Archive for July 2009
Customer Service That – FAILED!
My Lawn Mower stopped working a few weeks ago, I was kind of happy because that meant I didn’t have to cut grass 🙂 The down side to not cutting the grass is that it got to a point where the yard looked like Hillbillies lived there! Weeds took over and gave the place a look I’ve not experienced before, so I had to solve the broken switch in my Lawn Mower STAT! Well, the switch was the most likely thing to be broken so I’m starting there.
Before I share with you my Customer Service That – FAILED story, let me share with you an experience I was impressed with when I broke my shoulder in the 1st week of July. As some of you know I was doing warp speed on the soccer field, a guy got a breakaway and my 20 year old brain (I’m 51) said,” you can catch him”, so off I went! Oh ya, I caught him, kicked the ball away and then clipped his back foot and down I went, what should have been a tuck & roll became a SPLAT! So there ya have it, I knew it was broken by the sting, I’ve had broken bones before so I knew how it felt. I took a slap shot between the eyes as a young hockey player once too, the guy shooting the puck was Gord Cochrane. Yep, the NHL goon back when he was just playing Junior in the 70’s but that’s another story for another time.
SAVE-ON FOODS STORY – Customer Service That PASSED!
After a couple weeks of cabin fever I took the risk of driving, had to wear a sling so it was interesting. This particular day I went to the grocery store, SAVE-ON FOODS just down the hill from me, about 6Â kilometers. I went in early thinking I wouldn’t have to deal with a busy store, I forgot a quarter to get a cart so I went to the Customer Service desk and asked for one. Lorna at the desk asked me what happened to my arm, nothing I said, I broke my shoulder. She then asked me if I needed someone to help me get the cart, being a man I said NO! So I wondered outside to get the cart, low & behold there was Lorna coming out the door asking if I was OK. Yep, thanks for coming to check I said. Once I got in the store I started down a couple isle’s and at the end of one isle was Lorna, can I push the cart and help you shop? Now I’m not used to this kind of treatment from a local grocery store so I’m taken back a bit. I said no thanks and continued on with my shopping.
I got home and went on with my self-pity because I couldn’t lift things and do what I wanted so I called my wife to chat with her a bit. My lovely wife happens to work for a company where SAVE-ON FOODS is a customer, I shared my story of Lorna, my wife then told one of the big Kahuna’s at SAVE-ON about Lorna. I merely said that this is the way customer support should be and I would speak highly of Lorna always because she went the extra mile when most wouldn’t. Lorna works at store #904 in Abbotsford, B.C., Canada at the Sumas Exit, if you ever have to get groceries that’s the store that gets customer service right. I hope that the BIG Kahuna rewards Lorna far beyond what they normally do for their staff because Lorna deserves it in my humble opinion. I Thank You Lorna for blessing me with your kindness and willingness to serve.
BLACK & DECKER STORY – Customer Service That – FAILED!
Now, let me share my Black & Decker experience with you. I told you about the switch I needed for my Lawn Mower earlier, I went to Black & Decker’s website thinking I could order the part from them in ten minutes and I would be back cutting grass in a few days. WRONG! I was able to search and find the model of my Lawn Mower and was even able to add the part (switch) to the shopping cart so it wasn’t all bad until I tried to checkout. I clicked on the Checkout Button and I was sent right back to the beginning to search for the part again. I admit I did that three or four times thinking I missed something. Then I thought oh crap I must have really screwed up now and have to wait 24 hours before I can try again. Some carts in the past would force you to do that so I waited till the next day. Short story is it failed once again and did the same thing. As you can probably tell I was getting frustrated, I went to the FAQ’s and help part of the site which solved absolutely nothing, in fact it sends you to another company’s site for support. I also tried to use the Service Center Locator search tool on the site, it asks for the country and ZIP code, I click on the drop down list and select Canada and then put the Postal Code in. Guess what, it wouldn’t accept the Postal Code, it only accepted ZIP code’s, it did let me select the correct country though. At this point I had enough and decided to phone Black & Decker’s toll free number to try and buy this part. That did work 🙂
I got a cheerful lady on the phone with a nice southern drawl in her voice, I shared my challenge and she said I couldn’t order the part and they wouldn’t be able to ship it either. Say what? Why I asked? You are in Canada. OK, is there a place in Canada where I can get Black & Decker parts for my Lawn Mower? Where in Canada do you live was the next question, Abbotsford, B.C. about 40 miles East of Vancouver. Yes, we have a service center in Vancouver. I asked if there was one out in my area and she said no only Vancouver. I got the phone number of the location in Vancouver and proceeded to ask about the part, I got a guy named Dan on the phone, I then asked if they had a location in my community, why yes he said. I got the number for the location in my community and I was told they had the part! EUREKA!
Now the system on the Black & Decker site flips you back & forth with DeWalt’s site to actually get support and parts here in Canada. It may even do the same thing in the USD but I wasn’t able to test that today. I would suggest to Black & Decker that their website is a prime example of a site that fails in customer service. There should have been an error, a pop-up or a message that said something about what was happening. I should have been able to find a location using the Service Center Locator by letting me use a Postal Code and then a message telling me to contact Yadda Yadda in Canada instead of NOTHING!
I can’t imagine customers putting up with that kind of support and continue doing business with them, Black & Decker, you better pay attention and fix your failing system and failing grade because you won’t like what may happen to your business. I’m just one person who tried to buy a part for a Lawn Mower, I spent far too much time on the company website trying figure out how and why it wasn’t working and then 3 phone calls later to actually find a location that had the part. You are making your customers Work Far To Hard Black & Decker! STOP IT!!!!!
Social Media & Blogs Are Broken
The Internet is the new game changer in every possible way for business and individuals, it’s also a problem, because like the town you live in it brings out those looking to take advantage. Imagine a world with no law enforcement and I show you a day where everyone will try to take advantage, not to benefit others but to benefit themselves. It really isn’t much different than today, many don’t value human life the way we used too and we don’t help each other in the way that we should. We are self serving most of the time, we do things because there is something in it for us. Call me a cynic, but, human nature has proven time & time again we are predictable. We prove day in and day out there is good and evil, dumb & smart and there always has to be a winner and a loser.
The flattening of companies and now the world puts an old power in our hands, you & me! Most of us aren’t equipped to handle this new old power, we will continue to take advantage of others with even more ease. Can we be trusted with this power? Probably not, all you have to do is look at the history of mankind, how we consume everything in our path including people. We are doing the same thing with the Internet, with Social Media and Blogs, consuming and taking advantage.
The picture isn’t all black but it’s dark, I struggle as I’m sure you do with how the rules are being broken, how they are being changed. This new old power we have at our disposal is a double edged sword, it will work for us and against us.
One of the most disappointing and tiresome problems on the Internet today with Blogs and Social Media, is with the very thing we cherish the most, the content. There is a re-occurring problem that takes the joy out being a Blogger is, Social Media & Blogs are broken.
Social Media is forcing transparency, honesty and do the right thing mentality, this is good right? This by itself is extremely powerful and we will all feel the benefit, but there is a dark side too, some will manipulate and try to take advantage of this very power. Let’s take Blogs for a spin here, there are some incredibly talented people out there writing amazing content and truly have something of value to share with all of us. They write for hours a day, sculpting and carving a message that is meant just for you. You have been hunting for this content, but sometimes, you find it in the most unusual places. Then there are Blogs that don’t write one letter of original content, they claim to be a the best resource on the Internet and all they do is pilfer news sources that auto post to a these Blogs. In essence, gaming the business of Blogging.
The gaming of Social Media has the same issues, Twitter is a great network for connecting with like-minded individuals. You also will find the same links and content posted by millions over and over again, each one thinking they reported it first creating a wall of noise beyond anything you seen or heard before. Every Social Media Network has the same problem and I have to hear of a good solution to solving it. I realize I can’t do much about these problems by myself but I can speak against them and encourage you to do the right thing for you and your business. I to post links to information with the intent that it actually matters to you, not to be the first one to break the story and then watch 250 million others do the same, it defeats the purpose of having a Blog or using Social Media Networks the way they were intended.
I have found that the most common thing being delivered on the Internet is how to make money and get rich by using (buying) someones system, claiming to have done it, only to find out they don’t have a clue how to run a business. They are just doing what someone sold them to do, there are no short cuts my friends so be prepared to pay some kind of price no matter what you do. Don’t get me wrong, we all want to earn a living, but if it’s too good to be true, it probably is.
A tip for you. There is a gap between knowing how to do the work of a business and knowing how to run a business. You may not be equipped to be both business owner (Entrepreneur) and the worker (technician), most aren’t.
My point is this, If you are serious about Blogging or being part of media, stop trying to be like mainstream media, report from your part of the world not everyone else’s world. Write about what’s happening to you and your interests. We already get bombarded by the same content over and over through normal news services. Gaming something rarely is a long lasting venture of success, you rarely get or sustain credibility by doing it. If you must use someone else’s work, ask them to help you, ask them to be a guest Blogger or get permission to use their material, have integrity and be known for it. Your original content, your voice, will eventually be heard because no one can write or deliver it the way you can. Whatever it is you are passionate about, do that, be that with all you can muster up to be it and let the quality and sound of your voice be the difference. Don’t set up systems that fail to present your personality and desire to help others. Only you can do that by participating first hand with your blood, sweat and tears. Let us know who you are and see the passion of your heart by being transparent, honest and real. We are waiting for you.
Is Headquarters Listening?
Do you work for an organization that has multiple locations and or field staff, and do whatever HQ (the mother ship) tells you to do because that’s the way it is. You have to use their system, which tools to use, and they never ever ask you what you really need to get the job done right. If they do, nothing happens normally and the frustration continues. Are you continually fighting to be heard and have given up because HQ doesn’t seem to be listening?
There has always been a disconnect in most organizations with this kind of structure, mostly because they are out of sight and out of mind. It’s a long distance relationship, these relationships break down quickly and create a lack of trust for the reason’s I mentioned earlier. The key to solving this breakdown takes effort from all parties involved, but in the end, someone from Headquarters must take the time to truly care and put forward solutions for everyone not just HQ. Lip service is a short-term time buyer, but you will lose trust with remote locations and field staff if you don’t deliver, once again you will be part of the problem not the solution. CIO’s & I.T. Leaders must go to the distance, go to the remote offices and take inventory of the desired needs and the requested functionality. Sit down and truly listen so you can get a more accurate picture, this action alone can build trust just because you made the effort to invest in those that feel they’re not being heard.
This is an opportunity, not an opportunity to buy time, get votes or support, but to deliver or you are done. You are fighting politics, which means you must get the popular vote or life gets interesting.To do get the popular vote you must be a person of your word, that’s it! I didn’t say it was going to be easy, it’s the nature of people you are up against. Authoritative attitudes no longer have a place, organizations now are WOM (Word Of Mouth) driven and as you know, it can kill you just as fast as it helps you. As we get more and more connected Headquarters can no longer turn a blind I or just give lip service. Today’s Social Media Networks feed into instant gratification, we have made communication instant, meaning you don’t have the luxury of time anymore. Kill or be killed.
Businesses have a LifeStream and this stream is the tool of choice for the masses to share, to collaborate and make decisions. Beware the LifeStream, be aware that “we the people” are turning the tables, the power is no longer in the hierarchy of organizations…it’s at the ground level. The flattening is happening at a rapid pace all over the world, the Internet is the game changer and the people are not only watching, they are listening, and then they are acting. With this new found power, organizations must become more transparent, deliver on promises, and more importantly, treat staff the same as a valued customer.
So how do you get there, how do you make the shift? Each organization will figure it out in the traditional way before they get it right in a social way, they will deal with the squeaky wheel first before they sit down with the people and truly listen. I would recommend that CEO’s & Presidents instruct their CIO’s to go to the basement and find out what’s NOT working and what IS working, then present the findings to the Executives & Board if necessary. Don’t think in terms of a project or an ERP implementation, think of it as a way of getting your house in order, is the family happy and do they have what they need to ensure your success. The best way to do that is to go to them and ask, otherwise you will hear about it on Twitter, FaceBook and the like, the beginning of the end if your not careful.
The old lesson of STOP, LOOK & LISTEN comes to mind when dealing with your constituents throughout the organization, then add the word DELIVER when you have done the first three.
Announcement
Hi, my apologies for not posting more often. I have been hampered by a broken shoulder which means typing with one hand when I’m awake, I have been working on a couple items for you so stay tuned. I hope to be back up to speed in a few days God willing.
I thank you for your patience and understanding.
Owen Greaves
Are The Words "Social Media" Missing From Your Business Vocabulary?
This question has been nagging at me these past few weeks like I was being pecked to death by a chicken, could it be that these words are not computing with local business owners? It’s like your smallest child learning how to read an can’t pronounce a word, they end up creating a new word because they can’t say what they are reading. No it’s not a learning disability, it’s an understanding of what those words actually mean and how to use it in this new age and environment of marketing. It’s changed, or has it? Anytime you have the word ” Social ” attached to a phrase or sentence, people think less formal, beach party, BBQ or relaxing on the deck with friends. Yes, that is a form of being social and it is somewhat related to the term in business circles as well. The problem isn’t the word, it’s the thinking that is attached to the words, and small business owners can’t seem to break how they feel or think about the word. It’s not that they can’t, they just don’t know how and it’s embarrassing enough that they won’t ask for help on the topic for fear of looking stupid. I mean come on, it’s the words ” Social Media ” how could I not know what that means! So rather than find out, they think, let’s not go there and or I’ll avoid the conversation all together. Worse yet, I’ll ask my kids. Small to medium business, all business for that matter needs to educate themselves on the tidal wave before them and how to ride that wave without being wiped out.
In my corner of the world here in Western Canada, a very small group of people participate in the formal sense of the words social media. This group is comprised of mostly people from chat rooms or FaceBook and the like, not a many are business owners trying to add this environment into their marketing mix or even their support systems. I say this because I’ve been coming up against this lack of understanding everyday and this uncomfortable feeling when you try to share with them, to help them understand what it is or could be for their business. It’s like the words Social Media aren’t even in their vocabulary or business language, it’s completely missing, and if it is there, it’s a picture of people standing around a water cooler. So in light of that, I am posting the Wiki definition of Social Media here for all the world to see.
Social Media Definition
Social media is online content created by people using highly accessible and scalable publishing technologies. At its most basic sense, social media is a shift in how people discover, read and share news, information and content. It’s a fusion of sociology and technology, transforming monologues (one to many) into dialogues (many to many) and is the democratization of information, transforming people from content readers into publishers. Social media has become extremely popular because it allows people to connect in the online world to form relationships for personal, political and business use.
Distinction from Industrial Media
Social media are distinct from industrial media, such as newspapers, television, and film. While social media are relatively inexpensive and accessible tools that enable anyone (even private individuals) to publish or access information, industrial media generally require significant resources to publish information. Examples of industrial media issues include a printing press or a government-granted spectrum license.
“Industrial media” are commonly referred to as “traditional”, “broadcast” or “mass” media.
One characteristic shared by both social media and industrial media is the capability to reach small or large audiences; for example, either a blog post or a television show may reach zero people or millions of people. The properties that help describe the differences between social media and industrial media depend on the study. Some of these properties are:
1. Reach – both industrial and social media technologies provide scale and enable anyone to reach a global audience.
2. Accessibility – the means of production for industrial media are typically owned privately or by government; social media tools are generally available to anyone at little or no cost.
3. Usability – industrial media production typically requires specialized skills and training. Most social media do not, or in some cases reinvent skills, so anyone can operate the means of production.
4. Recency – the time lag between communications produced by industrial media can be long (days, weeks, or even months) compared to social media (which can be capable of virtually instantaneous responses; only the participants determine any delay in response). As industrial media are currently adopting social media tools, this feature may well not be distinctive anymore in some time.
5. Permanence – industrial media, once created, cannot be altered (once a magazine article is printed and distributed changes cannot be made to that same article) whereas social media can be altered almost instantaneously by comments or editing.
Community media constitute an interesting hybrid of industrial and social media. Though community-owned, some community radios, TV and newspapers are run by professionals and some by amateurs. They use both social and industrial media frameworks.
Here is the link from the above: Social Media Definition
The real issue isn’t what the words mean, it’s how a consultant or media firm explains them, provides a case study that reflects that a business can derive an ROI from Social Media. Thus, giving the term value and a new way of marketing and communicating with their customers, by building a deeper, richer relationship that builds a new kind of loyalty. More importantly it provides a forum where you the business owners actually cares about what your clientele think about your products and services. A place where you can give them and even better experience of dealing with you.
Another challenge for these words and business owner’s; there are people out there claiming to be knowledgeable and understand social media that just plain don’t. These individuals land high positions in large organizations, they get the position and then scramble around to figure out how to do the job when they have no business being there in the first place. A great rant on this topic is from my friend Olivier Blanchard of The Brand Builder, his video entitled, “Is your Social Media Director qualified?”, it articulates far better than I Olivier’s frustration and concern with these individuals in one short video. Take the time to view it.
As you can tell there is alot of work to be done, an educational track that needs to be articulated in a way that business owners can connect the dots, connect the words to a real opportunity and value they have not considered before. Each business owner needs to bone up and learn that the term Social Media is a new marketing environment but also a relationship they have avoided in the past. You can no longer avoid it because it is the new word of mouth, it can be your best friend or your worst enemy. You have to decide which it will be.