Improve My Business

After you’ve gotten through the automated tree of service options (”for dept A, press 1; for dept B, press 2…) you finally get a real live person on the phone. If your employees are not ensuring that they’ve met all of your customers’ needs, you’re setting yourself up to have dissatisfied customers.

So, how can you serve your customers better and faster? By ensuring that you’ve met all their needs, not only the one that they’ve called for. As an example, I fly Continental Airlines as I think they are the best for the types of travel I do. When calling their reservation line to make a change (I book online directly but sometimes will call in to explore options), the agent calls me by name, has my reservation pulled up in front of them when they take the call, and we can get down to business right away. [Have you ever entered your 16 digit credit card into the phone, plus the expiration date, your mother's birthday, and your zip code, only to be asked all of that info again when the live operator comes on the line? Why punch all that in if it's not going to help you find my file any faster?] In addition, Continental Airlines will offer to connect me to their car rental partners, Hertz and Budget, and will even provide me with special discounted offers. And before we hang up, I can promise you that they’ll also ask if I need a hotel reservation that they can help me with. They’ve met my stated needs (a different seat assignment, or an alternate routing) and also surmised that I might need additional travel assistance when I land (car and hotel). Most importantly to me, when the operator comes on the line, they’re ready to start working with me - my reservation is up in front of them already. Other companies can take a lesson from Continental’s customer service department.

Technorati Tags: customer service, travel

When I tell people that I ‘do’ process maps, they immediately think of an assembly or manufacturing process. And they’re right — it’s one of the classic uses for the tool. But some of my most impressive uses for process maps involve non-work applications…We’ve decided what features we wanted in our first (and second) house; where to go on vacation; and even what to have for dinner when guests were coming!

Process maps are simply a graphical representation of a process - and that process can include a decision process. To use a process map as a decision process, list out what you are trying to decide and the factors that affect that decision. As an example, when deciding what characteristics our should consider when planning a vacation, you may start off by deciding:

• what time of year/season you want to go
• what type of vacation (sports, relaxing, sightseeing, etc.)
• budget
• who’s going (just two of you, alone, with family, friends, etc.)

Once you have decided where you might want to go, with who, and what the budget is going to be, you can then determine which is your best option.

So the next time you’re going to be making a decision, consider using a process map!

Technorati Tags: decision making, process, process mapping

Here’s a true story to help you understand my rationale for the title of the post:

I own two timeshares - one in Hawaii, and one in Orlando. We are using the timeshare in Hawaii this year (we’ll rent out the one in Orlando - and then next year flip-flop it and go to Orlando, renting out Hawaii); I called to make my reservation for our chosen vacation dates in August. I had already booked the airfare, which is more more complicated to get the flights and prices we wanted; then called for what I [mistakenly] assumed was a straightforward booking. I was told that the 11 days I wanted (August 2 through 13) wasn’t available; however, August 1 - 13 was. When I explained that I didn’t need 8/1, only 8/2 onward, I was told by the reservation agent that it was not available (they rent week-to-week, starting on a Fri, Sat, or Sun and she couldn’t cobble a full week and a half week together starting on a Saturday, only on a Friday). I had a choice - book an extra day and ‘burn’ that day to get the dates I wanted, or start all over again with the airlines (which had taken me about 3 hours to get set up JUST the way we wanted — no thank you!]

I booked an extra day just to get the villa reservation, then started calling back to [now] modify the reservation for one less day. I called a total of four times and was told that 8/2 week was booked, and they couldn’t adjust it for me; to add fuel to the fire, I couldn’t get on the WAITING LIST for that week because that was already full also! So, I’m thinking, I’m holding a confirmed reservation for these dates, which obviously are in demand because there’s already a waiting list; and I can’t give back one night so someone else can use it?

Finally, someone noticed that I own more than one property [which makes me elite, apparently] and I was transferred to the elite reservation / customer service line. Lo and behold! Kelly at the elite line can ’shave off’ one day from the reservation, refunding me that day into my points bank, and providing me with exactly the dates I need. The villa now has an additional day to sell to make someone else happy (who now can extend their stay an extra night) and I am only ‘paying’ for the nights I am going to use.

My question: Why did I have to be transferred to the ‘elite’ line to get a [to me, at least] simple request granted? I already HAD 8/2 - 8/13 as part of my 8/1 - 8/13 reservation… I didn’t need a new reservation, or to go on a waiting list; I just needed one less day on an existing reservation… but only Kelly could understand this request and adjust the reservation accordingly [in about 10 mins, to boot!]

I can certainly see an opportunity here to make non-elite customers happy and to streamline their process (because I talked to four folks, that was three times that I ‘wasted’ their call center resources getting something resolved…)

Moral of the story for Customer Call Centers:

My tip to corporate call centers — train, train, train. Gather requests like this from the files and walk the employees through the request - including how to hand the ‘non-usual’ requests - then provide written scripts that they can follow (in the form of FAQ’s, etc. that are searchable). Spend a little more time on training, which will enable the employees to answer common questions, and then go the extra mile to throw in one or more ‘non-usual’ requests… the customers calling in will be happier, and the employees will get the satisfaction of knowing they’ve handled a ’slightly left of center’ request. Sounds like a win-win to me!

Technorati Tags: customer service, training

This blog will discuss process improvement in general, including implementation of Management Standards such as ISO 9001, ISO 14001, QC 080000, and OHSAS 18001; implementation of programs including RoHS/WEEE, Lean, Lean Sigma, etc.; and will hopefully be a resource for others to refer to.

I look forward to getting to know you better and encourage you to post on my blog!

Mary

Technorati Tags: ISO, ISO 14000, ISO 14001, ISO 9001, Lean, Management Standards, OHSAS 18001, process improvement, QC 080000, RoHS/WEEE, Six Sigma