstage.
Brass Tacks. We are in the business of serving people We need to think differently. Our main goal is not just to program a recreation center, run an ice rink, a zoo, a botanical garden, or nature center. The real goal is: To make every client very happy every day. Post this by your phones, put it on screen-savers.
Like the lady's birds, customers will make choices based on accessibility and preference. Re-create your public image every day. Make today count. Become that preference. •
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How Customers Evaluate Service According to Dr. Leonard Berry, author of On Great Service: A Framework for Action (1995), customers evaluate service quality based upon five factors: reliability, responsiveness, assurance, empathy, and tangibles. Apply these to planning and staff training. 1. Reliability: The ability to provide what was promised. Keep your promises. If your brochure says you are open until 5:00 p.m., don't close early, even if a group wishes to rent the site. They will have to wait until normal hours end in order to have exclusive access. In the long run, even those customers will be impressed with your commitment and reliability. I once went to a restaurant to pick up a sandwich. The door was locked and employees were cleaning up, even though the sign on the door clearly stated they were open for another half hour. I never went back, and recently noticed they are out of business. When you are unreliable, people notice, and stay away in droves. 2. Responsiveness: Willingness to help and to do it promptly. Avoid that image of "typical government" at all costs. Respond to customer requests quickly and efficiently. Whether you are looking up some information for a caller, filling a special order, or repairing storm damage on a trail. Do it now, and avoid the whips and scorns of procrastination. 3. Assurance: The knowledge and courtesy you show to customers...and your ability to convey trust, competence and confidence. 4. Empathy: The degree of caring and individual attention you show customers. Empathize, don't sympathize. "It makes me angry too" (sympathy) versus "I can understand how it makes you angry" (empathy). Showing empathy rather than sympathy allows you to be professional and caring at the same time. Being sympathetic can leave your worn out at the end of the day, and can add to a customer's frustration. 5. Tangibles. Service can be hard to evaluate because it is intangible. People will often remember and judge you based on tangibles, therefore, provide as many as possible. Examples include: birthday name badges and gifts; excellent maintenance; clear and concise brochure, personally handed out; staff in uniform with name tag; doors clearly marked as to which are open; class photo as a memento of their field trip. Get staff involved. List as many as you can think of, for customers and employees. • - by Dale Goodner |
DALE GOODNER
is the supervise! of environmenta! and interpretive services for the Peona Park
District, look hi a follow-up article, "Service is Not Servitude," in the May/June
1999 issue of Illinois's Parks & Recreation magazine.
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