2.03.2012

what is great service?


What is great service? People talk about service all the time, praising hotels and other companies when they provide great service and criticizing service that is poor or indifferent. But there are few objective definitions of great service, at least from a consumer's point of view.

Sometimes it's best to address a simple question by analyzing the opposite: what does terrible service look like? Here is an edited version of a letter I sent yesterday to the CEO of Whirlpool Corporation.

Dear Mr. ---,

I am writing directly to you as I am unable to find any way on your corporate website to email your customer service department. I recently had an unsatisfactory experience with the service provider you sent when I phoned for factory service on my Maytag appliance. Your service provider evidently does not feel the need to provide superior service because it seems you are feeding them more business than they can handle.

Some specifics:

  • I had three service appointments, each with a four hour service window. All three times, the technician was seriously late. The last time, he came at 4:45 p.m. for my 10 a.m. - 2 p.m. appointment.
  • The first technician broke another part in the course of trying to repair my machine. To his credit, he did accept responsibility for having done this.
  • When he ordered replacement parts, I requested that they be shipped Next Day Air. He replied that he was unable to do this. I asked him to phone his manager and make this request on behalf of his customer. The technician replied, "My manager would yell at me if I did this."

I am in the customer service business myself, and I work with companies that provide the best customer service in the industry, companies like Four Seasons and Ritz-Carlton. I know what great customer service looks like, and I can recognize when a company simply does not care. I also know that a culture of service either permeates an entire organization from top to bottom, or it's lacking everywhere. 
Were you in my position, you would probably do what I will do next time I need service on my --- appliance: call an independent service provider that has to compete for my business by providing great customer care. Again, thank you for passing these comments to the appropriate executive at your company.

What does it mean to provide great service?

(1) Be easy to reach if your customers want to get in touch with you. Make it easy to talk to a human; frustrated customers don't appreciate complex voice mail systems followed by long times listening to recorded music.

(2) Be on time. If you make an appointment, consider it your word of honor.

(3) Accept responsibility. We are all human and everyone makes mistakes, but mistakes actually become an opportunity to shine when you accept responsibility. Welcome criticism, because it's the only way you'll know how to improve your service!

(4) No reasonable request is too small if it will make a customer happy, especially if a customer is willing to pay for the service.

(5) If someone asks to speak to a manager, provide that opportunity. Great managers know how to listen rather than get defensive about "company policy." Great companies have a policy of satisfying their customers.

(6) If you're too busy to care, you're too busy.


P.S. — this CEO has not responded to my email. Am I surprised? Great service either defines the culture of an entire company, or it does not exist at all. I guess Whirlpool is not one of the great companies.



copyright (c) 2012 by David Ourisman LLC. All rights reserved. If you have comments on this column, or questions about booking travel, email me or visit my website.
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