Life is not just the passing of time. Life is the collection of experiences and their intensity.  Jim Rohn

Wherever you are in the world as the clock takes us into 2011, I wish you great health, happiness and richness in all areas of your life.

It has been an honour and a privilege to share 2010 with you and I very much look forward to taking that valued association through the year to come.

I am sure you have your personal and business growth well planned. Where I can be of service to help you fulfill these goals, I am here for you.

Abraham Lincoln said “The best thing about the future is that it only comes one day at a time.” With an entire year ahead, we have the perfect opportunity to aim high, make each of those days count and have a year to remember.

Happy New Year

With warmest wishes

Christine and the team at The Defining Edge Training and Development

It is interesting to see two organisations offering the same service, both stating that customer service is a priority to them, yet the resulting experience is not remotely the same for the customer.

Last week I travelled to Sydney, then Brisbane, followed by a return flight to Launceston at the completion of my business, using two competing airlines for these flights.

With both airlines offering what is essentially the same service, one would expect little difference apart from aircraft, uniform, logo and their magazine. This is not so. Each mention in their printed matter and advertising that an emphasis is placed on customer experience, yet the difference between the attitude of the staff and the total service experience  delivered is evident.

So why does this occur?

What is it about two companies with the same goals that would see them not produce identical results?

The difference is subtle and it is within the culture. One company is making a statement with noise attached, whilst the other recruits for the right culture fit and attitude, values their people first, service experience second and their business third, in addition to training their staff regularly to give them the skills to consistently produce exceptional results. They recognise and reward service excellence. The attitude of the staff is reflected in their roles toward the customer and each other.

Every transaction in your business is a customer experience. The question is, what does that experience say about your particular business? Is it good, indifferent, bad, mediocre, or exceptional!

Have an exceptional week.

Kind regards

Christine

Customer service is continually spoken of amongst business and within the media, with comparisons and surveys often highlighting different issues.

Those who have read my books or articles, heard me speak at events, or have attended my presentations, are aware of my passion for this topic and that I prefer to call it customer experience, because to me that is what it is. Good, bad, or indifferent, it is the experience that will influence how we feel about any business we may deal with and of course whether we will have any further dealings with them.

With the Gala Awards Dinner on Saturday the 7th, where winners celebrated their commitment to providing consistent exceptional customer experiences, it amazed me to receive a telephone call about an appalling situation.

The following occurred at a business in Launceston, where they represent the clients who pay the commissions, and provide for locals and visitors alike. A well dressed and well groomed customer entered with the intent of buying something special for a home he had just purchased, to find the two staff members enjoying cheese and crackers with a glass of wine. Nothing wrong with that at all.

I will let the customer tell you his story.

“There was a man and a woman sitting behind the counter as I entered, the woman said hello and the man stared and said nothing as he was sucking through his front teeth.  As I was browsing in the rear of the gallery, the woman from the counter pretended to be looking at something towards the private studio area in the rear of the ground floor, and was standing to the side for a minute or two watching me.  I actually had to look up at her before she acknowledged me and she then approached me to ask if she could be of assistance.

I said I was admiring some pieces and was happy to browse for the moment.  The woman returned to the counter and continued with the wine and cheese.  I made my way through the gallery back to the front where the two staff were and they immediately stopped talking as I entered. Feeling a tad uncomfortable but still interested in finding the perfect items for my new house, I continued walking near to the counter and looked over at them.  The woman smiled, but said nothing, the man sat there looking me up and down a few times, also said nothing, and started sucking through his front teeth again.

Feeling very uncomfortable at this point, I actually politely said to the both of them “I feel as though I am interrupting your afternoon”. The woman shook her head repeatedly with a slight smile and a mm-mm, the man still sat there staring and sucking in silence. At this point I was feeling so uncomfortable that I was not taking any real interest in anything in their gallery,  I did a very quick loop of the rest of the gallery before acknowledging them with a polite thank you and left.

Returning to give them another opportunity, I walked in to find them still as they were, but the man now had his feet on the counter. I announced that I had in fact just purchased a house that day, to which there was no response. This was not a good start and naturally I was in a great mood, however I was completely deflated by the stares and attitude of the man.

When I said “I had come here to purchase a few things for my new home…”, the man’s legs shot down, body leaning on the counter and he quickly asked “which pieces were you interested in?”  Astonished at the transformation,  I said “it should not be a matter of which pieces I wanted to buy but…”, immediately he threw his legs back up on the counter and folded his arms! Closed, disinterested, end of discussion. I said “Is that it? This is what I’m talking about, it’s about customer service”, he said abruptly and aggressively “I’m not interested in a lecture from you, (pointing with open palmed hand) there’s the door, there’s the door”.

I was dumbstruck, I looked at them and gave them the same polite thank you and left.  I assure you I will not be stepping foot in that premises again, and I will make make it a point to tell as many people as I can not to take their money there also.  I know a few of the artists that are exhibiting there, and will be passing this experience on to them too”.

You can see why I was shocked to hear this story. Unless they are a not for profit organisation with very deep pockets, I am sure the bottom line is an important part of their business plan. If they are the owners, perhaps they need to consider another line of business and if they are employees, hopefully someone will alert the owners to what their customers are actually experiencing.

Another aspect to this is from the artists perspective. Each artist will pay a generous commission for their work to be represented and sold, so I am sure they would be disappointed to know this is how their name is promoted, not to mention the huge loss of potential sales through lack of interest and poor customer experience.

This is in direct contrast to a Launceston based organisation I had the privilege of speaking with last week. The CEO of this particular company has created a definite culture where their client is the prime priority and the client experience is always well above anything their competitors offer. They deal on the world stage against huge multinational companies, yet continue to grow and thrive due to this dedication fostered from the top down and the bottom up. They build strong relationships with their clients as well as within their staff.

They value both, which is the key to a truly successful business of any size.

“There is little difference in people, but that little difference makes a big difference. That little difference is attitude. The big difference is whether it is positive or negative.” —W. Clement Stone

Have an exceptional week.

Kind regards

Christine

What a week this has been.

At the moment I am in the air somewhere between Hamilton and Brisbane, on my way home to Launceston.

To be invited to New Zealand as a guest speaker at the Waikato Region Chamber of Commerce and to run a training workshop was amazing on it’s own.

My sincere appreciation to CEO Wayne Walford, the wonderful Chamber staff and the dedicated businesses who came along with a definite commitment to developing their people. They are all to be congratulated and I wish them heightened success as they implement their action plans.

This time was complimented by an inspiring range of speakers at an MBA trainer’s event, which I shared with an select group of international trainer’s.

Continuing to heighten my own skills, enabling me to offer my clients the best available training techniques and information, is constantly a priority to me. This means regularly attending events such as these and staying in touch with like minded people who consistently aim for the top of our field.

Stretching myself beyond former experiences also saw me bravely accept an invitation to appear in an international television show called Trainer’s On Trial. The filming of the six episodes was undertaken at Brooklands Country Estate in the beautiful Waikato region of New Zealand, with the wrapping of the final episodes of the show yesterday afternoon.

With three trainers per panel, we were given business case studies to consider, then quickly on camera, had to identify the issues and address them from a training perspective. Talk about being on trial!

Being passionate about what I do and the successful results that can be achieved through effective training in any organisation, regardless of size, if I am to describe the experience in a few words they would be daunting, fascinating and amazingly exhilarating .

As someone who usually prefers to be behind the camera, rather than in front of it, it certainly created an entirely different atmosphere, so it was daunting to move completely outside my normal comfort zone.

Striving to always reach beyond this zone is what makes us grow both professionally and personally and is always richly rewarding when we do so.

Keep an eye out for Trainers On Trial in your area, due to air around mid October.

Have an exceptional week.

Kind regards

Christine

“One of the greatest gifts you can give to anyone is the gift of attention”   Jim Rohn

It will come as a surprise to many business owners and managers that your employees are most important in your organisation? Are your employees an asset or a liability to be tolerated?

It is no secret we all want and need clients and customers.  It is also no secret that businesses spend an incredible amount of time and money trying to attract new ones. We also need to consider them as secondary, because without qualified and well-trained people who are committed to strong customer experiences, all of your efforts to attract and please your client base will be pointless.

Customer service training is essential for organisations to provide employees with the appropriate strategies and techniques they need, to not only meet customer expectations, but to exceed them.

Training should not, however, be simply considered a one-time event. Nor should it be considered a trial to be endured annually. Training is an ongoing process that needs to be incorporated into the organisation’s culture and way of doing business if that business is to rise above it’s competitors and thrive in any financial environment.

Effective customer service training will be based on the needs of your organisation as well as the skill level and learning style of your employees. It should also be relevant, interesting, interactive and have a clear action plan each person can take back into their workplace immediately.

The overall benefits of showing value for your staff and training them are far reaching in every business that maintains a focus on creating a culture for providing exceptional customer experiences.

May your clients or customers experience the exceptional every day, every time.

Have an exceptional day.

Kind regards

Christine

The time is near for judging the Service Excellence Awards.

Since I have the privilege of being invited to be a judge, along with my well known passion for this subject, I look forward to seeing the standard of finalists and celebrating with the winners at the Gala Dinner in Launceston on August the 7th.

Recently there have been a number of programs on television with stories on poor service standards, including one today on a new American survey which highlights that Australia sits at the bottom, alongside the UK.

Unfortunately this survey falls hand in hand with my own recently concluded survey covering Australia and New Zealand.

The glaring gap between the perception of businesses against the perception of their customers and clients, around an issue which affects each one of us daily, is indicative that to a large measure we are not getting it right.

My survey highlighted a number of things, including that barely 1% of customers feel the businesses they deal with offer them a consistent memorable customer experience.

Measure this against 98% of businesses that think they always give good customer service and something isn’t quite matching up. If you consider that predominantly in Australia and New Zealand we don’t complain, we just don’t return, it shows how many organisations are marketing madly just to see them leave quietly via the back door.

95% of businesses think that good customer service is about being reliable and good value, yet 100% of customers feel that being respected and valued is most important to them. Value versus being valued.

I won’t go on here with the other statistics, which will be featured in my new book Passion For Excellence. It is food for thought – as long as the thought is followed by action.

Remember, your logo is not your brand. Your culture is your brand and more than ever, people buy an experience.  People pay for your product or service, your logo is how they recognise you, your service is how they remember you.

Excellence is not an act, it is a habit – develop the habit in your business.

Have an exceptional day

Kind regards

Christine

July brings in not only winter, with long cold nights and mornings in some places, but time for reflection and a time for exciting events.

My second book “Passion For Excellence” is almost ready for editing, with the cover design being finalised in the next week or two. That is exciting.

This week I head for Brisbane to attend the COSBOA Small Business Summit, present a couple of training workshops, and enjoy a brief catch up with family. Needless to say I am really looking forward to all of it.

During my ten days back in Launceston, I have the honour of being one of the judges for the Launceston Cityprom Service Excellence Awards. These awards culminate in celebrations for the nominees and winners at a Gala Dinner early in August.

The day following the awards judging I am off to New Zealand, where I have the privilege of being invited to deliver a presentation on the importance of an Exceptional Customer Experience at the Waikato Region Chamber of Commerce breakfast. This is followed by an intensive two day business event.

The final portion of this particular trip, is taking part in the filming for a six episode television show I have been invited to be a part of. The show, Trainers On Trial, is based around the impact of soft skills training for businesses of all sizes. Edutainment I believe the genre is, although at this point, all I am aware of is that we will be well and truly tested!!  This is one of those ‘face the fear and do it anyway’ situations. I am absolutely passionate about what I do, however it is not normally done in this format. As a rule when a camera comes out, I prefer to be behind and not in front of it.

Speaking again of winter and a time for reflection, this is the perfect time to winter workshop your organisation, no matter how large or small it might be. Not only are the Service Excellence Awards a time to focus on how your service defines you, winter can offer you the opportunity take a step forward in creating exceptional service standards.

Creating a revitalised culture where your employees know precisely how your customer experience should look, training them to know what their role is, along with empowering them with the skills to implement those roles confidently, will take your business to heightened success. Effective , relevant training is your key to better business.

Have an exceptional week.

Kind regards

Christine

I am writing this post with a sense of amazement after a visit to Melbourne on business.  My observations as I continued with my survey during this trip is what has led me to put fingers to computer.

Working my way through Collins Street in many of the beautiful establishments, has left me with the distinct impression that what was once a memorable experience for patrons still is however, it is memorable for all the wrong reasons in some cases.

I must congratulate the couple of stores whose staff offered precisely what one would expect to experience. Unfortunately rather than be uniform throughout, these stores stood out even more because of the complacency displayed in many others.

In one instance I witnessed an exchange where a handbag, originally purchased for a price in excess of $2000, was being returned for replacement or repair because the leather had cracked after a very short period. Now this was not the problem at all to the purchaser as these things can happen, it was how it was dealt with that was appalling.

With an obvious reluctance, the assistant continued to deal with the issue poorly as she said to the client it will take at least 8 weeks to repair and it was up to the client if they wanted to bother leaving the bag or not. The comment was then made that the store would be in touch when the bag was ready – to advise the customer of the cost of posting the bag back to them. To add insult to the event, the customer was asked if they would like a paper bag to put the contents in to leave the store.

Now I am quite sure this would not have been the attitude when selling the item and swiping a credit card for the full purchase price. In speaking with the understandably disappointed customer after the exchange, it was made clear to me that not only would this person never purchase that label again because of how this was handled, they would be telling everyone they know of the experience. Since I was not the only witness and the customer has already spoken to me, the story will presumably travel far and wide with huge consequences.

To the assistant that may not be considered too important, however I am sure the company would hold an entirely different view! Are the discussions in the boardroom centred around the impact of the current financial situation? Do they look at ensuring the focus in their stores is on creating an even better customer experience?  My guess is the former, not the latter. I know I have said it before – we must continue to improve and maintain a consistency across all areas if we wish our businesses to not only survive, but to thrive.

In another store there were five staff members all standing in a group chatting when a couple of potential customers entered the store. One assistant approached the door with the comment ‘can I help you’ (shudder!) then immediately went back to the group to chat when the response to the question was no.

The conversation continued, with whispering added to the mix when they didn’t wish the customers to hear what they were saying. Does it surprise them that no sale was made? Would they be surprised that these particular visitors to their store will never go back – and will share their experience with others? Most likely they will continue to chat and complain that there is simply no money around.

These were not isolated instances. I will not go on though, as I believe you understand my point.

Coming back to my opening statement, with competition for disposable income quite fierce, it amazes me that there isn’t a heightened awareness and strengthening of our service experience standards, rather than the air of complacency that seems to have slipped in. The experience is after all what defines us!

Warmest regards

Christine

In the process of conducting a comprehensive survey on the subject of customer experience, a common thread has been highlighted.

I have been speaking to businesses of all sizes from sole traders through to multinational corporations, industry leaders and the CEO’s of business representative bodies in Australia and New zealand. To gain the other perspective, I have also been speaking to customers who deal with the myriad of organisations that make up their supply and service lists.

This issue has been accentuated by an awareness of nominations for business excellence and customer service awards being called at the moment, as well as cities hosting world wide events.

Some frightening stories around what is taken for good customer service have surfaced, which brings me to the question of ‘how does your service define you?’ How do your clients or customers rate your service standards? This by the way, is quite separate to what you think you offer. One of the issues my survey has highlighted is that there is a broad gap between the two perceptions.

In every case from the stories I have been hearing it appears the staff members concerned would consider they are doing their job of representing the business well, or in other words they feel they are offering good customer service. Simply by being present, acknowledging the customer, offering a service and completing the necessary transaction accurately (or not in some cases) does not build customer satisfaction, and certainly doesn’t lift profit. Do you know if this applies to your staff in your absence?

‘Stuff happens when I am busy, so deal with it’ was the response of one staff member regarding a major error affecting a client. I am quite sure the manager or owners would view this response as quite inappropriate, yet the person involved considered it  perfectly acceptable.

When the survey results are considered, even many organisations who focus on their service levels seem to be missing the key factors for creating an exceptional experience. These elements are essential for a business to thrive and remain competitive. Good is just not enough!

Coming back to the service excellence awards, it is important to ensure skills really are exceptional rather than just being the best of what there is available. Every day is an important day when considering this question, however now is perhaps a prime time to take a step back to really think about it. Think about what you expect and what really impresses you when you are the client or customer, then apply these principles to your own business across all areas.

Help is at hand if you are just too busy, or if you would like an unbiased professional assessment. Often an external assessment uncovers issues or highlights weak links in the chain that can be easily dealt with, yet often can’t be uncovered internally. The positive impact on many areas of a business, when all the boxes around customer experience are ticked, is profound.

Together, we can make your organisation stand out in the crowd.

Have an exceptional week.

Warmest regards

Christine