When it comes to service, less is less

Lucy Rice, a respected friend and colleague, recently shared her eyewitness account of a customer service breakdown at a mobile phone store. Standing in line for several minutes, Lucy watched as a lady with an armful of accessories grew increasingly impatient with the wait. The clerk behind the counter was obviously out-numbered (and overwhelmed), and the line was not moving. Frustrated, the lady-in-waiting shook her head, walked up to the counter (next to the customer that was currently being helped), dropped all of those accessories on the counter, turned, and walked out of the store in a huff.

We buy mobile devices, in part, because they help us manage time. Ironically, this mobile phone store was guilty of wasting time, at least in the opinion of that anxious customer.

Hearing Lucy's story made me recall a number of similar situations I had observed recently. The customer who walked out of a quick service restaurant that wasn’t quick… and still another restaurant where two patrons were served food that had gone cold. (No frustration was voiced to the waiters or managers in either case, but both service lapses were overheard by my wife and me.)

Another case in point: Just last week, I abandoned my place in line at a car rental counter in Seattle, because a clerk was taking way too long (30 minutes) to solve a transaction problem with the customer ahead of me. Note: On this day, I jumped from a company where I have “premium status” in their loyalty club… to one of their competitors, with whom I had never done business before. Since there was nobody to complain to (no sense whining to an already frazzled clerk), the rental car company does not even know that I am gone.

I’m not just picking on one company, here. According to a recent story in Marketing Daily, a lot of CMO’s are not all that tuned-in to what’s going on behind the counter or on the sales floor.

Implications: We have all seen the news about layoffs, and we have all considered how difficult this must be for breadwinners who have been displaced and are seeking new incomes. But have you—has your company—considered the impact of these cuts on the personnel left behind? With more to do, and less in the way of tools and help to get it done, how are your remaining human resources holding up?

Are the difficult working conditions which often result from layoffs creating “silent hostility” among remaining employees? (i.e., “I don’t care if the food is cold, if this crummy restaurant loses another patron, then maybe that’s what they deserve.”)

Further, have you—has your company—considered the impact of these cuts on your customers? What can you do to mitigate problems or delays in the service they receive? Are you inviting feedback, so irritated customers can talk to you—rather than their friends—about a problem? Are your people paying attention, so that important clients don’t slip quietly into the arms of an eager competitor?

Now, more than ever, it is critical for companies to listen to customers. Many things may be beyond your control in these tough economic times. That makes it even more important to be diligent about those things within your control… so you can avoid letting the situation slip from bad to worse.

Mike Anderson