The Customer Is Always Right?

It's really fascinating to me how the same sentiment can be independently expressed by several people at virtually the same time across different online and offline media that I follow.

The current thread could be the leading edge of a shift in attitudes toward "the customer."

Last night I caught an update on Facebook remarking that it's not just the customer who deserves a "thank you." It was postulated that vendors deserve more than just paying their invoices when they deliver. Good vendors work very hard to deliver a positive experience, even when it doesn't show.

Then, this morning a newsletter in my inbox talked about the benefits of pissing off some customers to gain more customers. In the example given in Shamus Brown's Egopower, Murky Coffee in Arlington, VA reused to sell an iced espresso and then, objected when the customer bought an espresso and a cup of ice to make his own. The annoyed "former" customer blogged about it. The story was picked up by the Washington Post. And, Murky Coffee which takes its coffee very seriously and refuses to compromise attracted a whole new slew of customers who share the same attitude.

So, is the customer always right?

When you started your company, you had a vision, a mission, and a commitment to deliver a product and/or service that is unique, that fills a gap. You landed accounts because those people wanted to buy what you were selling. As time went by and perhaps we found ourselves in a challenging time, a customer here and there asked for changes or exceptions or worse, delivered an ultimatum that could end up fundamentally compromising what is being delivered. Or, we start second-guessing ourselves and thinking, "Well, maybe if we did things like our competitors, then we'll be more successful."

I believe you have to have the courage of your convictions and that the clients who count will appreciate that and you.

A big part of working for yourself is being able to call the shots and do something better than everybody else. As the saying goes, "have fun and make money, not necessarily in that order". Sometimes, you have to fire a customer to do that.

Company Policy vs. Customer Service

How many times have you had a CSR (Customer Service Rep) of whatever level (since we are *all* representing our companies and providing service in some manner, right? Right.) tell you they can't do what you're asking because it goes against company policy?

What is "Company Policy" anyway? They are the ground rules every company had laid down/developed to provide a framework for building the company, a reference for employees to use for any given situation.

"No, we cannot close your account at the end of this month. Company policy requires a full 30 days notice. So, we'll close your account at the end of next month."

That's what she said, several times.

We've all heard the expression, "Rules are made to be broken." Well, no, not actually. But, as Christine Comaford pointed out at her "Rules for Renegades" weekend last summer, "Rules can be broken."

In the end, when the manager called me back after I'd happen to mention that I blog about the customer service experience, not only did she agree to close my account at the end of this month, but to also credit my credit card for the $86 for a service that was not delivered in the way it was sold and promised. Can't tell you how many times I was turned down on that one over the last 18+ months in the name of corporate policy dictated by the suits in New York!

I'd like to think it was something I said that made the difference. Simply, corporate policy should not get in the way of delivering great customer service.

Don't get scared. There's not going to be anarchy. Not everyone is going to be as insistent as I or even consider bucking the clearly published corporate policy. But, when you do have a customer or soon-to-be-former customer insisting on an exception, seriously consider making the exception. Tell them that you are making a special exception for them, that you appreciate their business. Ask them how else you may be of service to them. And, even if you're on the phone or writing an email, do it with a genuine smile on your face.

It all makes a huge difference...now and later, for your company and for you as a person. You'll enjoy your weekend that much more.

Creating Sustainable Conversations Is the Key To Social Media Success

In this short article, Creating Sustainable Conversations Is the Key To Social Media Success, Freddie Laker has hit the nail on the head about the key to social media success. Turns out it's still the same thing that builds great brand awareness.

I probably spend way too much time on Twitter and Facebook these days and when I'm not actively engaged, I'm thinking about them and these apps' profound impact on millions of people.

Today's poster child for huge success is the Tony Hsieh, founder of Zappos who's not only built a hugely successful company with great employees (because the crappy employees are paid to leave, literally), but leveraged Twitter to make himself and his company uber-accessible and has a lot of fun along the way talking about whatever's on his mind at the moment, e.g. "Calling a children's word game "hangman" just seems plain wrong. They should invent a more humane game, like "lethal injection"." He made himself ultimately accessible, reflected the culture of the company he's building, and he's real.

And, in the best MasterCard tradition, Zappos is being bought by Amazon for a mix of cash and stock valued at $800,000,000.00 and management remains intact.

Tony and all of the Zappos team have created a sustainable conversation that has contributed to their success.

On the flip side are all those instant internet marketing gurus.... As far as creating a sustainable conversation that goes toward building something of consequence, I'd say they're a big FAIL.

Comments?

Endurance

I thought I needed more of a title than just that one word, but anyone who has any familiarity with all the word Endurance embodies knows that just that word is sufficient.

Several years ago I organized a book group as an offshoot of the New York Company of Friends (Fast Company and Heath Row's great social experiment) and we decided we would alternately read business and 20th Century fiction. The first book was "Endurance, Shackleton's Incredible Voyage" by Alfred Lansing. This is one of the best business books I've ever read. Everything about Shackleton's Voyage was against all odds. Not only did he endure, but prevailed with grace.

So, fast forward to a few weeks ago when I went to the single screening of Stephen Auerbach's "Bicycle Dreams, The Race Across America" that follows several solo racers in their quest to win RAAM, 3,000+ miles in about 10 days combined with a lot of suffereing, not only by the riders, but also by their crews.

This morning after getting back home from a 6:30 a.m. tri spin class that left my legs feeling very noodle-y from the full-out intervals, I came across Mike Dion's Ride The Divide via a Twitter connection. I've heard of the race down the Continental Divide from Canada to Mexico. After watching the teasers, I can't wait to see the film. It ranks right up there with the earlier feats of endurance as something that just leaves me in awe in the true sense of the word, not as in the current "this burrito is awesome" sense.

So, all this rekindled what's always in the back of my mind ~ what goes into making a successful venture, a successful entrepreneur, a success of pretty much any effort?

Endurance.

Along with the firm conviction that what you are doing is on the money, a large part of success is enduring through all the challenges thrown at you to prevail to the point where you get to say or, at least, think, "I told you so!"